leadership-spotlight-usha-menon - The Nurses Magazine

Biography

PERSONAL MISSION: My personal mission is to develop and nurture inclusive, collaborative teams that train the next generation of health science professionals, engage in high-impact research, and lead and participate in the implementation of evidence-based findings in clinical practice to the ultimate betterment of people’s lives.

PROFESSIONAL SUMMARY: Visionary leader with over 25 years of Higher Education experience with demonstrated history of strategically focused growth and organizational change leadership, and national research program focused on health equity leading to innovations in cancer screening and healthcare access with over $64 million in funding over 20-year research career.

Demonstrated Achievements in Academic Leadership

Increased college budget from $20 mil to $51 mil in three years through performance-based funding and tuition.

College rankings increased leading to USF being among highest ranked state university nursing program #3 BSN; #1 MSN; #1 DNP (baseline unranked to higher than 50).

Obtained additional $2.5 million in state and private funding for academic-practice partnerships.

Implemented joint educational programming with 6 area hospitals.

Established a mobile primary care clinic with $3.85 million in workforce development funding providing free healthcare in underserved areas in Tampa Bay.

Established two interprofessional practice primary care clinics.

Developed inaugural faculty practice plan for nursing faculty.

Obtained funding to re-instate the Florida Center for Nursing to oversee supply and demand across the state ($5 million in recurring annual budget).

Maintained URM student enrollment at a 4% higher rate than the national average for colleges of nursing, over 3 years.

Increased faculty and staff diversity increased by 10% and 27% respectively, over 3 years.

Achieved equity in salary for staff (compared to university averages for like positions), over 3 years.

Achieved 50th percentile salary structure per national nursing averages for all permanent faculty, over 3 years.

Administrative Experience

2020 - present: Dean and Senior Associate Vice President, USF Health, College of Nursing, University of South Florida
2020: Interim Dean, College of Nursing, University of South Florida
2018-2021: Vice Dean of Research, College of Nursing, University of South Florida
2012-2015: Vice Dean, College of Nursing, The Ohio State University
2013-2015: Director of Community Engagement for the CCTS, The Ohio State University
2015-2018: Associate Dean of Research and Global Innovations, College of Nursing, University of Arizona
2017-2018: Co-Principal Investigator, All of Us Research Program, University of Arizona-Banner Health

Education

Post-Doctoral Fellowship (2001), Health Promotion, Indiana University, Indianapolis, IN
PhD. (2001), Nursing Science, Indiana University, Indianapolis, IN
M.S. (1996) Nursing, Adult Primary Care Nurse Practitioner, Indiana University, Indianapolis, IN
B.S. (1992) Nursing, Lander University, Greenwood, SC
B.S. (1988) Interdisciplinary Studies, Lander College, Greenwood, SC
B.A. (1987) English Lit., Econ., & History, Mount Carmel College, Bangalore, India

Registered Nurse License

Active: Florida, Arizona
Inactive: Ohio

Professional Experience

2021-present Distinguished University Health Professor, University of South Florida College of Nursing, FL
2020-present Senior Associate Vice President, University of South Florida Health, FL
2020 Interim Dean, University of South Florida College of Nursing, FL
2019-present Collaborator Member, H. Lee Moffitt Comprehensive Cancer Center, Health Outcomes and Behavior Program, FL
2018-2021 Vice Dean of Research, University of South Florida College of Nursing, FL
2018-present Professor (Tenured), University of South Florida College of Nursing, FL
2015-2018 Associate Dean of Research & Global Advances and Professor (Tenured), University of Arizona College of Nursing, AZ
2014-2015 Director, PhD and MS in Nursing, College of Nursing, The Ohio State University, OH
2014-2015 Centennial Professor of Nursing, College of Nursing, The Ohio State University, OH
2012-2015 Member, The James-OSU Comprehensive Cancer Center, The Ohio State U, OH
2013-present Professor (Adjunct), Department of Nursing and College of Medicine & Health Sciences, University of Gondar, Ethiopia
2013-2015 Director of Community Engagement, Center for Translational Clinical Sciences, The Ohio State University, OH
2009-2011 Pamela Kidd Distinguished Research Professor (Tenured), Arizona State University College of Nursing & Health Innovation, AZ
2012-2014 Vice Dean and Professor (Tenured), College of Nursing, The Ohio State University, OH
2010-2011 Associate Professor (Adjunct), College of Medicine, Mayo Clinic, MN
2010-2011 Director, Southwest Consortium for Health Promotion & Behavior Change, Arizona State University, AZ
2009-2011 Visiting Scientist, Mayo Clinic Cancer Center, AZ
2008-2009 Co-Director Community Engagement & Research Core, University of Illinois Chicago, Center for Clinical Translational Sciences, IL
2007-2009 Associate Professor (Tenured), University of Illinois Chicago, College of Nursing, IL
2004-2007 Associate Professor (Tenure Track), University of Illinois Chicago, College of Nursing, IL
2004-2006 Research Associate Professor (Voluntary), University of Utah College of Nursing, UT
2003-2004 Director, Masters-Community Health Nursing, University of Utah College of Nursing, UT
2001-2004 Assistant Professor (Tenure Track), University of Utah College of Nursing, UT
2001 Assistant Research Scientist, Mary Margaret Walther Program for Cancer Care Research, IN
2001 Postdoctoral Fellow, Indiana University School of Nursing, IN
1996-2001 Project Manager, Indiana University School of Nursing, IN
1994-1996 Graduate Assistant, Indiana University School of Nursing, IN
1992-1994 Staff Nurse, St. Luke’s Episcopal Hospital, Houston, TX
1990-1991 Instructor, Piedmont Technical College, Greenwood, SC

