The University of Florida College of Nursing welcomed two new faculty leaders in January. Artificial intelligence expert Lisiane Pruinelli, PhD, RN, FAMIA, joined the college as an associate professor through the UF AI initiative, which aims to make UF a national leader in AI. The college also welcomed Erik Black, PhD, MPH, as the associate dean for student affairs.

Pruinelli joins a distinguished cohort of six college faculty with world-renowned experience in nursing informatics and AI applications in health care. Pruinelli’s work in this field has led to many innovative discoveries, including a process to estimate the length of time between when clinicians first suspect sepsis in patients and deliver treatment, as well as the point when this delay harms health outcomes. Currently, she is creating the first-ever, data-driven guidelines for managing and caring for patients who are awaiting liver transplants and expanding her informatics research to kidney transplants to determine which patient management guidelines are more likely to prevent kidney failure.

UF aims to transform the university into a national AI leader by preparing the state workforce to use technology to solve pressing challenges across every industry. In her new role, and as the first from UF’s AI search initiative to be hired at the College of Nursing, Pruinelli is eager to help make this goal a reality through collaborating with faculty both within the college and across the university to develop new AI-fueled ways to improve health care for all.

In the role of associate dean for student affairs, Black will be responsible for overseeing recruitment, admissions, progression and graduation processes for all undergraduate and graduate nursing programs.

Black joins the college from the UF College of Medicine, where he was a professor with the department of pediatrics. Since 2013, he also served as the associate director of interprofessional education, and he will continue with that role, providing learning opportunities for interprofessional students within the UF health colleges.

Black has extensive experience working with the faculty and students of the College of Nursing dating back to 2005 when he was a UF PhD student in curriculum and instruction working on a grant on autism and parental training. More recently, he collaborated on a Health Resources and Services Administration grant with the college’s nurse-led practice, UF Health Archer Family Health Care.

Anna M. McDaniel, PhD, RN, FAAN, the College of Nursing’s dean and the Linda Harman Aiken Chair, said Black and Pruinelli bring expertise in interprofessional collaboration and education that expands beyond the nursing profession.

“I am excited to welcome Dr. Black and Dr. Pruinelli to the College of Nursing’s team,” McDaniel said. “Dr. Black’s existing knowledge of the UF Health system and shaping educational experiences for interprofessional health students will enhance student success and promote excellent service within the college’s Office of Student Services. Additionally, we are excited to have Dr. Pruinelli play a key role in the university’s AI initiative, building upon her exciting discoveries that have already influenced health care outcomes.”