Dean Potempa Concludes 4-Year Role on National Institute of Nursing Research Council

Submitted on Jan 29, 2013

Term with National Institutes of Health's top nursing science advisory expires with strong record of research funded and programs prioritized.

Dean and colleague"That was a good session—the research presentations and discussions were really interesting,” said University of Michigan School of Nursing (UMSN) Dean Kathleen Potempa, Ph.D., RN, FAAN, in late January 2013, at the conclusion of her last public session with the National Advisory Council for Nursing Research (NACNR). A dozen council members and 50 people in the audience had just listened to outcomes from a funded study on ethnic differences in predicting low birth weight and preterm birth, and to a presentation by National Institutes of Health Deputy Director Larry Tabak explaining initiatives needed to diversify the biomedical research workforce.

“Dean Potempa’s appointment to the NCNR affirms her leadership contributions in science, policy, and education,” said Antonia M. Villarruel, Ph.D., FAAN, UMSN’s Associate Dean for Research and Global Affairs. “The council is of critical importance in this rapidly changing health environment, and Dean Potempa has been able to shape the direction of the type of science needed to ensure the public’s well-being.”
 
Dean Potempa at NIHAlthough it required making time for regular trips to the National Institutes of Health campus in Bethesda, Dean Potempa has positive reflections upon her term on the NACNR. She worked on the second level of blind reviews of grant applications, making recommendations on which should be approved. Additional accomplishments for the NINR during the term include creation of a new strategic plan, English and Spanish versions of palliative care modules, and innovative action in preparing the next generation of scientists.
 
When asked by a fellow dean whether she now would be enjoying more free time, Dean Potempa laughed. “With our school’s state-of-the-art academic building breaking ground in April, global research partnerships expanding, and doctoral programs growing to meet new challenges and opportunities for nurses, I don’t expect to have a spare moment!”
 
Written by Mary Beth Lewis, UMSN Communications, sn-comm@umich.edu