Kimberly Dunker arrived at PUC in 2021 as chair of the nursing and health sciences. When the college announced plans for the new three-school model in April, Kimberly was named Dean of Nursing, EMS, Health Science, and Global Health. With leading several programs on campus, she loves working with the faculty and empowering them to be the best they can be for the students. 

Tell us about being the dean of several programs. 

I lead several programs on campus. The prelicensure program is led by several directors:

The Angwin AS program is led by Director Hannah Saravanakumar PhD©, MSN, RN; the Napa off-campus Director Debbie Wallace, MSN, RN, CNE, and the off-campus director for Northcoast Helene Linzau, PhD©, MSN, RT, RN. 

The AS program is a pre-licensure nursing program that prepares students to sit for the NCLEX, which provides them the license and credentials they need to practice as a nurse. We have four pathways to licensure: traditional, MedTechV, LVN, and EMT-P to RN. 

We launched the MSN program in Leadership and Business or Nursing Education in January, which is WASC accredited. However, the Nursing Program has two additional standards. 1) the California Board of Registered Nurses 2) ACEN, which is additional accreditation for the AS, BS, and in 2025 MSN programs.

Jeff Joiner, a master’s prepared RN, is the director of the Health Science program AS and BS, Emergency Services AS program, and Emergency Management BS program. Nancy Jacobo, MPH, is the director of the Global Health program 4+1 with Loma Linda, which launched in 2022. 

What’s your vision for your program?

The vision of the nursing program is to secure funding to renovate the building and its structure and secure an experiential learning environment through adopting high-fidelity simulation and lab learning environments. Additionally, provide support and faculty development to increase retention of our faculty that teach and lead in our programs, which will be through finding funding to support the faculty. Providing opportunities to faculty to support their development will affect our students positively by providing them with a learning environment that is dynamic and prepares them for success in their nursing careers.

The EMS program is to revise the curriculum to support the students today who are entering the field prepared as an EMT and then provide them a seamless transition to attain their BS.

The vision of the Global Health program is to grow and support the students in the program, marketing, and supporting majors and encourage the EMS, HS, and other degrees to consider taking the minor in Global Health since those majors have more than half of the requirements for the major.

The vision of Health Science is to help those with the AS student to transition to the BS for health science, preparing them for their career path. Many of these students plan to receive Master’s degrees in Nutrition/Dietetics, OT, PT, Speech-Language Pathology, and much more. The new BS degree for Health Science launches in Fall 2023.

What is your favorite part about working in academics? 

I love working with the faculty- helping them think creatively and empowering them to be the best they are in the classrooms, on their committees, in their academic portfolio, and for their students.

What is one thing you want people to know about PUC? 

I am an influencer and a strategic thinker according to the Clifton strength’s Gallup Survey and my 5 top strengths include:  

1) Activator – I want action and can make things happen.

2) Learner – I am a lifelong learner and can analyze the learning habits of others and help them think through how they can best learn effectively.

3) Significance – I want to make a difference, and everything I do makes a significant and lasting difference in the world.

4) Communication – I can find words for my thoughts and feelings and use this strength to form deep, meaningful, and bonded relationships with others.

5) Futurist – I can envision the future and provide an unusual and creative way of planning and problem-solving.

It is through these attributes I believe I can lead the school to ultimate success.

What do you love most about living in the Napa Valley? 

I love the weather. Coming from the North East, it has been a lovely gift to take a walk every day and enjoy God’s Nature in the beautiful Back 40.