Dr. William Holzemer, dean of Rutgers College of Nursing, has recently received two prestigious recognitions for his work as a leader in nursing practice, education and research.

Holzemer has been appointed to serve on the National Advisory Council for Nursing Research of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), for a four-year term which began Feb. 1.  The council advises, assists and makes recommendations to the U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services and the director of the National Institute for Nursing Research on policy concerning nursing practice in the U.S. and research activity. The council is made up of 15 members appointed by the Secretary of Health and Human Services.

“It is an extraordinary honor and responsibility that has been bestowed on Dean William Holzemer as he joins the National Advisory Council for Nursing Research,” noted Philip Yeagle, interim chancellor of Rutgers-Newark.  “As the leading advisory committee at the NIH for nursing, the council will greatly benefit from the depth of wisdom and expertise in the scholarship and practice of nursing that Dean Holzemer will bring. Rutgers is privileged to have a leader of his accomplishments as dean of our College of Nursing.”

In addition, the International Honor Society of Nursing, Sigma Theta Tau International (STTI), has announced 14 new members to the  International Nurse Researcher Hall of Fame, including eight recipients from the U.S., from Johns Hopkins University, the universities of Kansas and Texas, and Rutgers University’s Holzemer. 

STTI notes that this “prestigious award honors STTI nurse researchers from around the world who have achieved significant and sustained national and/or international recognition for their work and whose research has impacted the profession and the people it serves.”  Holzemer will be inducted along with the other recipients at the STTI’s 2012 Nursing Research Congress to take place in Brisbane, Australia, in August of this year. 

Holzemer has served as dean of the College of Nursing at Rutgers University since September 2009.  He is also professor emeritus of the School of Nursing, University of California, San Francisco. An internationally recognized expert in academic nursing and HIV/AIDS care, he has provided leadership on these global issues via the World Health Organization, the International Council of Nurses, and many universities around the world. Holzemer has served as a consultant to nursing organizations worldwide and was president of the American Nurses Foundation (2002-2006).  His many other honors include service as editor in chief of the Japan Journal of Nursing Science (2003-present), board member of the International Council of Nurses, Geneva (2005-2013), member of the Scientific Advisory Co., President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief ( 2009-present), and member of the Board of Directors of Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital, New Jersey (2009-present).  

Holzemer is a fellow of the New York Academy of Medicine and of the American Academies of Nursing and is an elected member of the Institute of Medicine.  He received his doctoral degree from Syracuse University, bachelor of science in nursing degree from San Francisco State University, master of science degree from Miami University, and bachelor of science degree from the University of Washington.

The Rutgers College of Nursing has been a leader in nursing education and nursing research for more than 50 years. From its headquarters in Newark, New Jersey , Rutgers College of Nursing offers a broad range of academic programs on the Rutgers campuses in Newark and New Brunswick, including the first doctoral nursing degree in New Jersey, a master’s program with unique practitioner specialties, and a doctor of nursing practice (DNP) degree. Faculty and students participate in funded research programs directed at promoting healthy living and  improving health care practice in New Jersey, the United States and abroad.