CAREER SYNOPSIS Jean K. Brown, PhD, RN, FAAN Jean K. Brown, Ph.D., RN, FAAN, is the Dean of the UB School of Nursing (UB SON). Dr. Brown was appointed Dean by University President John Simpson on February 1, 2008. As Dean, she reports to the Vice President for Health Sciences, David Dunn, MD, Ph.D., who reports directly to the President and works collaboratively with the Provost. Dr. Brown has full administrative authority over the UB SON budget, decision making, and evaluation identical to that of other Deans at UB. Founded in 1936 as a Division of Nursing in the School of Medicine, UB School of Nursing (SON) is one of five schools composing the UB Academic Health Center. In 1940, the School of Nursing was established as an independent unit of UB. The UB SON is fully accredited by New York State, the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE), and The Council on Accreditation of Nurse Anesthesia Educational Programs to 2020. The UB SON offers two entry level baccalaureate programs in nursing, a basic program for students pursuing their first college degree and an accelerated second-degree option to achieve a baccalaureate degree in nursing (ABS). Both programs prepare generalist nurses to work in a variety of health-care settings and meet the diverse health needs of individuals and families across the life span and populations. The ABS program is an intensive, full-time, 12-month program designed for the mature, highly motivated, career-minded student who has already completed an undergraduate and/or graduate degree in a field other than nursing. UB SON offers both a clinical-focused Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) and a research-focused Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.). The DNP degree prepares advanced practice nurses in family, adult, family mental health, and nurse anesthesia to deliver expert care, provide leadership in developing and implementing new innovations in practice, and translating evidenced-based care to the clinical setting. The Ph.D. in nursing program prepares nurses as researchers, teachers and leaders in academia. The School has one of the greatest breadths of academic programming of nursing schools in New York State. Overall enrollment at the UB SON is over 850 students with over 650 enrolled in the undergraduate programs and approximately 200 in graduate programs. The UB SON has one of the most diverse student bodies at the University. Approximately 30% of the undergraduate student population and 25% of our graduate students are from a broad representation of cultures. Currently UB SON has 58 faculty members teaching in our newly renovated facility. The School of Nursing building, Wende Hall, includes 5 technology classrooms, solely for nursing use as well as state of the art laboratory space consisting of a clinical skills lab, physical assessment lab, an anesthesia operating room suite with simulation and 2 additional simulation suites used for instruction by both undergraduate and graduate students.
The UB SON mission is to produce outstanding clinicians and researchers and to improve nursing outcomes to meet the current and future needs of society through our academic programs, research, and scholarship. The mission is consistent with the mission of UB to improve quality of life in that health is a major factor in overall quality of life. The vision is that UB SON will be in the top 25 schools of nursing in the country recognized for its commitment to leadership and quality. The mission and vision align with the broader vision of UB for continued growth in academic excellence, contributing to the overall quality of life of our region, and meeting the challenges of the 21 st century. Dr. Brown has demonstrated exceptional leadership for UB SON faculty, staff, and students during a time of great difficulty and major transition. Prior to being appointed Dean, Dr. Brown served as Acting Dean for 8 months and as Interim Dean for 14 months while a national search for a new dean was conducted. Based on her record of leadership, she was asked to join the applicants and be considered for the deanship. Since her appointment as Dean in 2008, Dr. Brown has led a major transition in the School based on our vision for the future. Dr. Brown s Leadership initiatives on behalf of the UB School f Nursing: Led a strategic planning effort within 1 month of her appointment as Dean that resulted in unanimous faculty consensus regarding the vision for the future and the imperative strategic goals needed to accomplish the vision. Her view is that it is critical for the faculty to believe in and own their strategic goals; while it is the dean s role is to provide the leadership necessary to keep everyone s eyes on the strategic goals and facilitate successful achievement of these goals. Formally provided for faculty input into the Dean s leadership decision making, Dr. Brown urged a Bylaws change to add a Faculty Advisory Committee, which was adopted in May 2009. Furthermore, she meets with student organization officers annually and chief nursing officers two times per year to gain their input regarding UB SON. Infused approximately $1.4 M into the SON budget to increase enrollment, eliminate salary inequities, establish a research mentoring program, add administrative staff to support strategic growth, and increase the Dean s salary to a nationally competitive level and acquired the School s first endowed professorship. Spearheaded renovation efforts of two buildings for UB SON (Wende and Beck Halls) at a cost of approximately $7.2M after UB SON had been temporarily housed in Kimball Tower (an old men s dorm) for 30 years. Recruited and hired stellar individuals to senior leadership roles within the School of Nursing including Associate Deans for Academic Affairs and Research and Scholarship and an Undergraduate Department Chair along with five full time clinical faculty and two junior research faculty. Reorganized the faculty and staff to support implementation of the strategic goals. Led the formation of the WNY Center for Nursing Workforce and Quality Collaborative (including the five major health care institutions in the Buffalo metropolitan area and three baccalaureate nursing programs in addition to UB SON) to address the critical nursing workforce shortages projected for the region in the next decade.
