After 16 years at the helm of the nation\u2019s top-ranked nursing school, Linda A. McCauley will retire as dean of the Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing at Emory University, effective Dec. 31, 2025.<\/p>\n
Widely recognized as a transformative force in nursing education, research and policy, McCauley will remain on the faculty, continuing her pioneering research and work on national health care initiatives.<\/p>\n
\u201cTo put it simply, Linda McCauley transformed the Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing into the finest nursing school in the country,\u201d says Emory President Gregory L. Fenves. \u201cAs dean, she has empowered nursing faculty to develop as innovators and prepared students to enter their profession fully ready to serve patients and communities. Her contributions to the field of nursing are unparalleled, and she will be known for elevating the school to extraordinary heights.\u201d \u00a0<\/p>\n
Academic innovation and growth<\/p>\n
McCauley joined Emory\u2019s School of Nursing as dean and professor in May 2009. Under her leadership, the school has experienced unprecedented growth and national recognition \u2014 soaring to the top of U.S. News & World Report rankings and becoming the nation’s No. 1 program for both graduate and undergraduate nursing education.<\/p>\n
McCauley spearheaded the development and expansion of multiple high-impact academic programs, including:<\/p>\n
Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP, 2014)Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist (2017)InEmory (2019)Master of Nursing (2020)Psychiatric Mental Health DNP (2021)Cardiovascular Perfusion Science (2022)PhD in Nursing Data Science and Analytics (2024)<\/p>\n
During her tenure, enrollment tripled \u2014 from 475 to over 1,400 \u2014 with graduates consistently outperforming state and national averages on licensure and certification exams.<\/p>\n
Leading the School of Nursing alongside its extraordinary faculty, scientists, staff and students has truly been the journey of a lifetime.<\/p>\n
\u201cLinda McCauley\u2019s visionary leadership has propelled Emory\u2019s nursing school to prominence on the national and global stage,\u201d says Lanny Liebeskind, interim provost and executive vice president for academic affairs. \u201cShe has brought to her role an entrepreneurial, strategic mindset as well as a deep sense of purpose, making lasting impacts on both the school and her field. Her unwavering commitment to excellence in education, groundbreaking research and policy advocacy has shaped the future of nursing and improved countless lives.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDean Linda McCauley has been a transformative leader whose visionary stewardship has elevated Emory\u2019s tripartite mission \u2014 advancing academic excellence, pioneering innovative research and deepening our commitment to service,\u201d says Joon Lee, executive vice president for health affairs of Emory University, vice chair of the Emory Healthcare Board of Directors and CEO of Emory Healthcare. \u201cHer legacy is woven into the fabric of our institution and felt across the globe through the work of our nursing alumni who care for millions of patients. Linda\u2019s unwavering dedication to health equity and her strategic foresight have not only shaped the present but laid a powerful foundation for the future of nursing education and practice. We celebrate her extraordinary contributions with deep gratitude and look ahead with confidence, inspired by the path she has charted.\u201d<\/p>\n
Lee and Liebeskind will launch a national search for the school\u2019s next dean later this year, engaging faculty, students, alumni and partners. Details will also be announced this fall regarding interim leadership starting Jan. 1, 2026, and continuing until a permanent dean is appointed.<\/p>\n
Research excellence<\/p>\n
Under McCauley\u2019s leadership, the school has recruited more than 100 renowned research and clinical faculty whose work has advanced national and international discourse on aging, brain health, data science, oncology, pain management, women\u2019s health, cardiovascular care and climate-related health.<\/p>\n
Sponsored research grew dramatically: in 2010, the school ranked 38th in National Institutes of Health (NIH) funding, with under $2 million in awards. Today, it ranks third, with over $18 million in funding, according to the Blue Ridge Institute for Medical Research\u2019s FY24 report \u2014 marking a decade of sustained excellence among the top five U.S. nursing schools.<\/p>\n
Forging partnerships<\/p>\n
McCauley has cultivated a powerful culture of philanthropy, securing transformational gifts that launched the school\u2019s Center for Data Science, Integrated Memory Care Clinic, Center of Nursing Excellence in Palliative Care and Georgia Nursing Workforce Center.<\/p>\n
She has also generated millions in scholarship support for students.<\/p>\n
Driven by McCauley\u2019s bold vision for the future of nursing education, the Emory Nursing Learning Center opened in 2022, offering more than 80,000 square feet of cutting-edge simulation and instructional space. The center now delivers over 6,700 simulation hours annually, profoundly transforming the educational experience for students.<\/p>\n
Under McCauley\u2019s leadership, Emory Nursing forged transformative partnerships with Emory Healthcare \u2014 advancing nursing professionalism, fostering lifelong learning and ensuring the seamless integration of knowledge generation with evidence-based practice. This model has positioned Emory Nursing as a national leader in building impactful academic\u2013practice collaborations, earning the American Association of Colleges of Nursing\u2019s Exemplary Academic\u2013Practice Partnership Award.<\/p>\n
Beyond the classroom, McCauley expanded the Lillian Carter Center for Global Health and Social Responsibility, enabling students to engage in immersive service-learning experiences in rural Georgia, underserved U.S. communities and international settings.<\/p>\n
She also led the launch of the first PhD in Nursing Program in Ethiopia, developed in partnership with Addis Ababa University \u2014 a milestone in global nursing education.<\/p>\n
A legacy of scholarship and advocacy<\/p>\n
McCauley earned a bachelor of science in nursing from the University of North Carolina, a master of science in nursing from Emory in 1979, and a doctorate in environmental health and epidemiology from the University of Cincinnati in 1988.\u00a0<\/p>\n
A pioneer in nursing research, she has focused on environmental health issues such as pesticide exposure and heat-related risks for vulnerable populations, particularly children and farmworkers. Since 1985, she has maintained continuous research funding totaling more than $58 million, authored over 200 peer-reviewed publications, and brought critical environmental issues to the public eye through national media outlets including The New York Times, NPR, TIME and The Weather Channel.<\/p>\n
Throughout her career, McCauley has advanced the health sciences while demonstrating the power of academic scholarship to shape policy and improve lives. Her contributions to research and public policy have had a lasting impact on the fields of environmental and occupational health. She has served as chair and editor for numerous National Academy of Medicine reports that have influenced clinical practice and health policy across the country.<\/p>\n
Her achievements have earned her election as a fellow of the National Academy of Medicine and the American Academy of Nursing, and an honorary fellow of the Royal College of Nursing. She is a recipient of the Friends of the National Institute of Nursing Research\u2019s Ada Sue Hinshaw Nurse Scholar Award and the National Academy of Medicine\u2019s David Rall Medal and has been inducted into the Sigma Theta Tau International Nurse Researcher Hall of Fame.<\/p>\n
\u201cLeading the School of Nursing alongside its extraordinary faculty, scientists, staff and students has truly been the journey of a lifetime,\u201d says McCauley. \u201cI am deeply proud to have served as the school\u2019s sixth dean, and I am confident our remarkable faculty and staff \u2014 together with Emory\u2019s leadership and our devoted alumni \u2014 will ensure that the next dean continues to prepare visionary nurse leaders and groundbreaking scientists. As a proud alum of the Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing, I look forward to watching its reputation and impact continue to grow.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"After 16 years at the helm of the nation\u2019s top-ranked nursing school, Linda A. McCauley will retire as…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":109076,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[59],"tags":[97,252,253],"class_list":["post-109075","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-health-care","tag-health","tag-health-care","tag-healthcare"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/109075","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=109075"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/109075\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/109076"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=109075"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=109075"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=109075"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}