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GSN welcomes new dean for research

Navy Reserve Capt. Marguerite Littleton-Kearney, Ph.D., assumed responsibilities as the Associate Dean for Research at the USU Graduate School of Nursing, Sept. 2009.

Formerly an associate professor from Johns Hopkins, Littleton-Kearney relieves Navy Capt. Patricia Kelley, who was the acting Associate Dean at the GSN.

A previous critical care nurse at the Nation Naval Medical Center in Bethesda, Littleton-Kearney is no stranger to the University's mission.

"I am really excited to be here," said Littleton-Kearney. "It is a great opportunity to be part of this unique and exciting institution."

Littleton-Kearney's diverse career provides many experiences, such as being activated to full active-duty status on two occasions, that she can draw from upon as she settles into her new role at USU.

She earned her bachelor's and master's degrees from the Medical College of Georgia in Augusta as well as a diploma from the Mercy Hospital School of Nursing in Baltimore. She also earned a Ph. D. from Rush University in Chicago. Littleton-Kearney also received a post-doctoral fellow from Rush University.

Her areas of academic expertise cover hormone status and platelet biology, cerebral ischemia, microvascular blood flow, shock and mediators of shock and ischemia. Her clinical expertise covers trauma/ED/critical care nursing as well as disaster management and emergency preparedness.

She has also been a critical contributor to more than 30 different publications on a wide range of topics from adult respiratory distress syndrome following thoracic trauma to the effects of estrogen on postischemic pial artery reactivity to ADP.

Of course Littleton-Kearney's primary focus as the new associate dean is toward the continued success of the students and the GSN's research department.

"I am so excited to be here — to be part of the mission at the GSN," Littleton-Kearney said. "The most important thing to me is to make sure the students are able to learn as much as possible and, of course, ensure our research mission continues to be a success."