UNF Brooks College of Health Names Lindsay Wolf Director of the School of Nursing

Mei Zhao, dean of the Brooks College of Health, welcomed Wolf to the role.

“On behalf of the Brooks College of Health, I am delighted to welcome Lindsay Wolf as the new leader of our School of Nursing. Her experience, vision and commitment to excellence will help advance our nursing programs and prepare the next generation of health care professionals. We look forward to working with her and supporting her success,” Zhao said.

Wolf's path to this role began in 2007, when she earned her Bachelor of Science in Nursing at UNF. She moved to Jacksonville for nursing school and never left, building her career and her family in the city she now calls home. Returning to lead her alma mater's School of Nursing, she said, is a chance to give back to the program and community that shaped her.

“What excites me most is the opportunity to lead the very school that shaped my career, ensuring that future UNF nursing graduates have the same life-changing impact on our community that this program had on me,” Wolf said.

Wolf joins UNF from Jacksonville University, where she most recently served as associate dean of nursing and chief nurse administrator for the Keigwin School of Nursing. Over her 14 years at Jacksonville University, she served on the leadership team that led the university's largest and most successful reaccreditation visit in its history, resulting in zero citations, and helped build academic-practice partnerships with Baptist Health System, Ascension Health and Mayo Clinic Jacksonville, including an accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing pathway ranked first in the state.

As she begins her tenure, Wolf said her first priority is to listen and build relationships across the School of Nursing while preparing for UNF's upcoming Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE) accreditation visit and strengthening student success, faculty support and workforce partnerships. She also sees UNF playing a central role in addressing the region's nursing shortage.

“Addressing the nursing shortage requires more than graduating additional nurses. It requires graduating exceptional nurses who are prepared to thrive in today's complex health care environment and remain in the profession,” Wolf said. “UNF is already doing this, and that is partly why I came home, to be part of something I believe in and help drive our future forward.”

Wolf brings 20 years of nursing experience to the role, including 14 years in academic nursing and 14 years as a pediatric nurse practitioner. She continues to practice clinically at Village Pediatrics, caring for patients from birth to young adulthood. She serves in the APRN seat on the Florida Board of Nursing and as a site evaluator for the CCNE.

A published researcher, her work has appeared in the Journal of Professional Nursing, Nurse Leader and SAGE Open Nursing. Her honors include the 2025 Woman Faculty of the Year Award, the 2024 Brooks Rehabilitation College of Healthcare Sciences Leadership Excellence Award, the 2017 Great 100 Nurses of Northeast Florida award and the 2016 Jacksonville Business Journal 40 Under 40 award.

Wolf traces her passion for nursing to her grandmother, who worked as a nurse and nursing faculty member. Wolf and her husband are raising five daughters, and before pursuing nursing, she played college basketball.

“I want students to know that I believe in them. As a UNF nursing alumna, I know firsthand the transformative power of this program, and I am committed to helping every student reach their fullest potential,” Wolf said.

Wolf also thanked the search committee, along with Dean Mei Zhao, Associate Dean Michelle Boling and outgoing Interim Director Harrison, for their support and mentorship as she stepped into the role. A dedicated feature honoring Harrison's UNF legacy will follow in a separate release.

Wolf's appointment reflects Brooks College of Health's continued investment in nursing leadership deeply connected to Northeast Florida's health care community as UNF prepares the next generation of nurses for the region and beyond.

About the UNF Brooks College of Health: The Brooks College of Health (BCH) at the University of North Florida prepares the region's next generation of health care professionals through hands-on learning, community partnership and innovative research. Learn more at unf.edu/brooks.

About the University of North Florida: The University of North Florida is a nationally ranked university located on a 1,381-acre campus in Jacksonville surrounded by nature. Serving more than 17,600 students, UNF features six colleges of distinction with innovative programs in high-demand fields. UNF students receive individualized attention from faculty and gain real-world experience engaging with community partners. A top public university, UNF prepares students to make a difference in Florida and around the globe. Learn more at unf.edu.

Media Contact: Miranda O'Brien, UNF Brooks College of Health, assistant director of marketing and communications | miranda.obrien@unf.edu