Oluwatomisin (Tomisin) Olayinka, PhD, RN, MPH, an assistant professor of nursing at MGH Institute of Health Professions, has been awarded the Leadership Award by the New England Regional Black Nurses Association (NERBNA).

“It’s a real honor to be recognized by NERBNA because they are dedicated to investigating, defining, and determining the health care needs of Black people throughout New England,” she said.

Since arriving at the MGH Institute in 2018, Dr. Olayinka has developed a reputation as an energetic, visionary leader in prelicensure nursing. She has led critical initiatives in the redesign of the School of Nursing’s Public Health nursing course and in the integration of core principles of justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion in the school’s prelicensure curriculum. 

Olayinka also has made important contributions to the IHP’s public health nursing course, incorporating her research on health behavior, self-management, obesity, and hypertension. 

Most recently, she was elected president of the IHP’s chapter of Sigma Theta Tau International, with the goal of enhancing the chapter’s visibility and increasing nursing research.