{"id":136864,"date":"2021-03-11T09:00:28","date_gmt":"2021-03-11T19:00:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/?p=136864"},"modified":"2021-03-11T09:00:28","modified_gmt":"2021-03-11T19:00:28","slug":"mary-boland-retirement","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/2021\/03\/11\/mary-boland-retirement\/","title":{"rendered":"Nursing and dental hygiene dean to retire after 16 years of leadership"},"content":{"rendered":"Reading time: <\/span> 3<\/span> minutes<\/span><\/span>
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Nursing students, alumni and faculty celebrate with Dean Mary G. Boland, third from right, at an awards ceremony.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

After nearly 16 years of service to the University of Â鶹´«Ã½<\/span>, Mary Boland<\/strong> will retire as the longest-serving dean of UH<\/abbr> M\u0101noa\u2019s School of Nursing and Dental Hygiene<\/a> (SONDH<\/abbr>) in June 2021. She has led SONDH<\/abbr> to become a lever for local and global social change.<\/p>\n

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Mary Boland<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Originally set to retire in mid-2020, Boland quickly recognized that her assistance was needed during the COVID-19 pandemic. She postponed her retirement to provide consistent leadership and support for the school and university to traverse these new waters.<\/p>\n

“We cannot thank Mary enough. She delayed her retirement by a year when the pandemic struck,” said UH<\/abbr> M\u0101noa Provost Michael Bruno<\/strong>. “She has been indispensable to the state and the UH<\/abbr> System in planning the COVID-19 response.”<\/p>\n

“The School of Nursing and Dental Hygiene is a key UH<\/abbr> asset leading through education, research and service,” Boland said. “During the past 16 years, I have had the honor of serving our Â鶹´«Ã½<\/span> nei in concert with great students, engaged alumni, outstanding faculty and wonderful community partners\u2014all dedicated to improving health.”<\/p>\n

SONDH<\/abbr> flourished under Boland\u2019s tenure, creating innovation within the school and the larger community. What has stood out has been her ability to successfully execute SONDH<\/abbr>\u2019s vision of a multifaceted enterprise that supports the mission of the Â鶹´«Ã½through leadership, excellence and innovation. She has the ability to bring vision to life by leveraging the skills and talents of a team of individuals, while maintaining a sense of humility for those she leads by caring for them as people.<\/p>\n

Leadership<\/h2>\n

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At the helm of the school, Boland leads 105 faculty and staff, 414 students, countless alumni and several transformative initiatives, such as the Â鶹´«Ã½<\/span> State Center for Nursing<\/a> and the Â鶹´«Ã½<\/span> Keiki: Healthy and Ready to Learn<\/a> program. She has worked to ensure the advancement of school strategic plans that promote UH<\/abbr>\u2019s commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion and cultural values by developing a spirit of faculty collaboration, building a professional staff, and engaging with employers, alumni and community organizations. <\/p>\n