Marymount University has officially named Dr. Skye Donovan as Dean of its College of Health and Education, following her service as Interim Dean since 2024. A member of the Marymount community for over 15 years, she brings extensive experience, transformational leadership and a personal commitment to the institution’s mission and values.
“Since 2008, Dr. Donovan has exemplified leadership, compassion and excellence at Marymount,” said Dr. Pamela Slaven-Lee, Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs at Marymount University. “Her unwavering dedication to service, teaching and innovation makes her promotion both well-earned and exciting. We are proud to recognize her accomplishments and look forward to the continued impact she will have on Marymount.”
As Dean, Dr. Donovan leads one of the University’s most dynamic and impactful academic units, encompassing programs in nursing, physical therapy, public health, exercise science, education and counseling. She is a tenured professor in Marymount’s Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) program and previously served as Director of the School of Health Sciences from 2020 to 2024.
“In the College of Health and Education, we like to refer to ourselves as the helping professions,” she said. “The merging of those two disciplines puts us in a unique position because we are cultivating leaders in areas with critical workforce shortages, and we can strengthen communities during a great time of need.”
Nationally, Dr. Donovan is a recognized leader in the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA), where she has served on the Board of Directors since 2020 and was recently elected Vice President in 2025. Her longstanding service in the organization includes roles as combined sections meeting planning co-chair, student leadership development task force member and APTA Centennial planning committee member. In 2020, she received APTA’s Societal Impact Award for her dedication to health equity and community service.
Dr. Donovan is also a PathForward board member, volunteers regularly for Remote Area Medical and serves as the Mid-Atlantic regional liaison for Go Baby Go, a program that adapts ride-on cars for children with mobility challenges. In 2018, she received Arlington County’s Honored Citizen Award for her outstanding civic contributions.
Throughout her career, Dr. Donovan’s research has focused on service learning and student outcomes in the health professions—areas that align closely with Marymount’s values of intellectual curiosity and service to others.
“My experience, specifically in leadership inside the College as well as in outside associations, has positioned me to lead with authenticity and to lead with a vision that is consistent with the University,” Dr. Donovan said. “I am both a servant and a transformational leader. I love to work with others, collaborate and am dedicated to making our communities a better place.”
As she formally assumes her role, Dr. Donovan will build on the College’s recent momentum:
- Marymount’s bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral Nursing programs are all ranked No. 1 among Virginia’s private institutions by S. News & World Report, and the University’s DPT program is the second-highest ranked in the D.C. area.
- A 2024 partnership with MedStar Health established multiple $20,000 scholarships for DPT students and enhanced hands-on learning through the organization’s Physical Therapy Environment of Learning, which offers extensive educational workshops, seminars, physician shadowing and specialty mentorships.
- Marymount’s Special Education program became the first in the country to receive accreditation from the Council for Exceptional Children (CEC), a national leader in special educator preparation standards.
- The Malek School of Nursing Professions received a $500,000 state grant to launch its Earn to Learn Nursing Education Acceleration Program, in collaboration with VHC Health.
- The University recently opened a free clinical mental health counseling clinic in the Ballston Center operated by Counseling master’s students under expert faculty supervision, offering real-world training while serving the general public.
This year, the College launched a strategic plan that prioritizes innovative partnerships to expand its impact locally and globally. Looking ahead, the College will grow its reach with the launch of a fully online master’s program in Speech-Language Pathology, slated for Spring 2026.
“Marymount’s programs make a difference every day, and they’re the reason why I love working here,” Dr. Donovan said. “I get to collaborate with like-minded people who are all rowing in the same direction and doing great work. It’s an absolute privilege for me to step into the role, because the University aligns closely with my values. I want to be a part of its success, and it brings me great joy personally and professionally.”
Dr. Donovan’s academic credentials include a biochemistry doctorate and a master’s in physiology and biophysics from the Albert Einstein College of Medicine, as well as a master’s in physical therapy from Texas Woman’s University.
