The dean of the School of Nursing is stepping down from her position after two months in the role.

In a written statement sent to the school’s community members Tuesday, Dr. Mei Fu said she will abandon the role Friday and continue serving as a professor of nursing in the school. Fu ascended to the position at the start of January after a search committee of trustees, faculty, staff, alumni and students selected her for the job in September.

“I am very honored and humbled that the SON and GW communities selected me, an Asian American immigrant woman, to serve as the Dean of SON,” Fu said in the release. “I am grateful to the dedicated faculty and staff whom I have closely worked with during my short time as the Dean of SON.”

Her departure continues an era of transiency within the nursing school’s leadership, which has now shuffled through three deans since July 2021. Former School of Nursing Dean Pamela Jeffries vacated the position that month to head the nursing school at Vanderbilt University.

Pamela Slaven-Lee, the school of nursing’s senior associate dean for academic affairs, headed the school as an interim dean from July 2021 until January 2023, when Fu took the helm of the position.

“I trust that the Provost and the SON community will find the right person to fill this position and carry this responsibility to advance GW SON,” Fu said.

Fu said she developed “rigorous” procedures to boost enrollment and raise students’ performance on the National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses during her stint as dean. GW ranked 22nd among the best undergraduate nursing programs in the 2022 U.S. News & World Report list of top higher education programs.

Fu said the nursing school faces a bright future that she credits to its academic and research programs in medicine, public policy and engineering, access to health care facilities and location in the nation’s capital and Virginia.

“These strategies and plans should have positive and long-term impacts on the success of SON,” she said.

Provost Chris Bracey said in his own statement to the nursing school community that he will make an announcement about an interim dean in the next few weeks.

“I wish to acknowledge Dean Mei Fu’s decision to step down as Dean of the School of Nursing, effective March 3, and thank Dr. Fu for her service,” he said.