Structure & Governance

The School of Nursing is one of 12 schools at the University, led by President Amy Gutmann with the advice of the Board of Trustees.

Similarly, the School of Nursing is led by Dean Afaf Meleis who is advised by the Board of Overseers.

She, in turn, is supported by three associate deans for Academic Programs; Practice and Community (encompassing our school-owned practice caring for frail elders in our community); and Research, including six independent research centers.

Research Divisions and Centers

Standing faculty belong to the Faculty Senate, which votes on policies and procedures affecting the School. The standing faculty, as well as other teaching faculty known as Academic Support Staff, are divided into two divisions. 

The Department of Family and Community Health Division, led by Dr. Patricia D’Antonio, encompasses those faculty with a research and teaching mission focusing predominantly on the delivery of care and improving patient outcomes. The Department of Biobehavioral Health Sciences, led by Dr. Jennifer Martin, focuses on the generation of new knowledge from both the biological and behavioral perspective, including research at the bench.

Penn Nursing also has six funded research centers conducting federally-funded research into bio-behavioral causes of disease, transitional research, healthcare policy and systems, issues of aging, health disparities, and nursing history.