July 14, 2023 
 
 
Dear UVI Presidential Search Committee, 
 
 
I would like to express my interest in being considered for the President position at the University of the Virgin 
Islands; my alma mater. Becoming a President has been a longstanding dream and goal for many reasons 
including my love for interdisciplinary engagement and my keen ability to connect scholars, students, staff and 
others from different disciplines to foster collaboration and productivity. I have held several leadership positions, 
including academic institutional leadership, and made significant contributions in my various roles. I currently 
serve as Dean of Florida Atlantic University Christine E. Lynn College of Nursing, with approximately 1,400 
students and programs on three campuses and oversee our college’s two nurse-led health centers, which includes 
our Memory and Wellness Center and Federally Qualified Health Center Look-A-Like Community Health Center. 
Our college is the international leader in advancing caring science and I have established and built an incredible 
leadership team to help me lead our college. I am confident that I would be an effective President for the University 
of the Virgin Islands due to my astute, compassionate, collaborative, servant leader, transformational leadership 
style and my familiarity with UVI and the local and geographic regions from which it draws students. Those with 
whom I have worked and led have consistently described me as an effective, efficient, visionary, innovative, 
dedicated, authentic, caring, down-to-earth, level-headed, calm, servant leader. This is also evidenced by my 
track record of commitment to service, excellence and effective leadership. My top 5 strengths as a leader, based 
on the Clifton StrengthsFinder, are: (1) Relator, (2) Learner, (3) Futuristic, (4) Responsibility, and (5) Strategic. I 
take pride in my effective, collaborative, decisive, caring style as a transformational, servant leader which has 
enabled me to yield impressive results and high levels of productivity while working extremely well with people at 
all levels and in all sectors. Despite my productivity and accomplishments, I remain humble and grounded with a 
sincere desire to improve outcomes and the lives of students, faculty, staff, patients and community. I am a very 
organized and innovative academic leader and I have a unique mix of skillsets, including strong data analytical 
skills, and a solid track record in advancing academic success, research, innovation and efficiency. My previous 
successes as a research dean and my current successes as Dean and leader in general have prepared me well 
to serve as President of the University of the Virgin Islands. I have more than a decade of academic leadership 
and other executive level organizational leadership experience that would help to make me an effective President, 
in collaboration with other leaders at UVI.  
I am particularly interested in advancing UVI’s mission and vision and in developing a new strategic plan 
with all UVI stakeholders in order to build on the institution’s past accomplishments and assets and to provide 
benefit to the local community and beyond. In addition to UVI’s solid, long-standing track record in the areas of 
marine science (Marine Science Center), Eastern Caribbean Center, academic programs and other areas, I am 
very impressed by UVI’s establishment of schools and colleges, it’s Free Tuition Program, Center for Student 
Success, Research and Technology Park, Research and Strategy Innovation Center, Community Engagement 
and Lifelong Learning Center, it’s cooperative agreements with Boston University School of Medicine, Columbia 
University Fu Foundation School of Engineering and Applied Science, and it’s investment into the establishment 
of a UVI medical school. Despite these amazing advancements and progress, I am also excited about the 
opportunity to  help UVI make advancements in graduate education, including increasing the current number of 
PhD programs (from just one), establishing a master’s of science in nursing program, enhancing recruitment and 
enrollment efforts, supporting student success, including the success of student-athletes, supporting faculty 
development and expertise in evidence-based, innovative teaching/learning strategies, and improving the school’s 
history of poor first time national nursing licensure NCLEX-RN exam pass rates. In short, I love my alma mater, 
UVI, and would cherish the opportunity to invest my time and talent in helping UVI to advance, excel and thrive in 
various ways and to benefit all UVI stakeholders and the larger community. 
I am well respected by my faculty, staff, fellow deans at Florida Atlantic University, Vice Presidents and 
its current interim President and previous President John Kelly who publicly said that I have what it takes to be a 
university President. I have loved serving as Dean of the Christine E. Lynn College of Nursing at FAU. I am very 
proud of what I accomplished while at FAU, University of Alabama and Emory University and I welcome the 
opportunity to further elevate UVI. Along with my team, I have significantly elevated the local, national and 
international profile of my college which is tangible through our US News and World Reports Rankings, revised 
strategic plan, our excellent KPIs, our significant externally funded research portfolio and overall research productivity, 
our impressive philanthropy and relationships with our donors and the community, and our reputation in the state 
and nationwide. Below are a few/select accomplishments to highlight. 
• 
Fundraising/Friend-raising: As of May 12, 2023, for fiscal year 2023, under my leadership our college 
has already raised $8,441,989 and exceeded our goal of $7.5 million, which includes a 10 million dollar 
planned gift to name my deanship the Holli Rockwell Trubinsky Eminent Dean in Nursing. Although 
we are a small college, our fundraising for this fiscal year EXCEEDS that of ALL other colleges at FAU by 
up to almost 2 million. From January 2022 to March 2023, our college raised $9,319,508.00 from 370 
Donors. Since I joined the college as Dean in July 2019, I have helped the college raise a total of 
$18,803,503.00 from 977 donors with the help of my Director of Development. Additionally, my personal 
lifetime giving to FAU and our college is over $20,000.  
