New nursing director hired at Northern

A new nursing director at Montana State University-Northern has been hired.

Janice Starr will begin her role as director for the nursing program Sept. 8.

Starr is finishing her employment at New Mexico State University-Alamogordo as director of nursing and allied health.

“We are very pleased Dr. Starr has agreed to join the team of nursing professionals at MSU-Northern,” Provost William Rug said in a press release from the university. “She brings all of the right skills and experiences needed to advance Northern’s nursing program to the next level.”

Starr received a doctorate of divinity with a major in holistic complementary alternative health care from the American Institute of Holistic Theology in Alabama and has master’s degrees in nursing, mental health, family life and child development, counseling and psychology from New Mexico State University, University of Texas at El Paso and Indiana University.

Since then, she has had a varied career. She is a registered nurse in five states – Oregon, Colorado, New Mexico, Texas and Indiana – and has been a nurse educator since 1983. She has held administrative positions since 2000.

She is also a licensed psychiatric and mental health clinical nurse therapist, a licensed complementary alternative therapist and counselor, a certified grief counselor, and is also certified in advanced holistic nursing practices and spiritual-based counseling.

She has been the nursing director in Alamogordo since 2009.

She will be replacing interim nursing director Arlys Williams, who took the role when Lisa O’Neil resigned in January after a three-week administrative leave.

“For the past year, Arlys Williams has been handling the day-to-day operations of the nursing department, and she has been doing a fantastic job,” Rugg said in the press release. “I wish to thank Arlys for her dedication and hard work, as well as the entire faculty of the nursing department for pulling together during this time of transition.”