School of Nursing remembers longtime faculty member Anita Reinhardt

The NMSU School of Nursing is mourning the loss of longtime faculty member Anita Reinhardt, who passed away in early 2023, a few months following her retirement.

Reinhardt, an associate professor, joined the School of Nursing in 2008 and taught undergraduate and graduate nursing courses. Her classes covered theory and administrative concepts, pharmacology, gerontology and other areas.  

In 2013, Reinhardt became the associate director of the Bachelor of Science in Nursing program. In this role, she increased the number of students accepted into the program from 48 to 64. She also served as the specialty track director for the Master of Science in Nursing program. 

“Anita was so passionate about nursing and nursing leadership and devoted her career to nursing education,” says Alexa Doig, director of the School of Nursing. “She dedicated her time and efforts to helping the students become successful nurses.”

Reinhardt retired from NMSU in December 2022 after more than 15 years of service. Many will fondly remember Reinhardt and her commitment to training new nurses.

“Dr. Reinhardt always saw the potential in others, whether it was nursing students or her fellow colleagues,” says Teresa Leon, college associate professor. “She was instrumental in guiding me through my career path in academia from a college faculty member to earning a Ph.D. in nursing science and eventually following in her footsteps as the associate director for the undergraduate nursing program at NMSU. After she passed, many fellow educators shared just how influential she was in guiding their education and careers.”

Before coming to NMSU, Reinhardt was an academic dean at Clover Park Technical College, where she oversaw 15 programs and supervised more than 70 employees.

Reinhardt earned a Ph.D. in nursing from Oregon Health & Science University, and bachelor’s and master’s degrees in nursing from the University of California, San Francisco.

The School of Nursing Foundation is raising funds to honor Reinhardt with a plaque on the Nursing Legacy Wall in the Health and Social Services Building on the Las Cruces campus. The foundation will also establish a scholarship in Reinhardt’s name to help students with tuition and textbook costs. To contribute, contact Karen Pech at kpech@nmsu.edu.