School of Nursing Dean Afaf Meleis, who has held her deanship at Penn for more than a decade, plans to step down from her current position at the end of her term in June 2014, the University announced Wednesday.
Meleis began at Penn in 2002, agreeing to a second term as dean in 2009.
The Nursing School has made significant strides during Meleis’ tenure, nearly tripling its endowment to $72.4 million and increasing enrollment by 57 percent. Meleis also oversaw a major renovation of Fagin Hall and an overhaul of the nursing curriculum.
“Afaf Meleis has been a transformative dean, whose impact on … the nursing profession will be felt for many years to come,” Provost Vincent Price said in a statement. “She has been a passionate and highly visible advocate for nursing science, for the global advancement of women and women’s health, and for support of students from underrepresented and underserved communities.”
Meleis said that it “was time” to make the decision to step down after serving two terms at the helm of the school.
“All I’m really focusing on is the next 15 months because we still have so much to do,” she said.
Meleis’ announcement comes less than a week after Graduate School of Education Dean Andy Porter said he would retire once his term comes to a close in June 2014.
Along with School of Engineering and Applied Science Dean Eduardo Glandt, Meleis, who grew up in Egypt, is one of just two international deans currently at Penn.
In the coming weeks, Penn will announce the members of a consultative committee that will work to find Meleis’ replacement.
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