New dean of nursing focuses on growth, excellence

AdventHealth University is pleased to welcome Laura J. Fero, PhD, MSN, RN, as dean of nursing.

Dr. Fero has extensive experience as a university administrator and professor as well as a nursing leader at hospitals and health systems throughout the country. Dr. Fero earned her Doctor of Philosophy degree in Nursing from the University of Pittsburgh’s School of Nursing, her Master’s degree in Nursing/Business Administration from the University of Phoenix, and her Bachelor’s degree in Nursing from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Dr. Fero most recently served as dean of nursing at St. Catherine University in St. Paul, Minn. Prior to that she was the founding dean of Nursing and Health Sciences and director of nursing at Lees-McRae College in North Carolina.

“AdventHealth University is thrilled to welcome Dr. Fero to our institution,” said C. Josef Ghosn, EdD, FACHE, president and CEO of AdventHealth University. “We are confident Dr. Fero will skillfully lead our undergraduate and graduate nursing programs, ushering in an era of unprecedented growth, collaboration and innovation in the fields of nursing and nursing education.”

Nursing education offerings at AHU include an Associate of Science in Nursing degree, three-year accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree, an RN-BSN degree program, a Doctorate in Nurse Anesthesia Practice, and a Doctorate in Nursing Practice. The ASN program is scheduled to begin in spring 2024, with 25 students. Dr. Fero also will oversee the Bachelor of Science in Nursing program at AdventHealth University’s Denver campus.

AHU previously announced its commitment to quintuple its nursing student enrollment over the next 10 years, continuing its vital role in the nursing workforce pipeline and in stemming the national nursing shortfall.