AKU alumna returns to Pakistan after 30 years as Dean

Dr Salimah Walani has been named the next Dean of the Aga Khan University School of Nursing and Midwifery, Pakistan, effective August 1, 2024, as announced by AKU Provost and Vice President, Academic, Dr Tania Bubela. The appointment follows a thorough and competitive recruitment process, which was facilitated by an international search firm and overseen by a dedicated search committee.

Dr Walani graduated from AKU-SONAM, Pakistan, in 1987, and subsequently served as a faculty member at the university for six years. She then pursued a Master of Science in Nursing from Simmons University, Boston, a Master of Public Health from Harvard University, and a PhD in Nursing Research and Theory Development from New York University.

Dr Walani comes to AKU with extensive global health and academic experience. Her impressive career includes faculty positions in graduate programmes at Felician University in New Jersey, the University of Connecticut, Arizona State University, and Pace University in New York.

She has also held senior leadership, advisory, and consultative roles with notable organizations such as the New York City Department of Health, the World Health Organization, UNICEF, New York University, March of Dimes, among others.

Before joining AKU, Dr Walani served as Global Policy and Advocacy Advisor at MiracleFeet – a US-based not-for-profit organisation with programmes in 35 countries. Before that, she was Vice President of Global Programs and March of Dimes Foundation for almost a decade.

In 2014, she created a partnership to launch the World Birth Defects Day – a global movement for advancing prevention and care of congenital anomalies. She is also a member of the World Health Organization’s Technical Advisory Group for Birth Defects and is an honorary member of the International Clearinghouse for Birth Defects Surveillance and Research.

Dr Walani is preceded by Dr Tazeen Saeed Ali, also an alumna, who served as Interim Dean of the School from 2023 to July 2024.