• 
Engagement with State and Local Government: I have also been able to leverage our college’s 
reputation and solid plans to get an additional $12,291,587 in state funding, including $5.1 million to support 
two legislative budget requests that I wrote to expand programs and resources. I was also able to leverage 
my great relationships with clinical leaders to obtain an additional $1 million dollars from three healthcare systems and a 
$1 million match from the state to support nursing students and faculty. The successes in state funding are also made 
possible with the help of our legislative team and advocacy from stakeholders.  
• 
Additional External Funding/Research: My college continues to thrive in research/scholarship, partly due to 
my strategic support and focus on enhancing our college’s research portfolio by increasing resources and 
expertise available to support our faculty, staff and students. Our Percentage of Research Expenditures 
Funded from External Sources in 2021-2022 was 86% and our goal was 80%. This is increased from all 
previous years. In 2020-21 it was 82.0%; In 2019-20, it was 56.0% and previous to my tenure it was 43.0% 
in 2018-19, and 2017-18 and 34% in 2016-17. Our Research Expenditures for 2021-22 is significantly 
increased and is $1.9 million, with external funding totaling over $5.4 million. I served as Associate 
Dean for Research 2020- 2021, in addition to serving as Dean until I appointed a permanent Associate 
Dean for Research and Scholarship in 2021. Since I joined the college, our number of proposals submitted 
and the number of proposals funded has increased significantly. I am a researcher at heart, therefore, I 
keenly understand what is needed to be successful in the research enterprise and therefore I would support 
UVI’s research goals. I was trained at Emory University and Duke University – both R1 universities – and 
I worked for many years at Emory University. I was also a research dean at the University of Alabama when 
we had a goal to become an R1 institution and I was part of the team that helped to accomplish this. 
• 
Student and Workforce Development/Key Performance Indicators: As an academic leader, I am 
committed to student success and producing graduates that are equipped to meet workforce needs. To this 
effect, I invest resources in these areas by establishing student scholarships, emergency aid funds, 
academic support programs, including a formal and informal mentorship program and by creating several 
positions to support students including three key positions: a Student Success Coordinator, a Director of 
Assessment, Evaluation and Student Success and a Nursing Workforce Development Coordinator. My 
college continues to have among the highest Key Performance Indicators in academic progress rate, 
retention rate, median wages, DFW rate and other metrics. For example, we continue to have among the 
highest 4-Year FTIC Graduation Rate (FT) at FAU: in 2021-2022 it was 85.2%; 2020-21 was 86.8%. Our 
current Freshman Retention Rate FTIC (FT) is the highest it has been in over 5 years; 93.5%; 2021-2022 
was 90.5% Our current Academic Progress Rate (90.9%) is increased from 2020-21 (88.1%), but down 
from the previous year at 91.3%. Our Graduate Degrees Awarded [first majors only] in 2021-2022 was 
168; 156 in 2020-21, and 174 in 2019-20. The number of Doctoral Degrees Awarded in in 2021-2022 
was 44, and in 2020-21 it was 52. Our college awards a significant percentage of Bachelors Degrees 
Awarded to Minorities (Black and Hispanic Students). It was 56.4% in 2021-2022 and 50.4% in 2020-2. 
Our college continues to have the highest Median Wages of Bachelors Graduates Employed Full-Time 
1-year After Graduation at FAU at $68,816 for the cohort that graduated in 2019-2020; $64,084 for the 
cohort that graduated 2018019, $64,980 for graduates in 2017-18 and $63,032 for graduates in 2016-17. 
Our Percent of Bachelors Employed ($25,000+) in the U.S. 1 year after Graduation for our 2019-20 cohort 
was 78.8%.. Our college performs relatively well in Percentage of Degrees Awarded Without Excess 
Hours, which is at 98.8% in 2021-22 and 99.0% for 2020-21 graduates and 96.3% for 2019-20 graduates. 
Additionally, I have worked with three high schools on annual health career fairs and with their Health 
Occupations Students of America (HOSA) chapters to foster a pipeline of interest in health careers in 
general and to support workforce development. As a member of the Board of Directors of the Nursing 
Consortium of Florida and Chair-Elect of the Florida Association of Colleges of Nursing, I also co-lead 
discussions, initiatives and presentations on workforce development, including regular meetings with the 
Florida Hospital Association, the state legislators (i.e. Florida and Alabama). 
• 
Academic Excellence:  
• 
Recently secured state funding to develop a new, Direct Entry MSN Program on the Jupiter campus.  
• 
Launched a revenue-generating/self-supporting, post-master’s certificate in Dermatology that began in 
January 2021, which is a serious of 3 continuing education courses for Nurse Practitioners. It is/was the 
only such program in the country and we have partnered with the Dermatology Nurses Association and 
the National Association of Dermatology Nurse Practitioners and established MOUs with them.  
