Dr. Kimberly Kelly-Cortez is the Senior Associate Dean and Director of Undergraduate Programs for Michael O. Leavitt School of Health at Western Governors University. In her national role, Kelly-Cortez has continued to support the growth of the Prelicensure (Bachelor of Science in Nursing) program by opening new pathways to entry in new states, opening healthcare patient simulation centers/labs, and creating enrollment opportunities focused on expanding access to communities in need of pathways to nursing education. She received her B.A. from Texas A&M University, MSEd from the UHCL, her BSN and Ph.D. in nursing from the UTMB, and her MBA from WGU. Kelly-Cortez is an NLN certified nurse educator (CNE) and is certified in nursing professional development by the ANCC (RN-BC). Her research continues to focus on student success, programmatic excellence, competency-based education, diversity-equity-inclusion (DEI), and the use of simulation in both the academic and hospital setting. She has also presented research related to NCLEX pass rates at local and national conferences including the NLN Education Summit in 2018 and 2020 along with presenting on competency-based education and alternate clinical models at the NLN Summit in 2020 and on increasing underrepresented populations in BSN prelicensure programs in 2022 at the AACN conference and the National Forum of Nursing Workforce Centers in 2023.