Office of Academic Advancement

Senior Associate Dean for Academic Advancement and Innovation
Asa Griggs Candler Professor of Nursing

Dr. Jones provides the strategic vision for the Office of Academic Advancement. She oversees the School of Nursing’s faculty recruitment, onboarding, development, and offboarding for faculty across all ranks and tracks. She is responsible for advancing faculty scholarship and assuring that faculty have balanced responsibilities suited to their rank and scholarship expertise. She engages in four broad areas of responsibility: mentorship, faculty development, administration, and leadership and is responsible for developing and maintaining a context within which faculty can develop and succeed within the overall standards, policies, and expectations of their individual programs, the School, WHSC, and the University. She oversees the development and evaluation of faculty and recommends faculty for promotion. She ensures that School and University guidelines for appointment, promotion, and tenure are followed and contributes to the development of all strategic initiatives that involve School faculty. Dr. Jones serves as the main contact for the School within the University, the Provost’s Office, and with external stakeholders. 

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Senior Faculty Advisor
Clinical Professor 

Dr. Kimble serves as a strategic advisor to the Senior Associate Dean for Academic Advancement and Innovation (SADAAI), OAA’s three assistant deans, and its staff. In this role, she provides high-level guidance to the SADAAI on faculty affairs issues, advises OAA’s assistant deans as needed and requested, and provides advice to OAA staff regarding operational issues. Additionally, Dr. Kimble works closely with School leadership in faculty recruiting for School leadership positions, leads novel clinical track scholarly development initiatives, and works with faculty on all tracks to assist them during their major reviews. 

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Assistant Dean for Faculty Recruitment, Development, and Excellence
Associate Clinical Professor 

Dr. Brockett-Walker leads OAA’s faculty recruitment, development, awards and recognition programs. She chairs the Faculty Awards Committee and leads all activities supporting faculty recognition, external awards, and fellowships and leads faculty development initiatives such as SPOKES, Preeminent Clinical Scholars, and OAA’s Teaching Toolkits. She collaborates with the Office of Communications to ensure timely communication around faculty accomplishments and mentors clinical track faculty, senior clinical instructors, and clinical instructors, particularly those transitioning from clinical practice to academia, by providing them with career development support and by conducting their annual reviews. Additionally, Dr. Brockett-Walker serves as the OAA liaison to the School’s Search Committee and leads the office’s efforts to recruit and hire all ranked faculty, senior clinical instructors, and clinical instructors.

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Assistant Dean for Academic Operations
Associate Clinical Professor

Dr. Clement leads and implements OAA’s faculty teaching assignment process and tracks faculty effort regarding their teaching and non-teaching activities. She also leads OAA’s faculty orientation and onboarding programs and provides oversight of the school-wide faculty membership processes. Dr. Clement mentors clinical track faculty, senior clinical instructors, and clinical instructors by providing them with career development support and by conducting their annual reviews. Dr. Clement serves as the OAA liaison for the Curriculum Committee and the Dean’s Education Council. Additionally, she serves as a liaison between OAA and other School units to optimize data reporting and operations efficiency, especially as they relate to faculty teaching assignments.

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Assistant Dean for Faculty Advancement
Associate Clinical Professor

Dr. Rodriguez serves as the OAA liaison to the Committee for Clinical Track Faculty promotion. She also provides oversight of faculty governance by serving as the OAA liaison on the Governance Committee and by managing committee elections and appointments to ensure that all committees are fully staffed. With oversight from the Senior Associate Dean for Academic Advancement and Innovation, Dr. Rodriguez serves as a liaison between OAA and Emory’s Human Resources and its Department of Accessibility. She serves as the point of contact for OAA staff regarding faculty requests such as FMLA, PTO approval, and professional travel. Additionally, Dr. Rodriguez mentors clinical track faculty, senior clinical instructors, and clinical instructors, conducts their annual reviews, and helps manage and resolve faculty concerns and performance issues as they arise.

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Senior Director, Faculty Affairs

Ms. Nixon is a senior staff member who oversees the daily operations and finances of the Office of Academic Advancement. She works closely with the School’s Office of Finance, Research Administration Services, Human Resources, and Administrative Services to manage all aspects of the life cycle of SON faculty members and ensure the reporting of accurate faculty data to organizations such as AACN, USNWR, and the Georgia Board of Nursing. Ms. Nixon develops and manages OAA’s annual budget and works closely with the Office of Finance to ensure it aligns with the budgetary expectations of the School. Additionally, Ms. Nixon serves as the administrator of the School’s Governance Committee and the Faculty Committee on Appointments, Promotions, and Tenure (FCAPT).   

Director, Strategic Initiatives

Ms. Baggett works closely with the Senior Associate Dean for Academic Advancement and Innovation to develop new initiatives and with OAA’s three assistant deans to assist in the development and implementation of OAA initiatives and programs focused on faculty development, onboarding, teaching assignments, and communications. She also works with the Senior Director of Faculty Affairs on operational issues to help ensure that OAA activities are conducted in a timely manner. In addition, Ms. Baggett serves as the administrator of the School’s Committee on Clinical Faculty Promotions. 

Program Manager, Faculty Affairs

Ms. Ismailova-Hughes provides operational support for the Office of Academic Affairs’ faculty recruitment efforts, including hiring, onboarding, and processing visa-related documentation. She ensures faculty onboarding complies with federal and Emory University requirements and assists with the development and distribution of faculty appointment letters and contracts. She manages faculty compensation agreements between the School of Nursing and internal and external partners affiliated with Emory University. In addition, she oversees faculty affairs compliance related to credentialing, licensure, and transcripts for all faculty members. Ms. Ismailova-Hughes also serves as the administrator for the School’s Search Committee and helps coordinate the Office of Academic Affairs’ annual faculty review process.

Senior Administrative Assistant

As Senior Administrative Assistant to the SADAAI, Ms. Scott manages Dr. Jones’ calendar, the OAA listservs, and coordinates OAA events including the monthly All Faculty meeting and faculty retirement celebrations. She assists the Senior Director of Faculty Affairs in budget management and reconciliation duties and in coordinating annual faculty reviews. Additionally, Ms. Scott works with the Director of Strategic Initiatives on internal faculty communication initiatives and serves as the point of contact for faculty seeking information from OAA.