Dr. Linda Haddad has been named the next dean of Illinois State University’s Mennonite College of Nursing. Haddad will take the post on July 1, 2026, succeeding Dr. Caroline Mallory who served in the interim position.
Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost Dr. Ani Yazedjian made the announcement Friday.
“Dr. Haddad is a seasoned academic leader and global nursing executive with a distinguished record of driving institutional transformation, strengthening academic quality, and advancing student success across complex higher-education and healthcare environments,” said Yazedjian. “I also want to express my gratitude to Dr. Caroline Mallory for her service and dedication this past year to the Mennonite College of Nursing.”
ISU described Haddad as a strong advocate for community engagement and academic health system partnerships.
Haddad has previously served as a dean for the University of Memphis’ College of Nursing. She holds her Ph.D. in nursing from the University of Maryland.
“I am honored and humbled to serve as the new dean for the Mennonite College of Nursing, where the 100-year Mennonite heritage of nursing education, scholarship, and community outreach is strong and continually evolving,” said Haddad.
ISU said Haddad emphasizes that effective teaching and the expansion of nursing programs depend on the educators being informed about real-world challenges facing the field, including patient care delivery and international discourse on public health and health equity.
She is currently a visiting provost fellow at the University of Michigan-Flint. In that position she focuses on campuswide initiatives on course scheduling, student retention and elevating the academic experience.
Throughout her career, she has served in numerous leadership positions of nursing in institutions in the United States and in Jordan, her home country. While securing competitive grant funding and producing peer-reviewed publications, her research has focused on tobacco cessation in minority and underserved populations.
