Roberta Waite, EdD, PMHCNS, RN, ANEF, FADLN, FAAN, serves as Dean of the Berkley School of Nursing, continuing more than 120 years of nursing education at Georgetown University. A nationally recognized nursing thought leader with extensive experience across health systems and academia, Dr. Waite’s expertise lies at the critical intersection of health equity, social justice, anti-Black racism, and mental health. Throughout her career, she has integrated education, practice, research, and community engagement through innovative and transformative strategies.
Dr. Waite provides visionary academic and operational leadership at the nursing school. She oversees a comprehensive portfolio of nursing programs, including prelicensure, master’s, and doctoral offerings (DNP, DNAP, and PhD). Through strategic engagement with stakeholders across sectors, she advances the school’s mission and shapes the future of the nursing profession. Under Dr. Waite’s leadership, the school secured a transformational $25 million gift from the Berkley Family Foundation in 2025. This historic investment supports expanded enrollment, enhanced financial aid, and increased faculty, staff, and student resources. In recognition of this partnership, the school was renamed the Georgetown University Berkley School of Nursing.
Prior to her appointment at Georgetown, Dr. Waite served as Professor and Associate Dean for Community-Centered Health & Wellness and Academic Integration at Drexel University’s College of Nursing and Health Professions in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania where she oversaw the College’s four additional clinical sites—counseling and family therapy, nutrition, physical therapy, and wellness. She also served as Executive Director of a Federally Qualified Health Center that provided comprehensive services including primary care, dental, behavioral health and a range of health promotion services. Her commitment to social mission and education innovation led to the creation of the Macy Undergraduate Leadership Fellows Program, developed during her tenure as an inaugural Macy Faculty Scholar. This interprofessional program centered on leadership development through a social justice lens, engaging students in nursing, behavioral health counseling, nutrition, health administration, and other health-related disciplines. Dr. Waite has educated and mentored students across academic levels, from undergraduate to postdoctoral learners, emphasizing the deep privilege of contributing to their formation during these transformative years.
Dr. Waite’s impact extends beyond the academy. She served on Pennsylvania’s Governor’s Think Tank to create trauma-informed care guidelines, was a content expert for the American Nurses Association’s (ANA) National Commission to Address Racism in Nursing and represented the ANA on the National Quality Forum Measure Applications Partnership Health Equity Advisory Group. She also served on the corporate board of Trinity Health, a national health system. Currently, Dr. Waite continues her equity-focused leadership as a member of the boards of the Family Process Institute, the Independence Blue Cross Foundation, and MedStar Georgetown University Hospital. She also serves on the Advancing Health Equity National Advisory and Policy Development Committee, supported by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.
An accomplished scholar, Dr. Waite has authored more than 100 peer-reviewed articles, essays, research studies, invited pieces, books, and book chapters. She is a sought-after speaker on leadership, anti-Black racism in nursing, trauma-informed care, and the pursuit of health equity through healing-engaged practices.
Dr. Waite earned her BSN and EdD in Higher Education Administration Leadership from Widener University, and her MSN in Psychiatric-Mental Health Nursing from the University of Pennsylvania. She completed a postdoctoral research fellowship at the University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing, focusing on the needs of vulnerable women, children, and families.
Academic Appointment(s)
- Primary
- Professor, SON - Nursing Academic Department
- Secondary
- Dean, School of Nursing