Biography

Dr. Diana Kostrzewski, PhD, RN, was appointed Interim Dean at the College of Nursing & Professional Disciplines (CNPD) in January 2019. A UND Nursing alumna and native of Warren, Minn., she served as a clinical associate professor of nursing and graduate program chair at UND prior to her appointment as Interim Dean.

Dr. Kostrzewski brings an exciting blend of experience and innovative thinking in an array of areas important to the continued success of the College. Those skills were acquired over an extensive and varied nursing career spanning more than four decades. Dr. Kostrzewski has worked in or served as an administrator in long-term care, home care, hospice, public-health and nursing education roles. For the past 10 years, Kostrzewski has been teaching in or leading nursing programs, sometimes as dean, in graduate, bachelor’s, and associate’s degree-level programs. She has extensive experience in curriculum development including online and distance learning, program and project management, staff and faculty mentoring and relations, compliance and accreditation, and performance improvement.

As dean, Dr. Kostrzewski will further align the CNPD with the One UND strategic plan, implement the online delivery of academic programs, continue to support excellence in teaching, recruit more students to programs in her college to meet state and regional employment demands, and enhance scholarship in the College.

Dr. Kostrzewski received her bachelor’s degree in nursing from Minnesota State University, Moorhead (then Moorhead State University), and her master’s degree from UND in 1997. She earned her Ph.D. in postsecondary and adult education from Capella University. She is also a member of The North Dakota Board of Nursing’s Education Committee.

“I am truly honored to serve UND and the dedicated team of faculty and staff in our College,” Kostrzewski said. “I look forward to maintaining CNPD’s strong reputation and to carrying on a tradition of nursing, social work and nutrition & dietetics excellence at UND.”