As the shortage of nurses providing direct care to patients increases, the number of faculty prepared to teach in nursing schools continues to shrink. Armed with a new Ph.D. program, the School of Nursing is countering this double whammy. Approved in the spring by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, the degree will produce faculty who will train the nurses so desperately needed in Texas and nationwide.

It is designed to prepare nurse scientists and to increase the number of doctorally prepared faculty to meet the health needs of a rapidly changing and culturally diverse society, says nursing Dean Elizabeth Poster.

The program's two tracks--academic role development and clinical research--focus on culturally diverse and vulnerable populations.

"There is a critical need for research about health care issues of underserved groups and strategies to deliver appropriate care to them," said Mary Lou Bond, the George W. and Hazel M. Jay Professor in Nursing and interim associate dean for the program.

Five other Texas universities offer a Ph.D. in nursing, but UTA's curriculum is unique in its focus on historically underserved populations. In July, Dr. Bond received a $700,000 Department of Health and Human Services grant for various aspects of the program.

Another new Ph.D. launched this fall aims to produce exceptional graduates in the growing field of urban planning. Offered through the School of Urban and Public Affairs, the urban planning and public policy doctoral program is one of approximately 25 in the nation.

Urban planning encompasses site and transportation planning as well as administration, economic development, policy and social planning. A key aspect is ensuring that all stakeholders in a community are involved in the process.

"When certain classes or social groups are marginalized from society or from the planning process, city plans and policies cannot be sustainable because some people are left out," said Enid Arvidson, SUPA associate professor.

As more and more cities realize the importance of this inclusiveness, the demand for well-educated planners increases.

"People who understand all the dimensions of planning at the Ph.D. level are in demand for executive leadership positions in government and private industry consultancy organizations across the nation," said SUPA Associate Dean Rod Hissong.

And the opportunities are not limited to the United States, says SUPA Dean Richard Cole. "International urban planning has just been discovered. They're looking for professional planners worldwide."

Online: www.uta.edu/nursing/phd
Online: www.uta.edu/supa/academics/phd_planning.htm