Dr. Danuta Wojnar Appointed Dean of Nursing at the University of Incarnate Word

Danuta Wojnar, PhD, RN, MN, MED, IBCLC, FAAN, Professor and N. Jean Bushman Endowed Chair, Associate Dean for Undergraduate Programs in the College of Nursing has been appointed as Dean of the Ila Faye Miller School of Nursing and Health Professions at the University of Incarnate Word in San Antonio Texas. She will begin her new role Aug. 1.

Dr. Wojnar joined Seattle University in 2005. Faculty colleagues enthusiastically supported her launch at SU and were, in turn over the years, mentored by her in teaching, scholarship and service. Dr. Wojnar developed many collaborative and productive relationships with faculty and staff throughout Seattle University. She taught across the undergraduate and graduate programs and loved to see her students transform as they progressed and took on new identities as nurses or advanced practice clinicians. She has maintained and cherished mentoring relationships with many SU College of Nursing graduates.

“Dr. Wojnar had many gifts but the one I remain most in awe of is how she held students to a high bar for clinical excellence and patient safety while simultaneously knowing when and how to accommodate to the learning needs of any given student,” said College of Nursing Dean Kristen Swanson.

Throughout her career, Dr. Wojnar has been dedicated to eliminating injustices in nursing education and health care. Passionate about improving access to primary care for the underserved, her program of research and clinical practice includes supporting breastfeeding women through research and policy development. Her scholarship promotes culturally sensitive care to diverse populations, with a special focus on LGTBQI+ families.

Dr. Wojnar’s contributions at the national level to nursing education and nursing practice are far-reaching. As a Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Executive Nurse Fellow (2012-2015), she participated with members of the American Board of Internal Medicine and American Academy of Nursing to define the optimal role and scope of practice for registered nurses (RNs) in primary care. In 2016, she was commissioned by the Macy Foundation to write a State of the Science paper on primary care and nursing education. She was a member of the original American Association of Colleges of Nursing New Nursing Essentials Task Force and is an accreditor for the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education. As a member of the American Academy of Nursing, she is an active member of Primary Care Expert panel.

Please join in thanking Dr. Wojnar for her many contributions to the College of Nursing, Seattle University, and the nursing profession. The College of Nursing offers her heartfelt congratulations on her new role.