Allison Renee Webel, a nationally recognized nurse scientist and academic leader, has been appointed as the next dean of the School of Nursing, effective July 1, 2026. She will also hold the title of professor of nursing with tenure in the School of Nursing.
Her five-year appointment was approved by the Board of Regents at its Feb. 19 meeting and will be effective July 1, 2026, through June 31, 2031. Webel will replace Patricia D. Hurn, whose second five-year term as dean concludes in July 2026.
“Allison Webel’s work represents the future of nursing science,” said Laurie McCauley, provost and executive vice president for academic affairs.
“Throughout her career, she has connected physiology, behavior and digital innovation to help people live longer, healthier lives. As a leader, she understands how to build the research environments where those breakthroughs can take root and grow. She has shown how rigorous discovery, interdisciplinary collaboration and investment in emerging areas like digital health can expand both scientific impact and real-world health outcomes.”
Webel brings to the School of Nursing an extensive background in research leadership, academic program development, and global health innovation. She currently serves as the associate dean for research & innovation at the University of Washington School of Nursing, where she oversees a research portfolio exceeding $30 million annually and leads units responsible for research infrastructure, intramural funding, communications and scholarly advancement.
In this role, she has significantly strengthened institutional research capacity, enhanced interdisciplinary collaboration, and advanced visibility for nurse-led science.
“I am humbled to serve as the next dean of the University of Michigan School of Nursing, a community I have long admired for its extraordinary leadership in nursing education, innovative research and practice,” Webel said.
“Stepping into this role at a school whose impact I have respected throughout my career is both an honor and a profound responsibility. I look forward to working alongside this remarkable community to advance health for all, strengthen nursing leadership, and extend the reach of our impact across Michigan and around the world.”
From 2023-24, Webel served as interim executive dean of the tri-campus University of Washington School of Nursing (Seattle, Bothell, Tacoma). During that transition, she provided executive leadership for more than 540 faculty, 211 staff and 743 students across three campuses, while stewarding a $42 million operating budget.
Her tenure included the launch of the School’s Office of Strategy, development of new pathways for program expansion, alignment of governance structures across campuses, successful accreditation processes, and securing the largest philanthropic bequest in the School’s history.
She joined the University of Washington in 2021 as associate dean for research, after multiple academic appointments at Case Western Reserve University, where she served as associate professor, assistant professor, and director of Continuing Education for the Association of Nurses in AIDS Care.
She is a fellow of the American Academy of Nursing and recipient of numerous honors, including the University of Washington School of Nursing Research Mentorship Award, the Aljoya Endowed Professorship in Aging, and national recognition from the American Heart Association.
Webel is an internationally respected investigator and prolific scholar whose research focuses on aging with HIV, cardiovascular health, digital innovation in health systems, and global partnerships to address chronic disease.
She has served as principal investigator or co-investigator on multiple federally funded studies, including multiple NIH R01s, center grants, training grants and global health collaborations.
Her research has advanced understanding of physical activity, cognitive function, and chronic disease self-management among people living with HIV, reflecting a sustained commitment to advancing nursing science, promoting health equity, and developing the next generation of nurse leaders and scholars.
Webel received her B.A. in sociology and B.S.N. in 2004 from Ohio State University, both with distinction. In 2009, she graduated from the University of California, San Francisco, where she earned her MS and Ph.D., both in nursing.
Mary Eyler
Congratulations, Dr. Allison Renee Webel!!! Welcome to UM UMSN!