Nisha Botchwey

{{Short description|Jamaican-American academic administrator}} {{Infobox scientist | name = Nisha Botchwey | image = Nisha Botchwey 2021 (cropped).png | caption = Botchwey in 2021 | birth_place = Jamaica | fields = Public affairs, health and environmental policy | workplaces = University of Virginia Georgia Tech University of Minnesota | alma_mater = Harvard University University of Pennsylvania University of Virginia | doctoral_advisor = Eugenie L. Birch John J. DiIulio Jr. Ram A. Cnaan | academic_advisors = Heinrich Holland }}

'''Nisha D. Botchwey '''is a Jamaican-American academic administrator specializing in health and environmental policy. She has served as dean of the Humphrey School of Public Affairs at the University of Minnesota since 2022.

== Life == Botchwey is from Jamaica.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |last=Ansari |first=Hibah |date=2021-09-22 |title=U of M appoints first immigrant, person of color as dean at Humphrey School |url=http://sahanjournal.com/education/nisha-botchwey-new-dean-humphrey-school-of-public-affairs-university-of-minnesota/ |access-date=2023-11-20 |website=Sahan Journal |language=en-US}}</ref> She earned an A.B. in environmental science and public policy from Harvard College in 1997.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |title=BOTCHWEY_CV_12_11_2020.pdf |url=https://drive.google.com/file/d/1d3IL11o_MuSqY98bYaGaiiq-z2JO5_VQ/view?usp=embed_facebook |access-date=2023-11-20 |website=Google Docs}}</ref> Her thesis was titled, ''Eutrophication: The Death Angel Covering Coral Reefs in Montego Bay, Jamaica''.<ref name=":1" /> Heinrich Holland was her advisor.<ref name=":1" /> She completed a master of city and regional planning (1999) and Ph.D. (2003) from the University of Pennsylvania School of Design.<ref name=":1" /> Her dissertation was titled, ''Taxonomy of Religious and Secular Nonprofit Organizations: Knowledge Development and Policy Recommendations for Neighborhood Revitalization''.<ref name=":1" /> Eugenie L. Birch, John J. DiIulio Jr., and Ram A. Cnaan served as her doctoral advisors.<ref name=":1" />

Botchwey joined the faculty at the University of Virginia in 2003 as an assistant professor in the department of urban and environmental planning.<ref name=":1" /> From 2006 to 2009, she was director of its undergraduate studies program.<ref name=":1" /> She was promoted to an untenured associate professor in 2009.<ref name=":1" /> In 2011, Botchwey earned a M.P.H. from the University of Virginia College of Arts and Sciences.<ref name=":1" /> In 2012, she joined Georgia Tech's school of city and regional planning as an untenured associate professor.<ref name=":1" /> She was granted tenure in 2015 and promoted to associate dean for academic programs in 2020.<ref name=":1" /> In January 2022, she joined the Humphrey School of Public Affairs as its dean and Russell M. and Elizabeth M. Bennett Chair in Excellence in Public Affairs.<ref name=":0" /><ref>{{Cite web |title=Nisha Botchwey {{!}} Hubert H. Humphrey School of Public Affairs |url=https://www.hhh.umn.edu/directory/nisha-botchwey |access-date=2023-11-20 |website=www.hhh.umn.edu}}</ref> She is the first immigrant and person of color to serve in the role.<ref name=":0" />Since 2023, she has served as an Advisory Board Member for the African American Leadership Forum. <ref name=":1" />

Recently in 2024, at the Association of Collegiate Schools of Planning event in Seattle, Nisha Botchwey was recognized with the Margarita McCoy award for her contributions to the advancement of women in planning. <ref>{{Cite web |date= |title=2024 Margarita McCoy Award |url=https://www.acsp.org/page/Botchwey2024 |access-date=September 24, 2025 |website=Association of Collegiate Schools of Planning}}</ref>

== Selected works ==

* {{Cite book |last1=Ross |first1=Catherine L. |title=Health Impact Assessment in the United States |last2=Orenstein |first2=Marla |last3=Botchwey |first3=Nisha |date=2014 |publisher=Springer New York |isbn=978-1-4614-7302-2 |language=en |author-link1=Catherine L. Ross}} * {{Cite book |title=Making Healthy Places, Second Edition: Designing and Building for Well-Being, Equity, and Sustainability |date=2022 |publisher=Island Press |isbn=978-1-64283-157-3 |editor-last=Botchwey |editor-first=Nisa |language=en |editor-last2=Dannenberg |editor-first2=Andrew L. |editor-link2=Andrew L. Dannenberg |editor-last3=Frumkin |editor-first3=Howard |editor-link3=Howard Frumkin}}

==References== {{reflist}}

Category:Living people Category:Year of birth missing (living people) Category:Place of birth missing (living people) Category:Jamaican emigrants to the United States Category:Expatriate academics in the United States Category:African-American women academic administrators Category:American women academic administrators Category:African-American academic administrators Category:21st-century American women scientists Category:21st-century African-American scientists Category:Harvard College alumni Category:University of Pennsylvania School of Design alumni Category:University of Virginia alumni Category:University of Virginia faculty Category:Georgia Tech faculty Category:University of Minnesota faculty Category:American university and college faculty deans