Linda Thompson Adams, Dr.P.H., R.N., F.A.A.N.

 

Dr. Linda Thompson Adams is Dean and Professor of the University of Massachusetts Boston, College of Nursing and Health Sciences. Formerly, she served as a Professor of Nursing and Associate Vice Chancellor of University Outreach, Distance Education, and Professional Development and Dean of the College of Health Sciences at West Chester University. Dr. Adams also served as the Chief Academic Officer at North Carolina A & T State University which is a research-intensive university with a student population of 11k, 1000 employees and an annual budget of $200 million. Prior to her appointment at NCAT, Dr. Adams served as Dean and Professor at Oakland Universities School of Nursing. She also held leadership positions in higher education at the University of Maryland and Hampton University. In addition, she has held leadership positions in public policy serving on the cabinet of Mayor Schmoke as the Director of Occupational Medicine and Safety and Governor Glendenning as Special Secretary of Children, Youth, and Families for the State of Maryland. Dr. Adams has been an integral part of policy development for children and youth globally through her advisory and consulting roles in China, India, Korea, Brazil and the Caribbean.

 

 

Dr. Adams has spent the majority of her career promoting policies and programs to improve the quality of life for children and youth. Her research on the determinants of risky behaviors among youth documented the need for collaborative strategies for healthy child development. Her strategy to create partnerships with academic institutions, government and community-based organizations to promote healthy children is described in an article published in the Journal of Applied Developmental Science. This strategy was designed in her role as Special Secretary for Children, Youth and Families. As such, she was the Chief Policy Advisor to the Governor on all matters related to children and youth, managing an interagency budget of over $100 million.

 

More than 20 years ago, Dr. Adams was one of the first nurses to assess the characteristics of incarcerated youth, risk factors for delinquent behavior, and the importance of collaborative partnerships to promote healthy behaviors. This seminal research was essential in the development of national policy to require mental health assessments of all detained and adjudicated youth. Further, this work led to her advocacy on behalf of vulnerable populations of children and the importance of the design of integrated, multidisciplinary models to promote the health and safety of children. Her commitment to envision, enact, and sustain effective research programs for children and youth continues in her current research focus on promoting healthy lifestyles to reduce childhood obesity in children and youth and reducing health disparities in minority populations. This research uses a multidisciplinary approach of community partnered strategies for the primary prevention of chronic disease among urban children and youth.

 

Dr. Adams has published more than 100 articles, books, book chapters and abstracts. She has secured over $30 million in sponsored grants and contracts, over $6 million in capital campaign and worked with legislature to secure $40 million for a new building. She has received numerous awards including induction in the American Academy of Nursing, Phi Kappa Alpha, Sigma Xi, Trailblazer Award from the National Black Nurses Association, Selection as a RWJ Executive Nurse Fellow, and Invited participation in the White House Conference on Childcare and White House Delegate to Brazil. Two of Dr. Adams books have been recognized: Losing Control: Loving A Black Child With Bipolar Disorder by the American Sociologic Association; and Hard Times Healing Hands by EdPress. Dr. Adams has served on numerous boards and commissions including the National Advisory Committee for the Nurse Faculty Scholar’s Program by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, the National Initiative on Children’s Health Care Quality, the Urban League and the National Committee to Prevent Child Abuse.

 

Dr. Adams earned both BSN and MSN degrees at Wayne State University (MI), and masters and doctoral degrees in public health from The Johns Hopkins University (MD). She is a widely published scholar, experienced public servant, and a highly accomplished administrator and academician. Dr. Adams’s expertise and leadership skills have engendered respect and recognition among other leaders attested to her appointment by Secretary Sebelius to serve on the National Advisory Council on Minority Health and Health Disparities of the National Institutes of Health, election to chair the Urban League Board and invitation to provide expert testimony and participation in key White House Initiatives. Dr. Adams’s innovative strategies in policy and partnership development are invaluable in addressing contemporary problems affecting communities in the United States and abroad.