Within the field of health sciences, Dr. Phyllis Nichols Horns has unique status as one of East Carolina University’s most outstanding graduates, and as one of ECU’s most distinguished administrators. Horns is distinguished insofar as she has successfully pioneered, as a woman, leadership roles in medicine time and again, serving not only as dean of the ECU School of Nursing, but also as the vice chancellor for health sciences at ECU.
A native of Wilson County, Horns completed a degree in nursing at ECU in 1969. She went on to take a master’s in public health at the University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill, and then a certificate as a pediatric nurse practitioner at the University of Rochester in 1975. In 1980, she finished her Ph.D. in nursing at the University of Alabama – Birmingham. Upon completion of her doctoral degree, Horns joined the graduate faculty at UAB – Birmingham, and was subsequently named assistant dean for undergraduate programs. She returned to East Carolina in 1988 to serve as professor and chair of the Department of Parent-Child Nursing. In 1990, she was appointed dean of the ECU School of Nursing. Under her leadership the school experienced considerable growth, with overall enrollment increasing by fifty percent and graduate class sizes expanding from 93 to 377 students. The School of Nursing established its doctoral program in 2002, and in 2007, became the College of Nursing.
In 2009, Horns was named vice chancellor for health sciences at ECU. As vice chancellor, she oversaw the health sciences programs at the Brody School of Medicine, the College of Allied Health Sciences, the College of Nursing, the William E. Laupus Health Sciences Library, the East Carolina Heart Institute. Horns also presided over the establishment of the ECU School of Dental Medicine, and as vice chancellor, supervised its early development. She has led the way toward integration of Vidant Medical Group and ECU Physicians, a transition completed in 2018. In 2018, Dr. Horns decided to step down as vice chancellor, and after one year of research, return to the faculty of the College of Nursing.
Horns has been president of the Council on Collegiate Education for Nursing and the Southeastern Regional Education Board. In 2001 she was inducted as a fellow into the American Academy of Nursing. In 2010, she received the University of Alabama – Birmingham School of Nursing Visionary Leader award, in the 2011 ECU College of Nursing Distinguished Alumni Award. In 2016, she received the North Carolina Hospital Association Meritorious Service Award.
Sources
- “ECU Vice Chancellor for Health Sciences to Step Down.” The Daily Reflector. March 15, 2018.
- Ferrell, Henry C., Jr. Promises Kept: East Carolina University, 1980-2007. Greenville, NC: East Carolina University, 2006.
- “Meritorious Service: ECU’s Top Health Sciences Leader Honored Statewide for Meritorious Service.” ECU News Services. http://www.ecu.edu/cs-admin/news/Horns-NCHAaward.cfm.
- “NCHA: Phyllis Horns.” ContrastCreative. http://www.contrastcreative.com/phyllis-horns/.
- Stephens, Spaine. “Coming Full Circle: Vice Chancellor to Step Down, Join Faculty.” ECU News Services. https://news.ecu.edu/2018/03/14/coming-full-circle/.
- Tilton, Morgan. “ECU Health Sciences Vice Chancellor Honored by Alma Mater.” ECU Now. October 30, 2017. https://blog.ecu.edu/sites/ecunow/blog/2017/10/30/ecu-health-sciences-vice-chancellor-honored-by-alma-mater/.
Citation Information
Title: Phyllis Nichols Horns
Author: John A. Tucker, PhD
Date of Publication: 4/11/2018