•
Collaborating with College of Business to develop executive/concierge, revenue-generating programs,
including DNP/MBA and DNP/MHA program.
•
Impressive National Rankings in U.S. News and World Reports that are among the highest at FAU
colleges and Florida universities and across the US. Our College of Nursing remains ranked in the top
10% of US nursing schools/colleges of nursing: FAU is #93 in Nursing for the Best Colleges rankings;
Best Graduate School (#54 in 2023 for Master’s and #67 in 2023 for our  Doctor of Nursing Practice);
Best Online Programs – Nursing administration program #11 in 2021 and #17 in 2023; Best Online
Master’s in Nursing Programs: #31 in 2023 and #7 in 2020.
•
Community Engagement: I engage regularly with our donors, state representatives, our College of Nursing
Advisory Board and with our clinical partners through our Dialogues with Colleagues luncheon meetings with
Chief Nursing Officers (CNOs), held once per semester. Additionally, I personally engage with the community
at large through meetings, presentations at community meetings including the Chamber of Commerce,
Rotary, etc. and attendance at community events as part of my ongoing commitment to engage with and
support the larger community. Additionally, I nurture new strategic partnerships with foundations which
resulted in a new gift of $1 million dollars to support our programs and students on the Davie campus. I also
fostered our partnership with Cross Country Healthcare, the nation’s second largest healthcare staffing
agency/network, which resulted in collaborative webinars, a joint national survey and report, and a donation
to establish the Cross Country Nursing Scholarship. Additionally, I am an active community leader and serve
on several Board of Directors, including the Nursing Consortium of Florida, Boca Helping Hands, Inc. and I
am Chair-Elect of the Florida Association of Colleges of Nursing. Additionally, I lead our college in operating
two community clinics, in collaboration with two Directors: our Memory and Wellness Center that includes a
memory disorder clinic and an adult day center and our two Community Health Center (CHC) sites. The FAU
CHC sites are located in a Medically Underserved Area (MUA) and designated Primary Care, Dental, and
Mental Health Healthcare Provider Shortage Areas (HPSAs). Annually, our CHC provides approximately
3,654 primary care visits and 841 behavioral health visits to 1,188 patients. Overall, 46.7% of the population
in the clinic’s area live below 200% of poverty and 20.6% live below poverty. More than 20% of the population
is uninsured, compared to 15% in Florida and the County and majority are underrepresented minorities. Our
patients are drawn from this community and reflect these demographics. Our Memory and Wellness Center
annually serves/evaluates approximately 1,000 patients in over 2,500 encounters. 9% from Ethnic or Racial
Minorities (Hispanic, Black or African American, Asian American, and others), 88% 65-years or older, 48%
80-years or older, 43% Female; 57% Male. Our students also learn from/serve these communities.
I would be delighted to work with all of UVI’s academic leaders, including its current Provost Dr. McKay, to 
achieve UVI’s mission, vision, strategic plan and goals. As President, I would help to enhance the national 
rankings of UVI’s academic programs and ensure the highest standards of quality and excellence to maintain 
accreditation standards and adhere to federal and other guidelines. I would help to strengthen and establish any 
policies needed to support student success and be fair across colleges and academic programs/units and would do 
my best to improve efficiencies and outcomes across Academic Affairs. I welcome the opportunity to demonstrate 
effective shared governance with UVI Board of Trustees, administrators, faculty, staff and students and to 
collaborate with donors, legislators, partners, stakeholders and the community to develop and implement a 
robust, innovative, bold, sustainable strategic plan for UVI’s next phase of greatness  ̶  similar to what I have 
done before. I would also prioritize inclusive excellence to support: (1) access and success, (2) institutional 
climate and intergroup relations/collaboration, (3) education and scholarship, (4) institutional infrastructure, and 
(5) community engagement. Additionally, as a researcher and previous Dean for Research, I would be
instrumental in helping UVI to enhance its research efforts, in collaboration with the rest of the leadership team,
faculty, staff and students. As President, I would also commit to modeling and fostering Authentic Leadership
and Courageous Caring, which would entail: (1) encouraging authentic leadership/presence and moral
courage; (2) working with leaders, faculty and students at UVI’s professional schools such as the School of
Business, School of Nursing,  School of Education and the College of Science and Math and College of Liberal
Arts and Social Sciences to expand collaboration with other organizations and cross-sector collaboration to
enhance the educational experience and outcomes for students; (3) enhancing leadership development
opportunities for faculty and staff; (5) enhancing multi-focused support for and deeper engagement with students;
(6) supporting innovation and interdisciplinary research; and (7) leveraging artificial intelligence (AI), machine
learning, and data-science to develop innovative, evidence-based research and active learning models.
Sincerely, 
Safiya George, PhD, APRN-BC, FAAN, FAANP, FNAP 
Holli Rockwell Trubinsky Eminent Dean and Professor