Vanderbilt awards endowed chairs to two nursing professors

Two Vanderbilt University School of Nursing professors have been named to endowed chairs, the highest honor Vanderbilt University awards its faculty.

Kleinpell

Ruth Kleinpell, PhD, FAAN, FAANP, FCCM, received the Independence Foundation Chair in Nursing Edu-cation. Kleinpell, an internationally recognized researcher and educator, serves as VUSN’s assistant dean for clinical scholarship. She directs the school’s Scholarly Practice Program, focusing on support of clinical teach-ing faculty in scholarship initiatives and scholarly clinical excellence. Her research interests include telemedicine, ICU nursing care, elder care and outcome assessment, as well as advancing faculty and clinical scholarship.

Piano

Mariann R. Piano, PhD, FAAN, FAHA, received the Nancy and Hilliard Travis Chair in Nursing. Piano is the senior associate dean for research and postdoctoral fellowship director. She leads the School of Nursing’s research program, responsible for supporting faculty scholarly endeavors, expanding the school’s research function and directing efforts to increase external funding. Piano is a distinguished researcher in cardiovascular disease and an expert on the effects of binge drinking on young adults.