Founding Dean and Professor
Humana Endowed Dean’s Chair in Nursing

Dr. Tart serves as founding dean and professor for the Andy and Barbara Gessner College of Nursing at the University of Houston (CON). The nursing programs are offered at the University of Houston, UH at Sugar Land, UH at Katy and Victoria, Texas. She earned her bachelor’s degree in nursing and Scandinavian Studies from Luther College, in Decorah, Iowa; master’s degree in nursing from the University of Texas Health Science Center in San Antonio; and doctorate in Higher Education Supervision and Administration, with an emphasis in Educational Leadership and Cultural Studies, from the University of Houston. Her work in nursing education includes teaching at Victoria College, in Victoria, Texas, Texas Woman’s University in the Texas Medical Center where she coordinated the undergraduate program and was the Founding Dean for the University of Houston-Victoria. She was a post-doctoral Helene Fuld Fellow with American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) and completed the HERS Summer Institute for Women in Higher Education Administration at Bryn Mawr College in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania. She is a Fulbright Specialist (2021-2025). UH’s undergraduate and graduate nursing programs have accreditation by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education and full approval from the Texas Board of Nursing. She received the inaugural American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) Advocate of the Year award in 2009 for her work in advocating for nursing education. She served on the Government Affairs Committee for the AACN in Washington, DC. She is past President of the nursing honor society, Phi Chi Chapter of Sigma Theta Tau International. Dean Tart’s research includes the Advancement in Nursing Education in Nursing I and II (APIN) grants, funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. She is past President of the Texas Association of Deans and Directors of Professional Nursing Programs for the State of Texas. She served on the Internal Advisory Committee for the UH College of Medicine whose inaugural class matriculated in 2020. She has served on numerous task force committees for nursing education at the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board. In 2018 the College of Nursing ranked as the #1 nursing program in Texas by RegisteredNursing.org with a 100% NCLEX-RN first time pass rate for 2015, 2016, 2017 and 2020. Family Nurse Practitioner graduates have a 100% pass rate for the national certification exam since the first graduating class in 2015. The inaugural Doctor of Nursing Practice program matriculated its first class in August 2021. In 2018 UHCON and the Indian Nursing Council signed a Memorandum of Understanding for collaboration through academic programs and research. The UHCON received the Health Professions Higher Education Excellence in Diversity (HEED) award from INSIGHT into Diversity magazine in 2016 –2019 and 2021-2023. It is the only national award for diversity and inclusion in higher education.