UMSON Names Bindon Associate Dean for Faculty Development and Franquiz Director of the Doctor of Nursing Practice Post-Master’s Option

Baltimore, Md. – The University of Maryland School of Nursing (UMSON) has named Susan L. Bindon, DNP ’11, MS ’96, RN, NPD-BC, CNE, CNE-cl, associate professor, as the associate dean for faculty development, a new role to UMSON. Filling Bindon’s previous role, Renee Franquiz, DNP ’16, MS ’90, BSN ’85, RN, CNE, assistant professor, has been named the director of the Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Post-Master’s option.

As associate dean for faculty development, Bindon will work collaboratively with department chairs, academic deans, and others to support faculty in further developing their teaching and scholarship and to help facilitate students’ learning across various modalities and settings.

Bindon, who teaches in UMSON’s Institute for Educators, joined UMSON in 2011 as an assistant professor. In 2018, she became the director of the DNP Post-Master’s option, and in 2019 she was promoted to associate professor. She also maintains a faculty practice in nursing professional development at the University of Maryland Medical Center and manages a statewide Nurse Support Program II grant focused on developing clinical nursing faculty. 

Bindon presents regularly and has authored articles and book chapters on professional development, leadership, and online learning. She was recognized with the 2016 Excellence and Innovation in Teaching Award from the American Association of Colleges of Nursing and the 2019 Emerging Leader in Nursing Education Award from the Council on Collegiate Education for Nursing. She was named president-elect of the Association for Nursing Professional Development in spring 2019 and assumed the role of president in May 2020. She earned a DNP, master’s degree, and post-graduate teaching certificate from UMSON and a Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree from the University of Pittsburgh.

“Dr. Bindon is ideally suited to serve as the inaugural associate dean for faculty development; she has distinguished herself through her dedication to teaching excellence and the development of innovative approaches,” said Jane M. Kirschling, the Bill and Joanne Conway Dean of the University of Maryland School of Nursing. “She has a unique ability to guide and coach others towards a vision of enhanced student engagement and improved learning, providing expert guidance on evidence-based practices for transforming the classroom, clinical, and online learning experiences. Her many skills and abilities will serve her well in her new role.”

As the director of the DNP Post-Master’s option, Franquiz will work in conjunction with the associate dean and senior director for the DNP program and to lead the administrative and academic aspects of the option, with an emphasis on curricular leadership and faculty guidance to ensure that all standards related to the program are maintained.

Franquiz, who joined UMSON in 2016 as an assistant professor, has over 40 years of nursing experience, working clinically in pediatric acute care with advanced practice as a clinical nurse specialist. Over the past 17 years, she has held faculty positions in numerous Maryland nursing schools, leading and teaching in both graduate and undergraduate programs. She serves as an outside consultant to Ascend Learning, providing content-matter expertise for nursing educational software. She most recently contributed to the development of web-based nursing program accreditation management software to guide self-studies and demonstrate institutional effectiveness, as required by national accrediting agencies.

“Franquiz is a vision-minded person who embraces innovation and brings a breadth of experience in nursing and leadership in academia,” said Shannon K. Idzik, DNP ’10, MS ’03, CRNP, FAANP, FAAN, associate professor and associate dean for the DNP program. “In addition to her many positive qualities, her communication skills and problem-solving abilities give her the skills to lead the DNP Post-Master’s option into the future.”

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The University of Maryland School of Nursing, founded in 1889, is one of the oldest and largest nursing schools in the nation and is ranked among the top nursing schools nationwide. Enrolling nearly 2,100 students in its baccalaureate, master’s, and doctoral programs, the School develops leaders who shape the profession of nursing and impact the health care environment.