UW Bothell Names New School of Nursing & Health Dean | Wellness

The University of Washington Bothell has appointed Vanessa Lopez-Littleton to serve as the School of Nursing & Health Studies’ new dean. 

Lopez-Littleton, who has nearly three decades of leadership and management experience in higher education, public service and health care, will assume her new role on Nov. 1.

Throughout her professional career, Lopez-Littleton has held several executive positions at California State University and Monterey Bay, where she was most recently an interim dean of the College of Health Sciences and Human Services.

“Dr. Lopez-Littleton brings a wealth of experience and expertise and a profound commitment to transform lives through health equity and well-being,” said Sharon Jones, vice chancellor for Academic Affairs, in a press statement. “She is also a dedicated health care professional and successful fundraiser who prioritizes student success.”

Lopez-Littleton is an award-winning scholar who researches the structural causes of health inequities, with a focus on naming, measuring, and addressing the impacts of social, economic, and political influences on health and well-being, a release from UW Bothell said. In 2021, she designed a study on the factors influencing COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy among vulnerable populations in Monterey County. She then developed an outreach campaign to increase the uptake of the vaccine.

In addition, she is the founding director of the Helen Rucker Center for Black Excellence at CSUMB. 

Originally from Shreveport, Louisiana, Lopez-Littleton received her doctorate from the University of Central Florida, her Master of Public Administration from Louisiana State University, and her Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Northwestern State University. She was honorably discharged from the United States Army and received the Montgomery GI Bill, the release continued.