Leading the Charge: Anmy Mayfield Takes the Reins at WGU's Leavitt School of Health College of Nursing

SALT LAKE CITY, UT, MARCH 11, 2024 – Western Governors University’s (WGU) Michael O. Leavitt School of Health (LSH) announced the appointment of Anmy Tran Mayfield as the new vice president and dean for the College of Nursing, effective immediately. Mayfield has been with WGU for more than five years and is a champion for equity, access, and nontraditional pathways to opportunity. With her team, she has led the launch and expansion of various innovative nursing programs at the university, including master’s degrees as well as postbaccalaureate and post-master’s certificates in nursing. A national board-certified Family Nurse Practitioner (American Academy of Nurse Practitioners Certification Board) for more than a decade, Mayfield is the daughter of refugees and the first in her family to graduate high school.

“Anmy is one of our key pillars at LSH and I feel thrilled to welcome her in the new position. Her expertise in nursing, education, and equity is invaluable to the College of Nursing,” said LSH Senior Vice President and Executive Dean, Keith Smith. “Anmy is a tireless leader who supports our program launches and expansions as well as accreditations to enhance the overall student experience. In her new role, she will use her insight, knowledge, and vision as the guiding light for escalated innovation to enhance nursing education in rural and urban communities for improved workforce diversity and better patient outcomes.”

Mayfield has nearly 20 years of experience as a nurse serving intensive primary care for uninsured and low-income patients, family practice, urgent care, nephrology, organ transplant, medical/surgical, and orthopedic specialties. She serves on different education and healthcare boards and councils for state and national organizations and is actively involved in community service including medical missions, mentoring, and presentations at local, national, and international levels.

“I feel honored to embark on this journey that expands access for innovative and high-quality competency-based nursing education to students who have none to limited opportunities,” said Anmy Mayfield, LSH’s new vice president and dean for the College of Nursing. “I was born to refugee parents who struggled to establish themselves in this country, and I understand well how education can make a difference to oneself, one’s family, and society. WGU’s progressive model of education empowers the nontraditional learners, encourages them to further their dreams, and with the College of Nursing, this ultimately yields delivery of high-quality nursing care to our communities. I look forward to furthering the university’s mission of changing lives for the better by creating pathways to opportunity in this new role.”

Prior to WGU, Mayfield was the founding director of clinical education and faculty at Rocky Mountain University of Health Professions and served as a community engagement (service-learning) program leader for the University of Utah College of Nursing. She received her doctoral degree in nursing practice from the University of Utah with recognition as President’s Scholar, Research Scholar, and Community Engaged/Service-Learning Scholar. Mayfield also holds a postgraduate teaching certificate in learning design in healthcare education and is a fellow in the American Association of Colleges of Nursing’s Elevating Leaders in Academic Nursing (AACN ELAN) program.

About Michael O. Leavitt School of Health (LSH): The school, named in honor of the former governor of Utah and former U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services, was established in 2006 with the mission to make a difference in the fields of healthcare, nursing, and higher education through competency-based education. According to the Utah Foundation Research Brief, LSH represents more than 170,000 jobs in the healthcare industry and the school produced a whopping 17% of the nation’s registered nurses earning a Bachelor of Science in Nursing in 2021. With more than 100,000 graduates and over 115,000 degrees already conferred by LSH, the school presently serves nearly 25,000 students nationwide. Learn more at Leavitt School of Health (wgu.edu).

About Western Governors University (WGU): A nonprofit, online university established in 1997 by 19 U.S. governors with a mission to expand access to high-quality, affordable higher education, WGU now serves more than 169,300 students nationwide and has awarded more than 350,000 degrees to nearly 315,000 graduates in all 50 states. Driving innovation as the nation’s leading competency-based university, WGU has been recognized by the White House, state leaders, employers, and students as a model that works in postsecondary education. In less than 30 years, the university has become a leading influence in changing the lives of individuals and families, and preparing the workforce needed in today’s rapidly evolving economy. WGU is accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities, has been named one of Fast Company’s Most Innovative Companies, and has been featured on NPR, NBC Nightly News and CNN and in The New York Times. Learn more at wgu.edu and wgu.edu/impact.