Dr. Nancy Parsley and Dr. Stephanie Wu Named to Top Leadership Posts

Rosalind Franklin University President and CEO Wendy Rheault, PT, PhD, FASAHP, FNAP, has announced the appointments of Nancy L. Parsley, DPM, MHPE, as university provost, and Stephanie Wu, DPM, MS, FACFAS, as dean of the Dr. William M. Scholl College of Podiatric Medicine. Dr. Parsley, who has served as acting provost since January, will continue to lead academic affairs as vice president.

An exceptional administrator and academic leader, Dr. Parsley has steered key RFU initiatives, including a total reaffirmation of accreditation by the Higher Learning Commission (HLC) and the university’s culture of continuous assessment and improvement, while supporting an emphasis on high-value clinical partnerships. As provost, she will pay particular attention to potential new and expanded clinical partnerships that offer diverse and high-quality training experiences. She will also lead efforts to evaluate and expand RFU’s academic portfolio.

Named dean of her alma mater, Dr. William M. Scholl College of Podiatric Medicine, in 2011, Dr. Parsley has led excellence in SCPM student achievement, including licensing exam pass rates and residency placement rates of 100 percent. A national leader in the podiatric profession, she was director of health policy and practice for the American Podiatric Medical Association before returning to Scholl College in 2007 as associate dean of academic affairs. She also serves as associate professor of surgery.

Widely recognized for her research in limb preservation and the treatment of diabetic wounds, Dr. Wu quickly distinguished herself after arriving at RFU in 2004 as assistant professor of surgery and research fellow in the newly established Center for Lower Extremity Ambulatory Research (CLEAR). In 2011, she was named director of CLEAR, where she oversees the work of faculty renowned for groundbreaking work in the treatment and prevention of lower extremity complications associated with diabetes.

Under Dr. Wu’s leadership, Scholl College became the first podiatric medical school in the nation to be awarded an NIH T35 research training grant, which funds its Summer Research Program, designed to increase the number of future podiatric physicians who engage in biomedical research.

A state and national leader in her profession, Dr. Wu also serves as associate dean of research and professor in the Department of Podiatric Surgery and Applied Biomechanics and the Center for Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine. She completed her residency at Inova Fairfax Hospital, Fairfax, VA. Her training also includes a fellowship in lower extremity reconstruction and diabetic limb salvage at Georgetown University Hospital, Washington, DC.