Hoff named director of nursing school at University of Arkansas

Julie Hoff has been selected as the new director of the Eleanor Mann School of Nursing at the University of Arkansas, effective July 1.

She is the director and chair of the Department of Nursing and Health Sciences at Elmhurst College in Illinois. Hoff, who will also hold the George M. and Boyce W. Billingsley Endowed Chair in Nursing, replaces Pegge Bell, who is retiring from the nursing director’s position.

Tom Smith, dean of the College of Education and Health Professions, said Hoff has the background and experience to lead the nursing school as it continues to grow and expand degree offerings, including several degrees offered online through the Global Campus.

“We appreciate the leadership Dr. Bell has provided over the past three years,” Smith said. “The school has added programs in recent years both to increase the number of nurses in the state prepared at the bachelor’s degree level and the number of nurses with advanced degrees who can take leadership and teaching roles in the health-care system.”

Nursing has always been a vitally important role in the health-care system of Arkansas, and that will not change, Smith said.

“Dr. Hoff is a great addition to our nursing program,” he said. “She understands the tremendous impact nurses can have on the health of Arkansans and beyond. We look forward to the leadership, research and academic expertise that she will bring to our team.”

Hoff said many things attracted her to the nursing program at the UA.

“It’s a flagship program and it’s a growing program,” she said. “The need for nursing is great in the state but the role of nursing is changing nationally. I saw this position as a wonderful opportunity for me to make a difference. Given the changes in health care delivery, the role of nursing is at the forefront.”

Hoff has worked in a leadership role for two years at Elmhurst College near Chicago. She previously spent 22 years at the University of Illinois at Chicago, where she taught, conducted cardiovascular clinical research, mentored students, residents, fellows and junior faculty members

Hoff earned a master's degree in nursing and a doctorate in nursing from the University of Illinois at Chicago, where she also completed a post-doctoral fellowship in bio-behavioral science. She received her bachelor’s degree in nursing from Rush University.