FORT KENT — The University of Maine at Fort Kent has selected Dr. Tanya Sleeper to serve as interim vice president of academic affairs as of Jan. 1. Sleeper has taken over the position until UMFK selects a permanent replacement for outgoing vice president of academic affairs Dr. Robert Dixon, who is retiring.
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| Dr. Tayna Sleeper |
Sleeper is currently an associate professor of nursing at UMFK and has served on the faculty at Saint Joseph’s College. She received her PhD in public policy and administration in 2013 from Walden University, Minneapolis, graduating summa cum laude.
She is a UMFK alumna, having earned a bachelor of science in nursing from the university in 1998. She also earned a master of science in business from Husson College in 2000, and a master of science in nursing/geriatric nurse practitioner program from Saint Louis University in 2004.
“I believe (she) is an excellent choice for the interim position, because she played a major role in both the NEASC accreditation visit, that just occurred, as well as co-chair on our five-year strategic plan. More recently, she was elected to be the chair of the Faculty Assembly. She will have to step down from that post now, but at the time it made her the highest-ranking academic faculty member (at UMFK),” said UMFK Interim President John Murphy.
“I would also point out that she comes with a lot of experience both from the classroom working in our nursing division, as well as in the field holding many positions outside the University in the health profession,” Murphy said.
Sleeper is a member of the RSU 39 Board of Education and several committees for the civic organization that serves the Caribou region in northern Maine. She also serves on the Aroostook Mental Health Center board of directors as treasurer.
Sleeper served as the director of nursing for Mercy Home in Eagle Lake and at Valley Home Health Services (VHHS). She is currently the executive director of VHHS and Aroostook Home Health Services, a role she has filled at various times since 2002. She serves as a board member for Pines Health Services and is the chair of the PHS finance committee.
According to Murphy, the university is already in the process of selecting a permanent vice president of academic affairs.
“The search is ongoing; as we speak, they’ve already had applications reviewed and I believe they’re going through some phone interviews. We are expecting to have candidates on campus early sometime during January,” he said.
