Dean Emerit of the School of Nursing Linda D. Scott died Monday at the age of 69, the University of Wisconsin-Madison announced Tuesday.
Scott stepped down as Dean just six days ago due to health reasons, moving her retirement up from June 2026. She was the first Black dean of the College of Nursing — and the eighth dean ever — and spent almost ten years in the role, being appointed in July 2016. She led expansions to the program as well as the school’s centennial celebration.
“She dedicated herself — and the school — to making the world a better place by reducing health disparities and addressing complex healthcare needs. She knew (and made sure we also knew) just how important excellence in nursing is to our entire health care ecosystem,” Chancellor Jennifer Mnookin and Interim Provost John Zumbrunnen wrote in a message to the Nursing School.
“Both of us are better for having known her. So is the School of Nursing, and so is UW–Madison as a whole,” they added. “We will miss her very much, and we join you in deeply mourning this terrible and sudden loss.”
Scott served as president of the American Academy of Nursing from 2023 to 2025, following a two-year term as president-elect. She advocated for changes that would address nursing shortages, faculty capacity and barriers to advanced education. As a researcher, she pioneered studies on nurse fatigue and sleep deprivation and their impacts on patient safety.
Under her leadership, UW-Madison’s undergraduate nursing program ranked eighth overall and fifth among public universities by U.S. News & World Report, and the number of tenure-track faculty has doubled.
Her tenure oversaw the launch and growth of the Accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing (ABSN) program, the development of two new Doctor of Nursing Practice tracks in Systems Leadership and Innovation and Population Health and a postdoctoral-to-faculty pathway created to recruit and develop top nursing scientists.
UW-Madison has described Scott as a “champion” of health equity who believed that a diverse nursing workforce can improve patient outcomes and address health disparities.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Scott and the School of Nursing helped support the workforce during a nursing shortage by incentivizing nursing students to assist in the work of healthcare workers. Today, the nursing school still helps administer vaccines at UHS clinics.
UW-Madison directed donations to the Linda D. Scott Inspiration Scholarship Fund, which aims to help future nursing students who have overcome significant barriers in pursuit of their education.
The university also encouraged members of the Nursing School and Madison community to provide quotes, memories, stories or photos as tributes to be shared online.
An on-campus memorial for Scott will be held at a later date.
Annika Bereny is the campus news editor for The Daily Cardinal. She previously served as the special pages editor. As a staff writer, she's written in-depth on campus news specializing in protest policy, free speech and historical analysis. She has also written for state and city news. She is a History and Journalism major. Follow her on Twitter at @annikabereny.
