Staff

Director
Joanne Disch, PhD, RN, FAAN

Joanne Disch, Ph.D., RN, FAAN, of Minneapolis, MN, is Professor and Director of the Katharine J. Densford International Center for Nursing Leadership, and holds the Katherine R. and C. Walton Lillehei Chair in Nursing Leadership at the University of Minnesota School of Nursing. She has been an administrator in a number of health-care facilities and has past experience as an educator, leader, researcher, policy-maker, and spokesperson.

In April 2006, Dr. Disch was elected Chairman of the Board for AARP, formerly known as the American Association of Retired Persons, after serving four years on the Board. In other volunteer activities, Dr. Disch served as president of the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses (AACN), and president of the AACN Certification Board. She also chaired the American Nurses Association's Committee on Nursing Practice Standards and Guidelines, and the University Healthcare Consortium's Council of Chief Nurse Executives. Currently she is a Contributing Editor for the American Journal of Nursing, and is a member of the Board of Directors for Allina Health System. She is a Fellow in the American Academy of Nursing.

Dr. Disch has received numerous awards including the Dorothy Garrigus Adams Award for Excellence in Fostering Professional Standards from Sigma Theta Tau International; Outstanding Faculty Member at Rush University College of Nursing; and Outstanding Alumna Awards from the University of Wisconsin School of Nursing and the University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Nursing.

Dr. Disch's full biography is available.

Program Associate
Arlene Birnbaum, MA

Arlene Birnbaum, Densford Center program associate, is responsible for project coordination, event planning, and administrative support.

Arlene began her career in in New York City in the publishing business. In 1979 she moved to Minneapolis where she worked in corporate communications support positions, including media resources at the University of Minnesota, Dayton Hudson Foundation and Minnegasco (now CenterPoint Energy). More recently, Arlene worked at the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis, as supervisor and analyst, then in non-profit program management.

While Arlene has enjoyed the eclectic experiences of her career, the University and the School of Nursing offer the right match for her life-long commitment to learning, to results and to people. Personal interests include writing, gardening, movies, and time with family and friends.

She holds a B.S. in Education from the University of Pennsylvania and an M.A. in Sociology from the University of Massachusetts.