Nancy Ridenour, Ph.D., R.N.

Nancy Ridenour Ph.D., R.N., C.S., F.N.C., F.A.A.N., is Dean and Professor in the Mennonite College of Nursing at Illinois State University. She received B.S.N. and M.N. degrees at the University of Colorado and a Ph.D. at Texas Tech University. Prior to becoming dean, she served as Associate Dean for Education, Associate Dean for Practice Programs and Practice Development, and Associate Dean for the Graduate Program at the Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center. In addition, she was Assistant Professor at the University of Colorado.

Dr. Ridenour has held leadership positions in the American Nurses Association, the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the American Public Health Association, the Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society of Nursing, the Society of Primary Care Policy Fellows, the National Organization of Nurse Practitioner Faculties, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. She is a certified family nurse practitioner, maintaining an active clinical practice. She received Fulbright-Hays grants for study tours of China in 1988 and Egypt and Jordan in 1990. She has consulted extensively on primary care and public health issues in South America, Asia, India, the Middle East, and, most recently, Cuba.

The author of numerous journal articles and contributions to books, she has focused her career on health policy and improving primary health care for underserved populations. Her awards include two National Endowment for the Humanities fellowships, a primary care policy fellowship from the U.S. Public Health Service, and induction into the American Academy of Nursing.