Serves on the steering committee of the new Western NY (WNY) Person Centered Care geriatric initiative, and the board of the new Palliative Care Institute Urged and supported implementation and extension of the Dedicated Education Unit model at seven hospitals and Hospice Buffalo. Continued her program of research as Principal investigator of the NCI/NIH funded study, Response to Multivitamin/Minerals during Cancer Therapy Study. This is the first clinical study to address the controversy of whether cancer patients should take antioxidants during radiation therapy as a self-care strategy. Mentored countless faculty, students and fellow researchers in their academic achievements. Dr. Brown received a diploma in nursing from Fairview Hospital School of Nursing, Minneapolis, MN and received a BS in nursing from the University of Rochester, Rochester, NY. Subsequently, she received an MS in medical surgical nursing specializing in oncology and a PhD in nursing with cognates in oncology and nutrition. Both graduate degrees are from the University of Rochester. She was inducted into the American Academy of Nursing in 2001 in recognition of her national and international leadership in oncology nursing. As can be seen in her curriculum vitae, she has received numerous other honors recognizing her research, teaching, mentorship, leadership, and service accomplishments including: Distinguished Faculty Mentor, University at Buffalo, The State University of New York, School of Nursing, 2007 Oncology Nursing Society (ONS) Foundation Connie Henke Yarbro Excellence in Cancer Nursing Mentorship Award, 32 nd Annual Congress, Las Vegas, Nevada, 2007 Chancellor s Award for Excellence in Teaching, University at Buffalo, The State University of New York, 2004 She has published approximately 70 research and education articles/book chapters and has been awarded over $2.8 M in research and education grants. A specialist in nursing oncology, Dr. Brown s primary research focus is nutritional problems associated with cancer, especially cancer-related weight loss and its management. Outcomes of interest related to this problem are weight change, nutrition-related side effects of treatment, mood, and quality of life. She has recently completed a phase 2 clinical trial funded by the National Cancer Institute that tested the effects of antioxidant dietary supplements on men with prostate cancer during radiation therapy and has had previous grants supporting research on cancer-related nutritional symptom management. Dr. Brown s secondary research focus is symptom management and quality-of-life in cancer patients. As Steering Committee Chair for the WNY Center for Nursing Workforce and Quality, Dr. Brown leads a collaborative of Buffalo health care systems and schools of nursing whose goal is to test innovations and establish best practices that will address the acute nursing workforce shortage in the region and improve quality of nursing care.
As a recognized SUNY Chancellor s Excellence in Teaching Award recipient, Dr. Brown has taught numerous courses throughout her UB career. She was instrumental in developing the Ph.D. and Accelerated Baccalaureate programs at the UB SON during her tenure as Associate Dean of Academic Affairs. She has advised student dissertation and research projects as well as supervised student independent research with exemplary student satisfaction ratings. With these accomplishments, she earned tenure and the rank of Full Professor at the University at Buffalo before being appointed Dean. She is also an adjunct professor in the UB School of Public Health and Health Professions in the Departments of Exercise and Nutrition Sciences and Rehabilitation Science as well as Adjunct Professor of Oncology at Roswell Park Cancer Institute. She is both academically and experientially qualified to provide the leadership necessary to accomplish the UB SON mission, vision, strategic goals, and expected student and faculty outcomes. Dr. Brown is a member of many national and regional organizations including: Oncology Nursing Society Western New York Chapter of the Oncology Nursing Society Professional Nurses Association of WNY, District 1, New York State Nurses Association Sigma Thêta Tau International Gamma Kappa Chapter of Sigma Theta Tau International Advanced Nursing Research Special Interest Group, Oncology Nursing Society (National) American Academy of Nursing American Nurses Association International Society for Nurses in Cancer Care Dr. Brown is involved in numerous community service organizations within the University at Buffalo and in the Western New York community at large: Professional Service Editorial Board, Seminars in Oncology Nursing 2011- present Governing Committee, Buffalo Clinical and Translational Research Center Reviewer, Oncology Nursing Society Distinguished Researcher Award Reviewer, NSAA NIH Study Section/Ad Hoc Grant Reviewer, Washington, DC Community Service WNY Center for Nursing Workforce and Quality Steering Committee Chair Town Square Advisory Committee The Palliative Care Institute Board of Trustees WNY Alliance for Person-Centered Care Steering Committee WNY Community Health Foundation Falls Initiative Board of Directors, St. John's Home, Rochester, NY
o Vice Chair of Board o Chair, Health, Education and Programs Committee o Executive Committee o Chair, Strategic Planning Committee o Strategic Planning Committee Hospice Advisory Committee, Genesee Region Home Care, Rochester, NY In 2001, Dr. Brown was inducted as a Fellow of the American Academy of Nursing. This prestigious honor is reserved for nursing leaders in the fields of education, management, practice and research. Invitation to Fellowship is more than recognition of one's accomplishments within the nursing profession. AAN Fellows also have a responsibility to contribute their time and energies to the Academy, and to engage with other health care leaders outside the Academy in transforming America's health care system in numerous areas including: enhancing the quality of health and nursing care, promoting healthy aging and human development across the life continuum, reducing health disparities and inequalities, shaping healthy behaviors and environments, integrating mental and physical health care, and strengthening the nursing and health care delivery system, nationally and internationally.