Christine M. Kennedy, PhD, RN, FAAN

Christine Kennedy, PhD, RN, FAAN, joined RUSH University as the John L. and Helen Kellogg Dean of the College of Nursing in 2020 and was appointed the interim provost of RUSH University in 2022.

Dr. Kennedy is an internationally renowned researcher and educator who has been at the forefront of nursing care and education for more than 35 years. Her clinical experience as a pediatric nurse practitioner created a natural pathway for her to move into research as a nurse scientist focusing on the impact of daily life activities on children’s development, specifically on the behavioral underpinnings to health in early childhood (3-8 years of age).

When the role of provost came open in 2022, Dr. Kennedy was appointed to fill the role and translate her successes from the College of Nursing across RUSH University. She has been responsible for coordinating and overseeing the University three vice provost offices, advancing its health equity and teaching mission while promoting integration across RUSH. 

Prior to joining RUSH University, Dr. Kennedy served as the chief academic officer for the University of Virginia School of Nursing and was the Madeline Higginbotham Sly Professor of Nursing and a professor of pediatrics in the UVA School of Medicine. She is also a professor emerita at the University of California San Francisco School of Nursing, where she held the Jack and Elaine Koehn Endowed Chair in Pediatric Nursing.

Dr. Kennedy’s research has spanned the globe, with a particular focus on underserved populations in the US and Pacific Rim countries. She has conducted several funded research studies with an emphasis on the influence of illness, media, and culture on young children’s developing health behaviors, garnering more than $13 million in funding and over 100 publications. An internationally known expert in pediatrics and children’s behavioral health, Dr. Kennedy’s more recent work explored various aspects of health literacy and changes in health policy effects on young families.

Dr. Kennedy earned her undergraduate degrees from the University of Wisconsin and Catholic University and received a master’s degree as a pediatric nurse practitioner from Boston College. She received her PhD in developmental child psychology from Brown University. A fellow of the American Academy of Nursing, Dr. Kennedy was also inducted into Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society of Nursing’s International Nurse Researcher Hall of Fame in 2017.