PhD, RN, MPH , Doctoral (Alumni)
Dr. Richardean Benjamin currently serves as chair of the School of Nursing at Old Dominion University in Norfolk, Virginia a position she has held since 2002. Dr. Benjamin’s nursing preparation includes a diploma from Grady Hospital School of Nursing, BSN from Armstrong State College, MSN from the Medical College of Georgia, and PhD from the University of Texas at Austin. She is certified as a clinical specialist in psychiatric and mental health nursing and has teaching experiences at the baccalaureate, master’s and doctoral levels. Additionally, Dr. Benjamin completed a postdoctoral fellowship and the MPH specializing in psychiatric epidemiology at the Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic of the University of Pittsburgh.
Dr. Benjamin’s community and professional affiliations include; Chair of the Minority Health Research Consortium of Hampton Roads, Member of CCNE Board of Directors and the Report Review Committee, Vice President of the Virginia Association of Colleges of Nursing and Chair of Nominations committee of Epsilon Chi Chapter of Sigma Theta Tau International, member of the American Public Health Association, Southern Nurses Research Society, and the American Nurses Association. Honors and special appointments include legislative aide to Texas State Representative Wilheminia Delco and United States Senator Daniel Inouye of Hawaii. Her research and scholarship focuses on emotional and behavioral problems of minority children and adolescents. More recently her scholarship has concentrated on preparing culturally competent nurses.