Dean of Nursing

Dr. Joan Ellis has served in a variety of academic and clinical practice roles during her extensive professional career. She holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in nursing from Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center in New Orleans, with nursing of children as her area of specialization. She also holds a PhD in nursing from Southern University and possesses over 30 years of teaching and administrative experience at the associate, baccalaureate, master’s, and doctoral levels. Her professional background includes not only classroom and clinical instruction, but also nursing program development, implementation, and evaluation. During her tenure at Our Lady of the Lake College in Baton Rouge, La, she served as the founding dean of the Graduate Nursing Program, which included nursing education, nursing administration, and nurse anesthesia.

Dr. Ellis has also presented numerous continuing education programs on a state, regional, and national level, as well as published articles in professional nursing journals. In terms of professional practice, she has served in many roles, including pediatric staff nurse, clinical nurse specialist, clinical educator, nurse researcher, and consultant. She is also a member of an extensive array of professional nursing organizations.

She resides in Geismar, Louisiana, and is married to Alvin Ellis, Jr. She has a son, Justin, and a granddaughter, Chloe