Dr. Afaf I. Meleis, has been named dean of the School of Nursing. She will assume her new position in January, President Judith Rodin and Provost Robert Barchi announced last week.

"Dr. Meleis' appointment marks the successful conclusion of an extensive search to find the most qualified candidate for this role. She has an international reputation as a nurse and medical sociologist, and she is ideally suited to attract even more prominence to our School of Nursing, which is already a recognized leader in its field," Dr. Rodin said.

Dr. Meleis' career has combined academic and administrative positions. She will join Penn following a 21-year tenure at the University of California, San Francisco, where she was both a professor in the Department of Community Health Systems in the School of Nursing, and an associate in nursing for the Nursing Service. This past spring Dr. Meleis received UCSF's Chancellor Award for the Advancement of Women in recognition of her role as a worldwide activist on behalf of women's issues. She has served on all major academic senate committees at USCF and is credited with having made a substantial impact on the University's recruitment efforts to enhance diversity as well as to attract a more accomplished student body.

A prominent medical sociologist, Dr. Meleis is a sought after researcher and speaker on the topics of women's health and development, immigrant health care, international health care and knowledge development. She is on the editorial boards of a number of publications, including Advances in Nursing Science and Scholarly Inquiry International. She has written more than 150 articles and has authored numerous monographs and books.

Because of her global reputation in the critical area of women's health issues, Dr. Meleis is often invited to plan conferences, conduct symposia and to present keynote addresses on this topic. Currently, she is the vice president of the International Council on Women's Health.

A native of Egypt, Dr. Meleis completed her nursing degree at the University of Alexandria before coming to the United States to pursue graduate education as a Rockefeller Fellow. She holds an M.S. in nursing, an M.A. in sociology and a Ph.D. in medical and social psychology from the University of California, Los Angeles.

"At this time we would also like to thank Neville Strumpf for her outstanding contributions and leadership as interim dean during this period of transition. Neville maintained this position while at the same time continuing her important work in the area of elder care, for which she has received national acclaim," said Dr. Rodin. "We are truly grateful to her for her commitment to Penn and to the School of Nursing," added Dr. Barchi.