Dr. Wendy Michelle Likes, PhD, DNSc, APRN-BC, FAAN, FAANP, is a native Tennessean, nurse practitioner, educator, and health care leader who serves as Dean of the University of Tennessee Health Sciences College of Nursing and Executive Director and Special Advisor for Rural Health at UT Health Science Center. She is the Principal Investigator of the $12 million Tennessee Rural Healthcare Center of Excellence, leading statewide efforts to improve health care access, strengthen the workforce pipeline, and advance community-driven solutions for rural Tennesseans. Throughout her career, she has built partnerships across health care, higher education, government, and community organizations to address complex challenges and improve health outcomes. A Fellow of both the American Academy of Nursing and the American Association of Nurse Practitioners, Dr. Likes is committed to developing future leaders and advancing initiatives that help all Tennesseans thrive, regardless of where they live
Dean of the College of Nursing at UT Health Science Center