Effective June 1, 2023, Professor Johis Ortega, PhD, APRN, ACNP-BC, ENP-BC, FNP-BC, FAAN, FAANP, will serve as Vice Dean for Academic Affairs, and Professor Hudson P. Santos Jr. , PhD, RN, FAAN, FABMR, will serve as Vice Dean for Research Affairs at the University of Miami School of Nursing and Health Studies (SONHS).
The announcement was made by SONHS Dean and Professor Cindy L. Munro, PhD, RN, ANP-BC, FAAN, FAANP, FAAAS.
Dr. Ortega and Dr. Santos—both Fellows of the American Academy of Nursing—are exceptionally capable leaders with proven track records at the local, national, and international levels.
As Vice Dean for Academic Affairs, Dr. Ortega will oversee SONHS undergraduate and clinical graduate programs to ensure that these academic programs continue to serve the SONHS mission at the highest level of quality and remain compliant with accreditation requirements.
Dr. Ortega, who has served as Associate Dean for Hemispheric and Global Initiatives since 2018, will continue to lead international collaborations, including as director of the school’s PAHO/WHO Collaborating Centre for Nursing Human Resources Development and Patient Safety.
Dr. Ortega is a three-time UM alumnus, having earned his BSN, MSN, and PhD in Nursing Science degrees from SONHS. A faculty member since 2006, he has extensive experience teaching in undergraduate and graduate nursing programs. He previously served as the school’s associate dean for master’s programs and director of undergraduate clinical placements.
As the Vice Dean for Research Affairs, Dr. Santos will expand on his duties as Associate Dean for Research. He will continue working closely with faculty and administration in mentoring, and grant submission and administration, while overseeing all SONHS research activities and the PhD in Nursing Science program.
A distinguished maternal and child health expert, Dr. Santos is a professor and the Dolores J. Chambreau, RN Endowed Chair in Nursing. He represents SONHS at the university level, too, including as a member of the UM Research Deans’ Meetings. He is an internationally renowned nurse researcher and principal investigator of multiple funded studies focused on the mechanisms of social determinants of health and developmental health trajectories for at-risk populations, with a strong emphasis on Latinx communities. He joined SONHS in 2022 from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
