It hasn’t been long since Ora Strickland took the helm as dean of Florida International University’s College of Nursing and Health Sciences, but she’s already finding out what South Florida life is all about as she settles in.

Widely renowned for studying the symptoms of expectant fathers, Dr. Strickland may have made the move alone but brings with her a wealth of knowledge in the research arena.

She comes to FIU after spending 22 years as a professor in the Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing at Emory University in Atlanta. During her career, Dr. Strickland said she has seen more students gravitate toward the six disciplines offered at FIU’s College of Nursing and Health Sciences: nursing, athletic training education, communication sciences and disorders, health services administration, occupational therapy and physical therapy.

Dr. Strickland is taking the move in stride with confidence, and has even taken her love of singing to Marlins Park – singing the national anthem. But singing before all those people didn’t worry her, she said, as she has been speaking in front of audiences all over the world during her career.

Miami Today reporter Laura Stace interviewed Dr. Strickland in her office at FIU.