Afaf Meleis

Over the course of more than five decades, Dr. Afaf I. Meleis has demonstrated a profound passion for pushing the boundaries of nursing science. A leading expert in global health and immigrant and women’s health, Dr. Meleis has dedicated her career to ensuring vulnerable populations are given a voice. She used this knowledge to redefine women’s work and contributions and to develop Transitions Theory, which is translated globally in policy, research and evidence-based practice.

A reflection of the international impact of Dr. Meleis’ work is evident in her world-wide consultations and invited keynotes. Her leadership in the International Council on Women’s Health Issues played a central role in inspiring scholarship in women’s health and in bringing together world leaders to form partnerships to improve the lives of women. Her books continue to be used nationally and internationally, chief among them, Transitions Theory: Middle Range and Situation Specific Theories in Research and Practice and six editions of the ground breaking Theoretical Nursing: Development and Progress. Her co-edited book, Women’s Health and the World’s Cities. She also co-chaired the Harvard-Penn-Lancet Commission on Women and Health, the results of which were published in a full Lancet issue in 2015.

Dr. Meleis is the recipient of numerous honors and awards. Among them is an Honorary Doctorate of Medicine from Linköping University, Sweden; a Doctor Honoris Causa from the University of Alicante, Spain; and the distinguished Honorary Citizenship of Oporto, Portugal. In 2015 she received the American Academy of Nursing Living Legend Award and the Sigma Theta Tau International Nell J. Watts Lifetime Achievement in Nursing Award, and she was inducted as an Honorary Fellow in the National League for Nursing’s Academy of Nursing Education.

Dr. Meleis graduated Magna Cum Laude from the University of Alexandria (1961), earned an M.S. in nursing (1964), an M.A. in sociology (1966) and a Ph.D. in medical and social psychology (1968) from the University of California, Los Angeles