Some places just have a special something or, as Dr. Vanessa Lopez-Littleton calls it, a “secret sauce” with some intangible ingredient that keeps people coming back for more or deciding to stay and put down roots, say, for that new job or town.
After her first six months as the new dean of the University of Washington Bothell’s School of Nursing & Health Studies, Lopez-Littleton says the campus is one of those places.
“There is something that is just so right here that I can’t put my finger on,” she said. “Whether it’s the confluence of the diversity of the students or the commitment of the people who are doing the work, there is definitely a secret sauce here.”
Lopez-Littleton was named the school’s new dean last summer and began the role on Nov. 1, 2024. Now, after settling in and getting to know the campus, she said she’s focused on solidifying and implementing a new vision for the school’s future.
“I’m so excited to be working with a group of folks who share both my passions of health and policy — and to support faculty across both domains,” she said. “I am very interested in moving the school forward and, in particular, in growing our programs.”
Both health and policy
Lopez-Littleton grew up in a blue-collar family in Shreveport, Louisiana. Her mother was a seamstress who also cleaned houses, and her father was a mechanic. After high school, she joined the army and was stationed overseas.
“My activism I think really came from when I joined the military, traveling the world and really understanding oppression and what differential exposures really meant for people,” Lopez-Littleton said.
When she returned home, she decided to go back to school to pursue nursing. She soon became aware of the many inequalities plaguing the U.S. health care system. Wanting to work in a position where she could make a difference and affect policy, she completed a master’s in public administration.
“I really used my nursing background to lean into understanding the social, economic and political factors that contribute to differential health outcomes,” she said. “I came to understand that we’ve got to work with our political leaders at current state, local and federal levels to provide support and leadership when it comes to these critical issues.”
Lopez-Littleton has served in leadership roles for nonprofit organizations that served homeless populations and worked in maternal and child services. In 2007, she began teaching as a lecturer at the University of Central Florida while she also completed a doctorate in public affairs — launching her career in higher education.
Social justice in health
Today, Lopez-Littleton has nearly three decades of leadership and management experience in higher education, public service and health care. When a recruiter reached out to her about a leadership position at UW Bothell, she was serving as interim dean of the College of Health Sciences and Human Services at California State University, Monterey Bay.
Lopez-Littleton wasn’t looking for a job, she said. But after hearing positive things about UW Bothell from several people, she was interested in learning more and visited the campus. She liked how Bothell seemed to mirror Monterey — a small community feel with access to all the resources of a big city.
More importantly, the school’s mission aligned with her own passion to advance social justice in the health sphere.
“When I had the opportunity to come here and learn about the school and see the impact we could make on the community and the opportunities to grow, it felt like a good fit,” she said.
When she accepted the position in summer 2024, she didn’t anticipate the challenges that the incoming Trump administration would pose. But rather than be deterred, she’s passionate about rising to the occasion to guide the school through these times.
“It’s an interesting time to be in leadership right now as someone who has a background as a racial justice scholar,” Lopez-Littleton said. “It’s a leadership challenge, but one that I feel I’m qualified and excited to take on. I’m tremendously excited about finding ways to support people through these difficult times and working to find resources to continue their vital work.”
A guiding North Star
Lopez-Littleton kicked off her new role with 90 days of “leaning in and listening.” She spent time meeting in-depth with faculty to understand major issues they’re facing and to begin thinking strategically about how to address them. Now, she’s meeting with students — the true heart of the school’s work, she said.
“I’m focused on critical elements that really support the successes we have. Our ultimate goal is to serve students and make sure they have an outstanding education. Everything else we do is ancillary to that,” she said. “Students are our guiding North Star, and if we can commit to doing the work that supports them, we’ll always be in a good place.”
Lopez-Littleton plans to meet with current and potential community partners as well to gain a better understanding of the workforce needs of the region. She aims to expand the school’s programmatic offerings, as well as pathways to UW Bothell through the region’s community colleges and trade schools.
The UW Bothell campus, with its five academic schools, also provides opportunities for further interdisciplinary collaboration — such as leveraging health skills and knowledge for educational careers through a partnership with the School of Educational Studies, she said. A social work degree is also something she’d like to see the school develop.
Working closely with the University of Washington in Seattle and with UW Medicine will be integral to growing the school’s offerings to better support pathways for careers in health care, Lopez-Littleton noted.
“Creating the structure we need to support this forward thrust will mean really leaning into those community and campus partnerships,” she said. “We have an incredible opportunity to increase the number of nurses and other health care professionals we’re putting out there, so I think it’s an incredible time to be doing this work.”
“Students are our guiding North Star, and if we can commit to doing the work that supports them, we’ll always be in a good place.”
Dr. Vanessa Lopez-Littleton, dean, School of Nursing & Health Studies
Decades of growth
While there will be some roadblocks along the way, particularly in the current political climate, Lopez-Littleton said she likes to embody the sentiment of the old gospel song, “Trouble Don’t Last Always.”
“I’m really passionate about shining the light on positivity and bringing some level of hope and optimism and joy to people,” she said. “So, if there’s a way to honor that, whatever that is, I want to do it — and I have a high level of discipline and commitment and focus to make it happen.”
Lopez-Littleton doesn’t just have her sights set on the next horizon. She’s playing the long game. Her vision for the school extends to not just the next few years but to how work today can support decades of growth.
“There’s a tremendous need for health care professionals, and that isn’t going away,” she said. “I think this is a critical time for us to not run away from research and from educated people but to lean on them to really help us to understand what social factors are contributing to where we are right now and to figure out ways to be responsive to the needs of society.”
As we celebrate National Nurses Week May 6-12, we would like to recognize the students and alumni of the University of Washington’s School of Nursing, including the School of Nursing & Health Studies at UW Bothell and the School of Nursing & Healthcare Leadership at UW Tacoma. Whether practicing bedside, leading a team, conducting research or changing health policy, they powerfully represent the care and compassion of the UW Medicine family of organizations.
