Office of the Dean

Natalia Barolín, BA, BSN, RN is the Senior Health Policy Advisor at the Johns Hopkins School of Nursing.  She leads the school’s initiatives to build the capacity and elevate the expertise of nurses in advocacy and policy. Natalia also supports the school’s advocacy efforts in shifting health care and policy toward one that acknowledges the intersections of physical, mental and social health and well-being.  Natalia brings together her second career as a public health and oncology Registered Nurse with more than 20 years of experience in strategic communications and media advocacy in health care and policy. Natalia began her nursing career in a federally qualified health center serving a primarily Latino immigrant population in Washington, DC and later worked in oncology care navigation with the Lombardi Cancer Center at MedStar Georgetown University Hospital before joining the CMS Innovation Center (CMMI) in 2019.  At CMMI, Natalia led the Accountable Health Communities Model, the first large-scale national model to test the integration of social needs screening with clinical care.  Prior to becoming an RN, she worked as a project director in strategic and policy communications providing support and technical assistance to a range of government and nonprofit clients including the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, the Institute of Medicine, the FDA Tobacco Regulatory Science Fellowship, and the Office of Training and Diversity in the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. Natalia received her nursing degree from the Johns Hopkins School of Nursing and has a bachelor’s degree in Latin American and Women’s Studies from the University of Richmond. Natalia’s family is originally from Uruguay, and she speaks Spanish fluently. Natalia’s experience helping her family navigate the U.S. health system, shaped her passion for social and health justice.

Cierra Greene is Executive Assistant to Dean Sarah Szanton. In this role, Cierra provides high-level support to the Dean, the Dean’s Office, and SON leadership. She leads administrative support, plays a pivotal role in organizing and facilitating communication and meetings within the Dean’s Office and across other SON functions. She also assists with special projects and initiatives led by the Dean.

Before joining the Dean’s Office team, she served as Development Coordinator for SON’s Development and Alumni Relations office. In this role, she spearheaded the gift processing assisted with the coordination of the operations and logistics of in-person and virtual events, redesigned and distributed the JHNAA Newsletter, and provided support to DAR team. Prior to coming to the Hopkins community, Cierra worked in public and private accounting. She earned her Bachelor’s degree from the University of Rhode Island and her Master’s degrees from North Caroline A&T University.

Erika serves as the Director of Experience Design. In this role, she creates events, programs, and initiatives that enhance the experience of SON’s faculty, staff, students, and other stakeholders. Prior to this position, Erika worked on Dean Szanton’s research team, applying design thinking principles to the design and growth of CAPABLE and other older adult research projects. She is grateful to have the opportunity to apply her skillset at JHSON, a beacon of health leadership and equity for the country and world.

Erika’s previous work experience includes management consulting, product development, and healthy housing. She completed MBA/MA degrees in Design Leadership from Johns Hopkins Carey Business School and the Maryland Institute College of Art and a BBA from Goizueta Business School at Emory University. Erika serves as president of the Jewish Museum of Maryland, is a volunteer for Thread, and loves going on adventures with her husband and two children in Baltimore

In the Dean’s office, Kira works with the Dean, Associate Dean for Faculty Development and faculty candidates for the organization and execution of all faculty appointments and promotions. She oversees the administrative operations of key committees such as the Appointment and Promotions Committee (APC) and the Academic Council (AC), including staffing, meeting schedules, agenda preparing, and facilitating communication of policy changes. She also works with the Dean and Chief of Staff to create and refine processes and policies to enhance organizational efficiency.

Kira received a Bachelor of Arts in Art History and French from Tulane University and a Master’s in communication and Nonprofit Management from Johns Hopkins University. Professionally she enjoys streamlining processes and integrating systems to achieve maximum efficiency and allocate resources properly. She currently serves as the head of the Events and Recognition Committee for the Johns Hopkins School of Nursing Staff Assembly. She loves the Baltimore community, enjoys visiting art museums, exploring new restaurants, and teaching yoga.