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There is a new Dean of Nursing and Health Profession Programs at Lamar State College Orange.

The school made the promotion official Tuesday morning, publicly celebrating Mandee Tucker, RN, MSN.

She oversees the nursing, dental assisting, EMT/paramedic, massage therapy, medical assisting and pharmacy technology programs.

Tucker previously served as the associate dean of nursing.

Provost and Executive Vice President Dr. Wendy Elmore said Tucker has committed her entire career to advancing students in the critical practice of nursing.

“Recently, Dean Tucker successfully navigated a Board of Nursing re-accreditation and added an additional Associate Degree in Nursing summer cohort in order to serve the immense healthcare needs of our area,” Elmore said. “We are grateful to Dean Tucker for her dedication to LSCO.”

Lamar State College Orange President Dr. Tom Johnson said Tucker is an example of the best the college has to offer.

“She began as a student and is now transforming lives each day through her leadership of the nursing and health profession programs,” Johnson said. “We couldn’t be prouder that she will now lead the program as Dean. Day-in and day-out, she is helping us create a Talent Strong Texas.”

Tucker began her nursing studies when the school was Lamar University-Orange.

She earned her Certified Nursing Assistant certificate in 1995, along with her Vocational Nursing degree in 1995.

She earned her Associate Degree in Registered Nursing from Lamar University in 1997, her Bachelor of Science in Nursing from the University of Phoenix in 2014 and her Master of Science in Nursing from the University of Texas at Arlington in 2019.

Tucker has taught as an instructor at Lamar State College Orange since 2008.