Laika Steiger has been named the senior associate dean for administration and operations in the University of Georgia’s Victoria Kay Ivester School of Nursing.
Steiger brings more than two decades of leadership experience spanning academic health centers, healthcare systems and higher education. She joined UGA after serving as associate dean of clinical practice operations and executive director of the Emory Nursing Learning Center at Emory University’s Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing. Before Emory, Steiger led workforce development for a large integrated health system, overseeing education and professional development for approximately 20,000 employees. Her leadership experience across higher education and healthcare has given her a unique perspective on building partnerships between academic institutions and clinical organizations.
In her current role, Steiger provides administrative and operational leadership for the Ivester School of Nursing. Working closely with Founding Dean Carolyn K. Clevenger, Steiger is building the infrastructure, systems and partnerships needed to launch the school’s Bachelor of Science in Nursing program and support its long-term growth. She oversees finance, human resources, facilities, information technology, clinical education infrastructure, accreditation readiness, and simulation and educational technology operations for the new school.
“Laika has spent her career building the kind of programs and partnerships that bridge higher education and healthcare delivery, and she does it with rare judgment and heart. Landing her as my partner in leadership was an early win for this school, and I could not ask for a better person to help us build the infrastructure that will carry the Ivester School of Nursing into its future,” Clevenger said.
Georgia is facing a critical nursing workforce shortage with a projected 21% shortfall in registered nurses by 2035. With the state’s growing and aging population, there is a rising demand for nurses, and UGA’s Ivester School of Nursing is well positioned to address that critical need.
“Building a nursing school from the ground up is an incredible opportunity,” Steiger said. “We’re creating systems, partnerships and learning environments that will prepare future nurses to care for patients and strengthen communities across Georgia.”
Since joining UGA in March, Steiger has focused on recruiting key leaders, expanding clinical partnerships and ensuring the program is ready for upcoming reviews.
Steiger is double certified in healthcare simulation and has consulted with universities across the country on simulation program development, including Vanderbilt University and the University of Connecticut. Her scholarship focuses on nursing workforce development and the use of emerging technologies, including virtual reality and artificial intelligence, in healthcare education.
“The most exciting part is knowing that every decision we’re making today will shape the experience of our first students and the nurses who will care for Georgians for decades to come,” Steiger said.
The University of Georgia’s Ivester School of Nursing was established in 2025. The Bachelor of Science in Nursing program has received developmental approval from the Georgia Board of Nursing and will undergo the remaining approval processes with the Georgia Board of Nursing and the University System of Georgia this fall. Pending those approvals, the inaugural class is anticipated to begin in fall 2027.
Design plans are underway for a new School of Nursing facility to open in fall 2029 on UGA’s Health Sciences Campus.