Dr. Valiga, Professor at the Duke University School of Nursing, is the director of the Institute for Educational Excellence. She also serves as Lead Faculty for the Nursing Education major in the MSN Program and as Chair of the Division of Systems and Analytics. Dr. Valiga received a Bachelor's degree in nursing at Trenton State College (NJ) and earned her MEd and EdD, both in in Nursing Education, at Teachers College, Columbia University (NY). Before coming to Duke in 2008, she served for nine years as the chief program officer of the National League for Nursing (NLN). At NLN, she was instrumental in developing the Centers of Excellence program, the Academy of Nursing Education, position statements, the Hallmarks of Excellence in Nursing Education, the Excellence in Nursing Education Model, the Nurse Educator Certification Program, and several publications. She also served on the Blue Ribbon Panel for Nursing Education Research.
Dr. Valiga is internationally renowned for her expertise in nursing curriculum development, program evaluation, innovations in teaching, and the faculty role. She has published widely on issues related to nursing education, including student cognitive/intellectual development, faculty development, leadership, and effective teaching strategies. She is the recipient of several prestigious awards for excellence in nursing education, including Sigma Theta Tau’s Elizabeth Russell Belford Founder's Award, the NLN's Isabel Stewart and Outstanding Leadership in Nursing Education Awards, and induction into the American Academy of Nursing and the NLN Academy for Nursing Education.