Dr. Shirleatha Dunlap was named dean of the Mary Black College of Nursing in 2019 after a nationwide search.
A recognized leader in nursing education, Dunlap previously served as the associate dean of academic programs for the University of Memphis Loewenberg College of Nursing since 2015. At USC Upstate, she is responsible for influencing and shaping the future of nursing education in the region and across South Carolina.
Nursing has been at the core of USC Upstate’s academic offerings since the university was founded in 1967. MBCON, Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education, is essential to USC Upstate’s mission as a regional comprehensive university dedicated to providing rigorous, career-relevant and accessible education, and enhancing the quality of life in the region and state.
Dunlap continues to connect with the community and to have a visible presence in the Upstate, providing leadership for USC Upstate’s nursing programs. MBCON has earned multiple grants during her tenure.
A native of Memphis, Tenn., Dunlap is an American Association of Colleges of Nursing Leadership in Academic Nursing Fellow and a 2019 Tennessee Board of Regents Maxine Smith Fellow.
An accomplished teacher, Dunlap has earned the University of Memphis’ Thomas Briggs Foundation Excellence in Teaching Award. She specializes in developing innovative teaching strategies and nursing workforce development.
Dunlap’s work has taken her overseas to China, where she was a visiting professor for SanDa University in Shanghai and a guest lecturer at Jining Medical University.