Speakers

Dr. Aja Tulleners Lesh serves as Dean and Professor at APU’s School of Nursing (SON). She has BSN and MN from the University of California, Los Angeles and her Ph.D. from Claremont Graduate University. She received her OB/Gynecological Nurse Practitioner Certificate from California State University, Los Angeles and has held clinical positions both in acute care and in primary care.  

During her 15-year tenure as Dean the School has expanded the span and the breadth of nursing education at the university from the traditional Bachelor of Science Degree in Nursing to encompass a broad spectrum of undergraduate and graduate programs including the Entry Level Master’s, the MSN with Advance Practice specializations, Education, and Health Care Administration, Fellowships, as well as the Doctor of Philosophy in Nursing and the Doctor of Nursing Practice. 

Dr. Lesh also has a passion for international health.  Since 1993, she has traveled extensively to support the professional expansion of nursing in areas such as China, South Africa, and Vietnam.  She developed study abroad opportunities and exchange opportunities for nurses and has developed research collaboration with nursing leadership in Brazil, China, Norway, South Africa, and Vietnam.