You don’t simply replace a Living Legend like Professor Jacquelyn Campbell, PhD, RN, FAAN. So, when she decided to step down from the Anna D. Wolf Endowed Chair after 30 years of innovation, Johns Hopkins School of Nursing leadership knew it had better find someone pretty amazing to take Dr. Campbell’s seat.
(She is not retiring yet, lest anyone around here think all that mentoring, vital research, and those pointed, common-sense questions on health equity are going to stop.)
It turned out that the best person to next fill the Anna Wolf Chair was already at the school. Robert Atkins, PhD, RN, FAAN, executive vice dean since 2022, is the same type of visionary leader as Dr. Campbell—and Anna D. Wolf herself.
The chair’s namesake was a staunch advocate of raising nursing education to the baccalaureate level. Now, Dr. Atkins is leading the charge to redesign nursing education for the next generation, focusing on the core competencies students will need to practice. He also knows how to boost the real-world impact of our research; for many years his own initiatives have worked to improve the health and wellbeing of marginalized children and families in distressed neighborhoods.
“Bob” Atkins has big shoes to fill. Lucky for us, he’s got a running head start. Please enjoy the rest of the Spring 2024 issue of Johns Hopkins Nursing magazine.
Sarah L. Szanton
PhD, RN, FAAN
Dean, Johns Hopkins School of Nursing
Patricia M. Davidson Professor of Health Equity & Social Justice