Shakira Henderson, PhD, DNP, MS, MPH, EMBA, IBCLC, RNC-NIC, has been named the Linda Harman Aiken Chair at the University of Florida College of Nursing. Henderson, who joined UF in January 2024, is the sixth dean of the College of Nursing, as well as the UF Health Associate Vice President for Nursing Education, Practice and Research — System Chief Nurse Executive.

The Linda Harman Aiken Chair was established through the generosity of one of the UF College of Nursing’s most influential alumni, Linda Harman Aiken, PhD, RN, to support excellence in nursing research at the college. Aiken (BSN 1964, MN 1966) is the founding director of the Center for Health Outcomes and Policy Research and The Claire M. Fagin Leadership Professor of Nursing and Professor of Sociology at the University of Pennsylvania.  She is an internationally recognized expert on the health care workforce, policy and quality of health care in the U.S. and globally.

A passionate Gator and double Gator Nurse, Aiken credits her education at UF for helping launch her successful career in nursing and policy research. As a mentee of the college’s Founding Dean Dorothy Smith, Aiken has supported the College of Nursing in meaningful and impactful ways for decades, including through the establishment of the Dorothy M. Smith Nursing Leadership Conference and the Dorothy M. Smith Endowed Chair.

“The UF College of Nursing since its inception has been a leading force for nursing care innovation. Dean Henderson, with her leadership of the college and as UF Health System Chief Nurse Executive, is ideally positioned to advance evidence-based nurse-led solutions to challenges in health care delivery. I’m gratified that the Aiken chair will contribute to making Dean Henderson’s vision for nursing a reality,” said Aiken.

Henderson is a distinguished health care executive, nurse scientist and academic leader with over 20 years of experience shaping the future of nursing education, practice, research, health care operations and health policy. She has received over 50 awards in areas such as nursing excellence, clinical research innovation, maternal-child health advocacy and leadership.

“To be named the Linda Harman Aiken Chair is more than an honor — it is a call to action,” said Henderson. “Dr. Aiken is a towering figure in nursing whose groundbreaking work transformed how we understand workforce, quality and policy — not just in this country, but around the world. Because of her continued support, I am deeply committed to propelling nursing science into its next era — one defined by bold discovery, purposeful leadership and real-world impact. This chair symbolizes our shared charge: to shape the future of health care through rigorous research, relentless innovation and an unwavering belief in the power of nurses to change the world.”

Building on the successful launch of the College of Nursing’s Elevate 2029 strategic plan earlier this year, Aiken hopes the chair will further accelerate Henderson’s efforts to drive transformative advancements in nursing research and education.

The Linda Harman Aiken Professorship was established in 2016 and elevated to chair in 2022. Dean Emeritus Anna M. McDaniel, PhD, RN, FAAN, held the professorship and then chair title until her retirement in 2024.