Antonia Villarruel Named Dean of Penn School of Nursing

Newswise — February 27, 2014 - Antonia Villarruel has been named dean of the School of Nursing at the University of Pennsylvania, effective July 1. The announcement was made today by Penn President Amy Gutmann and Provost Vincent Price.

Villarruel is currently a professor, the Nola J. Pender Collegiate Chair and the associate dean for research and global affairs at the University of Michigan School of Nursing. She also has ties to Penn’s School of Nursing. As an alumna of Penn Nursing, a faculty member in 1995-2000 and a collaborator and co-author with several Penn faculty, she has an understanding of the core values, traditions and aspirations of the School and the University.

“Toni Villarruel has the vision, expertise, energy and commitment to ensure that Penn’s School of Nursing continues to strengthen its local, national and global reputation for innovation and impact,” President Gutmann said. “She is deeply committed to the central importance of recruiting the next generation of talented and diverse faculty and students to ensure the School’s continuing eminence.”

“Toni’s record of accomplishments,” Provost Price said, “demonstrates her commitment to academic excellence and interdisciplinary collaboration. Above all, she knows how to identify strategic priorities and then marshal the vision and resources to achieve them.”

“I am thrilled and honored to be back at Penn,” Dr. Villarruel said, “and to have the opportunity to lead the next chapter of the amazing legacy of Penn Nursing. The Penn Compact 2020 is aligned with what nursing does best – creating access, integrating knowledge and making an impact locally and globally – and serves as a strong platform in which nursing can lead. I am looking forward to working with Penn and the Penn Nursing community as we move forward.”

Afaf I. Meleis, current Margaret Bond Simon Dean of Nursing, was equally excited about this appointment: “With Toni’s appointment, I know that Penn Nursing will continue to serve as a leader in providing solutions for some of our world’s most critical issues. We have the faculty who are driving the research that is informing advancements in care. We have the students who are transferring this knowledge from the classroom to the bedside. We have the staff who are committed to and engaged in our mission. We have our tremendous alumni and friends who continue to open doors to great possibilities for our school community. And now we have our next extraordinary leader whose own vision, values and history promise to take us well into our own exciting future.”

As dean, Villarruel will further expand the eminence and leadership of Penn Nursing and its ability to advance nursing science, education, practice and public policy. With more than 1,100 students and 340 globally renowned faculty members and teaching staff, the Penn Nursing is a model for curricular innovation, including a unique undergraduate curriculum, joint degree offerings and interdisciplinary educational experiences with other schools across the University.

Villarruel received her BSN from Nazareth College in 1978, her MSN from Penn Nursing in 1982, and her PhD from Wayne State University in 1993. She became a Fellow of the American Academy of Nursing in 1997 and was elected to the Institute of Medicine in 2007.

For more information, please visit http://www.upenn.edu/pennnews/news/antonia-villarruel-named-dean-penn-school-nursing.