The University of Oklahoma announced today the hiring of Julie Hoff, Ph.D. as the dean of the OU Health Sciences Center Fran and Earl Ziegler College of Nursing. Hoff will join the college in January 2020.

Hoff comes to OU from the Texas A&M Corpus Christi College of Nursing and Health Sciences. She previously served as chair of the Eleanor Mann School of Nursing at the University of Arkansas and chair of Nursing and Public Health at Elmhurst College. She also served as Director of Innovations and Outcomes at Children’s Hospital Colorado.

“Dr. Hoff is a tremendous talent and is poised to lead our clinical and research efforts in the College of Nursing,” said OU Interim President Joseph Harroz Jr. “Her background in building partnerships and harnessing research potential will help advance our faculty’s work and further elevate OU’s excellence in educating nurses and impact on Oklahoma and the nation.”

Hoff spent 22 years at the University of Illinois at Chicago, her alma mater, in a wide variety of clinical, research and administrative roles. She began her career as a staff nurse at the University of Illinois Hospital, and translated that experience into a career of student mentorship as a member of the faculty. She later served as Director of Clinical Research Operations for a Clinical Translational Science grant from the National Institutes of Health. 

“Dr. Hoff will advance the strategic vision for OU Nursing, building on the College’s 108-year history as the state’s flagship institution,” said OU Health Sciences Center Senior Vice President and Provost Dr. Jason Sanders. “Her experiences as a Magnet® research consultant will aid the combined effort with our health system partner OU Medicine to achieve Magnet® designation, the highest distinction a hospital can earn for its nursing excellence and patient care.”

Hoff earned her bachelor of science in nursing from Rush University and her master’s in public health, master’s of science in nursing and doctorate from the University of Illinois at Chicago.

“I am honored to join the distinguished faculty of the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center Fran and Earl Ziegler College of Nursing. The College is a prestigious institution with a long history of preparing and positioning nurses to advance healthcare regionally, nationally, and globally”, said Hoff. “Building upon past successes, I look forward to collaborating with faculty, staff, students, and others to address 21st century nursing practice, leadership, advocacy, outreach, and scholarship challenges and opportunities.”