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UT Knoxville names Vinciya Pandian dean of Nursing college
The internationally recognized nursing researcher and educator will also oversee academic-practice nursing partnerships with UT Medical Center.
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Malvika Choudhary - Mon, 08, Jun 2026
- 17:15 EDT
- 44
Vinciya Pandian / Penn State
The University of Tennessee, Knoxville has appointed Indian-origin researcher Vinciya Pandian as dean of its College of Nursing, effective July 1.
Pandian currently serves as associate dean for graduate education and professor of nursing at the Ross and Carol Nese College of Nursing at Penn State University.
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She also holds a joint appointment in the Department of Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery at the Penn State College of Medicine.
In her new role, Pandian will also serve as associate senior vice president for nursing academic-practice partnerships at UT Medical Center and will hold the Lisa and Greg Reed Endowed Dean’s chair.
“We are thrilled to welcome Dr. Pandian to UT,” said John Zomchick, provost and senior vice chancellor at the university. “She brings an outstanding record of leadership, innovation and service, along with a deep commitment to advancing nursing education, research and patient care. I am confident that her vision and collaborative approach will build on the college’s many strengths and help shape an exciting future for the College of Nursing.”
Accepting the appointment, Pandian said the university’s emphasis on service aligned with values that have guided her career since her nursing education in India.
“I am honored and humbled to join the University of Tennessee and the College of Nursing,” Pandian said. “UT’s Volunteer spirit and Volunteer Creed resonate deeply with me because they reflect a life of service — a value that has shaped my own nursing journey since my undergraduate education at Christian Medical College, India.”
She added that she looked forward to working with faculty, staff, students, alumni and healthcare leaders to continue preparing “compassionate, highly skilled nurses” and improving community health outcomes.
An internationally recognized nursing scholar, Pandian specializes in critical care, tracheostomy care and patient safety, with research focused on improving outcomes for patients requiring ventilator support.
At Penn State, she leads the Center for Immersive Learning and Digital Innovation, an initiative supported by funding from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. She has also received research grants from the National Institutes of Health.
Pandian currently serves as president of the Global Tracheostomy Collaborative and has led collaborations in India, Nigeria and Portugal. Her research has prioritized global engagement, digital innovation, and interdisciplinary education in the field of nursing.
She was awarded the 2023 Lifetime Achievement Award from AmeriCorps and the Office of the President of the United States for her volunteer service and community impact, in addition to being named a Fulbright Specialist by the U.S. Department of State.
Originally from India, Pandian earned a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Christian Medical College. She later completed a Master of Science in Nursing and a Ph.D. in nursing at the Johns Hopkins School of Nursing and earned an MBA in health care management from the University of Baltimore.
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