Awards & Honors

2022 Fellow, Society for Behavioral Medicine
2020 Health Equity SIG, SBM, Service Award
2014 Top 100 Alumni Legacy Leaders, Indiana University School of Nursing
2014 Civic Engagement Florence Nightingale Award, The Ohio State University
2014 International Nurse Researcher Hall of Fame, Sigma Theta Tau International
2014 Ambassador, Friends of the National Institute of Nursing Research
2013-2014 President and Provost’s Leadership Institute, Ohio State University
2013 Excellence in Mentoring, Sigma Theta Tau, Epsilon Chapter, The Ohio State University
2012 Top 100 Nursing Professor, Arizona State University
2010 Fellow, American Academy of Nursing
2006 New Investigator with a Brilliant Future Award, AAN/CANS
2005 Excellence in Research Award, Sigma Theta Tau, Gamma Rho Chapter, University of Illinois Chicago
2003 Community Council Appreciation, American Cancer Society
2003 Charles Smart Volunteer Service Award, American Cancer Society
2004 Excellence in Scholarship Award, University of Utah College of Nursing
2002 Fellow, Cancer, Culture, Literacy Institute, Moffitt Cancer Center (R25 CA90654)
2001 Outstanding Alumna, Lander University School of Nursing
2000 Outstanding Woman Student Leader – Indiana University–Purdue University Indianapolis
1999 Sigma Theta Tau International Nursing Honor Society
1999-2000 John C. Edwards Fellow, Indiana University
1999-2000 National Research Service Award, National Institutes of Health
1998 Article of the Year, Cancer Nursing
1998 Pfizer Conference Scholarship, Lee Moffitt Cancer Center
1998 Outstanding Woman Student Leader – Indiana University–Purdue University Indianapolis
1996-1999 Predoctoral Fellow, Mary Margaret Walther Program for Cancer Care Research
1995 & 1996 Graduate Student Poster Competition Representative, Midwest Nursing Research Society
1996 Clinical Internship, Roudebush VA Medical Center
1994-1999 Graduate Research Assistantship, Indiana University–Purdue University Indianapolis
1991 Janet A. Sipple Award, Lander College
1989 Blue Key National Honor Fraternity, Lander College
1987-1992 President’s Scholarship, Lander College

Research Grants

Current

Co-Investigator, 9/2025-8/2026: Increasing Lung Cancer Screening Uptake by Innovatively Using TIMS©, a Tailored Navigation Intervention, among Underserved Populations. Funded by: Cancer Innovation Fund; $309,993
Co-Investigator, 9/2025-3/2027: NAVIGATE-BC: Navigation to Address Vulnerabilities and Improve Guidance for Adverse Events and Treatment Engagement in Breast Cancer. Funded by: Lilly Foundation; $500,000.
Co-Investigator, 9/2025-8/2026: An AI-based platform to overcome barriers to cancer prevention in rural communities. Funded by: Cancer Innovation Fund; $1,991,178.
Principal Investigator (PI), 7/2025-06/2026: Promoting HPV Self-Testing in Primary Care. Funded by: Florida Cancer Innovation Fund; $729,391.
Principal Investigator (PI), 7/2022-6/2026: Empowering the Nursing Workforce to Advance Health Equity. Funded by: Health Resources Service Administration; $3,852,334.

Under Review / Resubmission in Progress

Principal Investigator (PI), 2026-2027: Telehealth Counseling for Psychosocial Health in Young Adult Cancer Patients. Florida Cancer Innovation Fund/ Department of Health. Submitted.
Co-Investigator (CI), 2025-2029: Efficacy of an asynchronous mindfulness training mHealth intervention in adolescents with Type 1 diabetes. NCCIH R01. Submitted.
Co-Investigator (CI), 2025-2028: Adaptation of a mindfulness-training mobile application for young adults living with early-onset Type 2 diabetes. NIDDK R21 DK142084-02. Submitted.

