Tampa, FL (July 21, 2011) – The College of Nursing at the University of South Florida announces the appointment of Meredeth A. Rowe, PhD, RN, FGSA, FAAN, as Professor and Lewis and Leona Hughes Endowed Chair in Nursing Science.

Dr. Rowe joins USF from the University of Florida in Gainesville, FL, where she was a Professor and Nurse Scientist with the Veterans Administration. Known as a leading nurse scientist in geriatrics and Alzheimer’s research, Dr. Rowe joins a world-class innovative nursing faculty at USF ranked 28th nationally in National Institutes of Health funding.

Dr. Meredeth Rowe

“I am exhilarated about announcing the arrival of a faculty member with the national prestige of Dr. Meredeth Rowe,” said Dianne Morrison-Beedy, RN, PhD, FAAN, Senior Associate Vice President for USF Health and Dean of the College of Nursing. “The expertise and fresh outlook she brings to USF will aid her as she develops the Lewis and Leona Hughes Endowed Chair in Nursing Science to its fullest potential.”

Sarasota philanthropist Leona Hughes established The Lewis and Leona Hughes Endowed Chair in Nursing Science for the USF College of Nursing in the early 1990s.

“Leona Hughes was a wonderful friend to us and a leading member of the Sarasota community,” Dr. Morrison-Beedy said. “We deeply appreciate our relationship with Sarasota and our strong links with Sarasota Memorial Hospital.”

Dr. Rowe completed a bachelor’s degree in nursing at the University of Cincinnati, a master’s degree in critical care nursing at California State University, Long Beach, a PhD in physiologic and psychosocial stress and coping at the University of Rochester and a post-doctoral fellowship in geriatric nursing research at the Hartford Institute at New York University. Dr. Rowe is a Fellow of both the American Academy of Nursing and the Gerontological Society of America.

Dr. Rowe achieved national renown for her work with people with cognitive impairment, such as Alzheimer’s disease or autism, and their caregivers. Dr. Rowe’s research on caregiving challenges led to the development of a night home monitoring system (AlzAlert™) that can be used to manage nighttime activity, thus reducing injuries and giving the caregiver peace of mind. Law enforcement agencies across the United States guide their searches for lost persons with Alzheimer’s disease based on her research in this area.

“The College of Nursing at the University of South Florida is the ideal place for me to accelerate my research and the sharing of valuable results,” said Dr. Rowe. “Additional tools and techniques for caregivers of cognitively impaired people will be an enormous benefit to the greater Tampa Bay area.”

Ranked 34th in federal research expenditures for public universities by the National Science Foundation, the University of South Florida is a high impact global research university. As part of USF Health, the College of Nursing achieved more than $4.8 million in external funding for faculty and students in fiscal year 2011. Dr. Rowe’s research expertise and experience with the Veterans Administration will allow her to successfully interact with and enhance the efforts of the College’s Centers for Research Excellence in Women’s Health, Veteran’s Health, Oncology and End-of-Life Care, Symptom Management, and Cognitive Function/Psychoneuroimmunology.

USF Health

USF Health is dedicated to creating a model of health care based on understanding the full spectrum of health. It includes the University of South Florida’s colleges of Medicine, Nursing, Public Health and Pharmacy, the School of Biomedical Sciences and the School of Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Sciences; and the USF Physician’s Group. Ranked 34th in federal research expenditures for public universities by the National Science Foundation, the University of South Florida is a high impact global research university dedicated to student success.