Newswise — University of Washington President Michael K. Young and Provost Ana Mari Cauce announced today the selection of Azita Emami, professor and dean of the College of Nursing at Seattle University, as the new dean of the UW School of Nursing, effective July 1. The appointment is subject to approval by the UW Board of Regents."We are very excited that Dr. Emami will be joining the University of Washington and providing leadership to the top nursing school in America," said Young. "She brings broad vision and a global perspective, as well as a remarkable record of accomplishment in research and innovation. She's a perfect match for the excellence of our school of nursing."

She will hold the Robert G. and Jean A. Reid Endowed Deanship in Nursing at the UW.

Emami has been dean at Seattle University since 2008. Her career has included seven years at the Karolinska Institutet of Stockholm, Sweden, where she was an endowed professor in elderly care research and senior lecturer while also holding other administrative and research leadership positions. Emami still holds positions at Karolinska as senior researcher and doctoral-candidate supervisor.

At Seattle University, she implemented a five-year strategic plan including major reorganizations that emphasized excellence in integrating teaching, research and clinical practice, as well as an expansive global-engagement program. Her objectives were to develop a substantial professional development program for faculty and staff, greater accountability of faculty and staff members and better support for faculty collaboration. She also placed a central focus on student experiences to prepare nurses to lead in an era of challenge and change by studying in a learner-centered environment.

In 2011-12 she implemented a curriculum transformation plan for a cutting-edge educational program. Under her leadership, Seattle University's College of Nursing was successfully reaccredited and expanded its offerings with the launch of a nurse midwifery specialty and a doctoral degree in nursing practice. The college has begun offering online hybrid programs in the past year.

Emami has more than 60 published scientific articles in refereed international and Swedish journals, three book chapters and two scientific reports. She serves on the editorial boards or as a reviewer at six peer-reviewed journals. She has participated in major international collaborations with institutions in the U.S., Great Britain, Australia and Iran. She recently became a fellow in the American Academy of Nursing.

Emami holds a bachelor's degree in nursing from the Karolinska Institutet, a master's degree in international health care from Karolinska and the Red Cross College of Nursing, a nursing education degree with a teaching certification and a doctorate in medical sciences from Karolinska.

Her annual salary will be $320,000.

For more than 29 years, the UW School of Nursing has been a top-rated school, including the past 19 years atop the U.S. News & World Report list, which began ranking nursing schools in 1993. Ranked No. 2 in research funding from the National Institutes of Health in 2011, the school is a national and international leader in improving the health and well-being of individuals, families and communities.

The school's three departments are family and child nursing, psychosocial and community health, and bio-behavioral nursing and health systems. Its mission is to advance nursing science and practice through generating knowledge and preparing future leaders to address health.