Submitted, Not Funded

Principal Investigator (PI), 01/02/2025 - 06/30/2026: Remote Therapeutic Monitoring for Quality Improvement of Care of HR+/HER2-Breast Cancer Patients. Eli Lilly Foundation. Not funded.
Principal Investigator (PI), 01/02/2025 - 06/30/2026: Digital Companion to Navigate Patients with NSCLC. Eli Lilly Foundation. Not funded.
Principal Investigator (MPI), 09/01/2024 - 08/31/2029: Community to Clinic Health Linkage: Bridge for Health Equity. R01-NIH. Not funded.
Principal Investigator (MPI), 12/01/2024 - 11/30/2029: A Novel Probiotic Intervention to Improve Gut Health in Adults Experiencing Food Insecurity. R01-NIH. Not funded.
Principal Investigator, 4/2022-3/2026: Cancer Free Heroes: Colorectal Cancer Screening for Firefighters. RO1-NIH/NCI. Resubmission in progress.
Principal Investigator (MPI), 6/2023-5/2025: Cancer Free Heroes: Multi-Stakeholder Consensus on Firefighter Cancer Health Research. PCORI. Not funded.
Principal Investigator (MPI), 7/2023-6/2028: USF GRIT: Galvanizing Resilience and Institutional Transformation. U54-NIH. Not funded.
Principal Investigator, 6/2022-5/2023: Cancer Free Heroes: Multi-Stakeholder Consensus on Firefighter Cancer Health Research. PCORI. Not funded.

Completed Research Grants 2015-Present

Co-Investigator, 9/2018-8/2023 NCE: Colorectal Cancer Screening Implementation in Partnership with Native American Communities. Funded by: NCI, CCSG Supplement; $289,068.
Co-Investigator, 12/2019-12/2023 NCE: Screening and Navigation Dissemination among Southeast Asians (SANDS): A Breast and Cervical Cancer Program. Funded by: American Cancer Society; $1,098,999.
Mentor, 04/2022-03/2025: Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction in Adolescents with Type 1 Diabetes. Funded by: K23-NIH/NINR; $274,177.
Co-Investigator, 09/2022-12/2024 NCE: Exploring the Use of a Web-Based Program for Older Adults Receiving Oral Anticancer Agents to Improve Communication and Self-Management. Funded by: NIH/NCI; $145,466.
Co-Investigator, 4/2020-4/2025: Examination of The Evidence-Based Care Transitions Intervention Enhanced with Peer Support to Reduce Racial Disparities in Hospital Readmissions and Negative Outcomes Post Hospitalization. PCORI.
Principal Investigator, 5/2020-9/2020: USF COVID-19 Rapid Response Registry.
Principal Investigator (MPI), 7/2016-6/2018: Border Health Equity Collaborative.
Principal Investigator (MPI), 7/2016-6/2021: University of Arizona-Banner Health All of Us Research Program.
Co-Investigator, 4/2015-3/2018: Bridging the gap in e-capacity for global health research and training in Eastern Africa.
Co-Investigator, 7/2015-6/2017: Strengthening global one health research and training capacity: Applying cutting-edge genomic technologies to prevent the global emergence of antimicrobial resistance.
Principal Investigator (MPI), 9/2014-8/2019: Integrated Second Language Learning for Chronic Care.
Co-investigator, 1/2014-12/2016: Digital First Impact Grant.
Co-investigator, 1/2014-12/2016: Southeast Asian Women’s Health Project.
Principal Investigator, 07/2013-06/2015: Making A Difference: One Street at a Time: Engagement Impact Grant.
Principal Investigator (MPI), 7/2012-6/2017 (NCE): Navigation from Community to clinic to promote CRC screening in underserved populations.
Mentor, 9/2012-9/2015: Patient Hand Hygiene. Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Nurse Faculty Scholars Program.

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Current Role Dean, University of South Florida College of Nursing

Organization University of South Florida

Additional Leadership Role Senior Associate Vice President, USF Health

Academic Title Distinguished University Health Professor

Academic Preparation

Post-Doctoral Fellowship
PhD
MS Nursing
BS Nursing
BS Interdisciplinary Studies
BA English Lit., Econ., & History
RN
FAAN
FSBM

Recent Highlights

Over 25 years of Higher Education experience
Over $64 million in funding over 20-year research career
Increased college budget from $20 mil to $51 mil in three years
USF ranked #3 BSN; #1 MSN; #1 DNP
Established a mobile primary care clinic in underserved Tampa Bay areas

Strategic Focus

Inclusive and collaborative team development
Training the next generation of health science professionals
High-impact research
Evidence-based clinical practice implementation
Health equity and healthcare access

My personal mission is to develop and nurture inclusive, collaborative teams that train the next generation of health science professionals, engage in high-impact research, and lead and participate in the implementation of evidence-based findings in clinical practice to the ultimate betterment of people’s lives.

UrbanObserver