2024 School of Nursing Alumni Awards

2024 SON Hall of Fame Awardee

J. Michael Leger, PhD, MBA, RN, NEA-BC, CNE, CNL

2024 Hall of Fame Award Recipient

This award honors alumni who have made significant contributions to the nursing profession in clinical practice, education, administration or organizational work involving health care.


About Michael Leger

Dr. John Michael Leger began his academic journey in 1993, earning an Associate of Applied Science in Nursing from Lamar University in Beaumont. He furthered his education by obtaining a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston in 1995, followed by a Master of Business Administration from Our Lady of the Lake University in San Antonio in 1999. In 2016, he completed his PhD in Nursing at the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston.

Dr. Leger launched his nursing career at CHRISTUS St. Elizabeth Hospital (formerly Sisters of Charity) in Beaumont, TX, primarily working with adult patients on telemetry, medical/surgical units, and later in the Medical/Surgical ICU. He quickly moved into leadership roles, including positions in case management and as a charge nurse. In 2003, Dr. Leger became the Assistant Administrator/Director of Nursing at CHRISTUS Spohn Hospital in Alice, TX, marking the beginning of his extensive 20+ year career in healthcare leadership. His roles have included Director of Quality Management/Patient Safety, Chief Nursing Officer, Vice President of Nursing, Regional Chief Nursing Officer, and Chief Executive Officer.

In 2015, Dr. Leger shifted his focus to education, joining the UTMB School of Nursing as an Assistant Professor in the graduate program, where his passion for teaching and scholarship flourished. His research and scholarship areas include process improvement, patient safety, higher education, and innovative care models, particularly for underserved populations. He was promoted to Associate Professor in 2018 and served as the inaugural Assistant Dean of Organizational Effectiveness and Evaluation. In 2022, he was promoted to Professor, serving as the Track Coordinator for the Executive Nurse Leader track. Most recently, he concurrently served as the inaugural interim Track Coordinator for the Nursing PhD program, successfully facilitating its transfer from the Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences to the School of Nursing.

Since 2016, Dr. Leger has secured over $385,000 in grant funding for his research. His work has been presented at more than 30 national and international conferences and published in 10 professional peer-reviewed journals. He has also served as a textbook reviewer, Editorial Review Group Chair for Doody’s Review Service, and editor for the 4th and 5th editions of the award-winning nursing leadership textbook Financial Management for Nurse Managers: Merging the Heart with the Dollar. His dedication to the profession extends to serving on several national and international boards and committees.

Dr. Leger’s contributions have been recognized by his peers, leaders, and students at UTMB. He held the UTMB School of Nursing’s John P. McGovern Chair in the Healing Practices of Nursing since 2020, was a nominee for the University of Texas Regents’ Outstanding Employee Award, and received the UTMB President’s Way to Go Award. Additionally, he was honored with the School of Nursing’s Mary V. Fenton Dean’s Faculty Award and was recognized by Texas Nurses’ Association District 9 in 2022 as one of its Outstanding Nurses. The UTMB School of Nursing Alumni Association has previously presented him with the Alumni Association Award and The Betty Lee Evans Nursing Excellence Award. His students have twice recognized him with the Outstanding Faculty Award for the MSN Program, and in February 2023, the UTMB Academy of Master Teachers named him Faculty of the Month.

In June 2024, Dr. Leger was appointed Dean of Tarleton State University’s School of Nursing in Stephenville, TX. He assumed his role on July 1 and is responsible for strategic planning, faculty recruitment, and the development of new programs, including a Doctor of Nursing Practice degree.

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