Meet the New College of Nursing Dean

Dr. Butch de Castro has been appointed the next Dean of Seattle University’s College of Nursing and will hold the Robert J. and Mary H. Bertch Endowed Professorship in Nursing Leadership. 

Currently serving as the inaugural Associate Dean for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion and Professor in the Department of Child, Family, and Population Health Nursing at the University of Washington’s School of Nursing, he will join Seattle University on July 1. College of Nursing Dean Kristen Swanson, RN, PhD, FAAN, is retiring at the end of the academic year. 

“Being selected as the next Dean for the College of Nursing is incredibly exciting while also deeply humbling. I am eager to get acquainted with the faculty, administrators, staff, students, alumni and partners that make up the Seattle University community,” Dr. de Castro says. “And I so appreciate the opportunity to help President Peñalver and Provost Martin fan the flame that has reignited the institution's strategic directions."

Dr. de Castro brings to SU a wealth of leadership experience that aligns with Seattle University’s mission and values. Graduating from UCLA with Bachelor of Science in Nursing, and after working in clinical, direct patient care roles, he found his professional passion as a public health practitioner. He went on to earn a dual Master of Science in Nursing/Master of Public Health degree as well as a PhD from Johns Hopkins University. After serving as a health scientist within the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration and later as senior staff with the American Nurses Association, he was a post-doctoral research fellow at the University of Illinois at Chicago, focusing on immigrant health.

Dr. de Castro joined the University of Washington in 2006. In addition to serving as Associate Dean, Dr. de Castro is co-director of the Research in Nursing & Global Health training program (funded by the National Institutes of Health - National Institute of Nursing Research) and Director of the Occupational & Environmental Health Nursing graduate training program (funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention - National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health).

Extensively involved with the wider community, Dr. de Castro currently serves as vice-chair of the King County Board of Health and is a member of the Washington Center for Nursing’s Diversity Advisory Committee, as well as the editorial board for Public Health Nursing journal.

A common thread woven through Dr. de Castro’s life and work is a tireless commitment to eliminate inequalities and injustices in health. A champion for underserved populations and a leader in his field, Dr. de Castro has received numerous recognitions, including the UW School of Nursing’s Dr. C. June Strickland Distinguished Diversity & Transcultural Nursing Advocate Award, the Marguerite Cobb Public Health/Community Health Nurse Award from the Washington State Nurses Association and was inducted as a Fellow to the American Academy of Nursing.

"I am delighted the future of the College of Nursing will be in great hands," said Dean Swanson. "Dean Designate de Castro brings the talent, commitment, skills and compassion needed to ensure the College will continue to deliver on our mission to educate and inspire leaders to transform health care for a just and humane world."