School of Nursing alumna returns to lead the school

Ann Kurth, Ph.D., M.P.H., R.N., M.S.N., a global health expert and a Yale School of Nursing (YSN) alumna, will return to Yale as YSN’s new dean on January 1, 2016.

Kurth, associate dean for research at New York University College of Global Public Health and the inaugural Paulette Goddard Professor of Global Health Nursing at New York University College of Nursing (NYUCN), is a clinically trained epidemiologist with a career-long interest in the prevention, detection, and care of HIV and other sexually transmitted infections.

“[Kurth’s] leadership in promoting health care around the world fits ... with the YSN mission of promoting better health for all,” Yale President Peter Salovey wrote to the University community.

At NYUCN Kurth is also professor of medicine and executive director of NYUCN Global, which supports research and improved health care infrastructure globally. In addition to her M.S.N. from YSN, she holds an A.B. magna cum laude from Princeton University, an M.P.H. from Columbia University, and a Ph.D. in epidemiology from the University of Washington. She is a fellow of the National Academy of Medicine and a member of the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force that sets screening guidelines for the country.

Kurth succeeds Margaret Grey, Dr.Ph., R.N., the Annie W. Goodrich Professor of Nursing, who stepped down in August. Holly Powell Kennedy, Ph.D., executive deputy dean and the Helen Varney Professor of Midwifery, is serving as interim dean.