We are thrilled to share that Interim Dean Michael Relf, PhD, RN, ANEF, FAAN, has been awarded the Mary T. Champagne Distinguished Professorship effective July 1, 2024. Distinguished Professorships honor faculty who are well-established members of the Duke academic community and have also achieved distinction as creative scholars in their field or in their ability to transcend disciplines.

“I am honored that Interim Dean Relf will be the Champagne Distinguished Professor,” said Mary T. Champagne, RN, PhD, “I highly value his leadership and commitment to Duke and the Duke University School of Nursing.”

Interim Dean Relf’s career spans various roles and accomplishments including several leadership positions within our school. Duke University Health System (DUHS) recently appointed Interim Dean Relf as DUHS Associate Chief Nurse Executive (ACNE) of Academic Partnerships and Innovation. Throughout different periods at the nursing school, he previously served as the Associate Dean for Global and Community Affairs and Assistant Dean for Undergraduate Education and the Director of the Accelerated BSN Program. His research endeavors have been funded by organizations such as the American Nurses Foundation, Sigma Theta Tau International, PEPFAR, and the National Institutes of Health.

His research was the first to document rates of intimate partner violence in a probability-based sample of urban men who have sex with men. This work was cited in the Institute of Medicine report, The Health of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender People: Building a Foundation for Better Understanding, and was featured on the front page of The Boston Globe. His collaborative research with nursing leaders from six African nations most impacted by HIV resulted in the Essential Nursing Competencies related to HIV and AIDS endorsed by the International Council of Nurses, The Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation, and the Association of Nurses in AIDS Care.

He was a contributing author to the Scope and Standard of HIV/AIDS Nursing Practice published by the American Nurses Association. As President of the HIV/AIDS Nursing Certification Board (HANCB), he led a national taskforce that established the content blueprint for obtaining certification as an Advanced HIV/AIDS Certified Registered Nurse (AACRN). His work documenting the value of certification in HIV nursing was cited in the influential World Health Organization Report, Task Shifting: Global Recommendations and Guidelines. With members of the Emerging Infectious Diseases Expert Panel of the American Academy of Nursing, he co-authored the policy document entitled, Engaging the Voice of Women in HIV Prevention, Care, and Treatment. He has served as a Visiting Professor at Queen’s University, Belfast (Northern Ireland), the University of Zululand (South Africa), and twice at Fudan University (China). In September 2023, Fudan University recognized him as an Advisory Professor. He was inducted as a Fellow in the American Academy of Nursing in 2008 and the Academy of Nursing Education in 2019.

Throughout his more than 15 years at our school and as Interim Dean, he has consistently demonstrated unwavering commitment to excellence and fostering an environment of innovation and collaboration. His dedication to nursing education, research, and global health has made a significant impact in the field, and his leadership at Duke University continues to shape the future of nursing practice and education.

Please join us in congratulating Interim Dean Relf on this prestigious honor.

To see the full list of Duke’s most recent Distinguished Professors, please visit Duke Today.