The George Washington University School of Nursing is delighted to announce the appointment of Debra A. Kosko, DNP, MN, FNP-BC, FAANP, FAAN, as our new executive associate dean. Returning to her alma mater—where she earned her Doctor of Nursing Practice and received the Rising Star Award—Dr. Kosko brings nearly two decades of transformative leadership spanning academia, government, and global health.
Dr. Kosko joins us from the Georgetown University School of Nursing (GUSON), where she served as assistant dean for evaluation and outcomes, developing comprehensive evaluation frameworks and establishing the first global DNP project, which created operations and engagement standards for global DNP projects and now provides global project opportunities for each DNP cohort. She also co-authored the proposal that secured GUSON’s first Center of Excellence award.
Dr. Kosko has previously held faculty and leadership positions at Johns Hopkins School of Nursing and East Carolina University, where she successfully led the transition from an FNP master’s to a DNP program and established sustainable interprofessional clinical immersion programs in Haiti and Nicaragua. As a USAID Fellow, she managed an $88 million cooperative agreement across 22 countries during the launch of PEPFAR. She also directed a global team that secured a $245 million NIH contract to build HIV research infrastructure in Africa and co-founded the University of Maryland Adult HIV Program.
Dr. Kosko also brings a distinguished track record in accreditation, curriculum development, resource allocation, and faculty mentoring, with a steadfast commitment to dismantling structural barriers and supporting student and faculty success.
In this executive role, Dr. Kosko will oversee strategic operations, champion academic excellence, and advance our mission to prepare the next generation of nurse leaders and scholars.