Former US congressman, global nurse leader join Niagara University board of trustees

By Niagara University

John Katko, former U.S. congressman, and Dr. Dianne Morrison-Beedy, chief talent and global strategy officer and Centennial Professor of Nursing at The Ohio State University, have been named to Niagara University’s board of trustees. The appointments were announced by the Rev. James J. Maher, C.M., president of the university.

“I am pleased to welcome John Katko and Dianne Morrison-Beedy to our board of trustees,” Maher said. “Since their graduation from Niagara University, they have made exceptional contributions across public service, health care, nonprofit, governmental and educational institutions. This expertise will be an invaluable resource as we continue to enhance our governing board with mission-based expertise. In addition, as alumni of the university, they believe deeply in our mission to provide a transformative education that is accessible to all.”

Katko, a member of Niagara’s Class of 1984, is an accomplished leader who served Central New York in Congress from 2015 until his retirement in 2022. Known as one of the most bipartisan members of Congress, he was a strong voice on the House Homeland Security Committee and, in 2020, was selected as Republican ranking member, leading efforts to secure the border and prioritizing a robust focus on cybersecurity, as well as transportation and airport security. Additionally, Katko served eight years as a member of the House Transportation & Infrastructure Committee and as chair of the Republican Governance Group.

While serving New York’s 24th Congressional District, Katko achieved significant legislative success, with 98 bills passed the House and 45 signed into law. Through his advocacy, Katko delivered millions of dollars to his district in Central New York.

Prior to serving in Congress, Katko spent nearly 20 years as a federal organized crime prosecutor with the U.S. Department of Justice, prosecuting hundreds of complex criminal cases including organized crime, drug and human trafficking, murder and political corruption. Additionally, he served as a litigator with the U.S. Securities & Exchange Commission and as an antitrust and commercial litigation attorney in private practice.

He earned his B.A. in political science from Niagara and his J.D. from Syracuse University School of Law.

Morrison-Beedy, a member of the Niagara Class of 1980, is a scholar and global nurse leader with more than 35 years in nursing, research and intervention development, and higher education administration. Prior to her current position, she served as dean of the College of Nursing and senior associate vice president of USF Health, University of South Florida. Under her leadership, the college moved to the top 25 in NIH research funding, first in the nation for military and veteran’s health, and the top graduate program in Florida.

A four-time recipient of a prestigious Fulbright Award, Morrison-Beedy was elected into the International Nursing Research Hall of Fame. She has also received numerous awards for her work, including the Audrey Hepburn Award for Outstanding Contributions to Well-Being of Children, the March of Dimes 2021 Research Nurse of the Year, Florida Top 100 Nurses, Excellence in HIV Prevention Award from the Association for Nurses in AIDS Care, the Excellence in Research award from the Association of Women’s Health Obstetric and Neonatal Nurses, and both the Florida and New York State Distinguished Researcher.

She is a Fellow in the American Academy of Nursing, the National Academies of Practice, the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners, and The Royal College of Surgeons of Ireland. She serves on several boards, is editor-in-chief of Building Healthy Academic Communities, holds Distinguished International Visiting Professorship awards, and was selected by the International Council of Nurses as a Global Nursing Leadership Institute Fellow in Geneva.

Morrison-Beedy earned her B.S. in nursing from Niagara; her Master of Science in nursing, women’s health/adult primary care nurse practitioner from the University at Buffalo; and her Ph.D. in nursing at the University of Rochester.

More About Niagara University

Founded by the Vincentian community in 1856, Niagara University is a comprehensive institution, blending the best of a liberal arts and professional education, grounded in our values-based Catholic tradition. Its colleges of Arts and Sciences, Business Administration, Education, Hospitality, Sport and Tourism Management, and Nursing offer programs at the baccalaureate, master’s, and doctoral level.

As the first Vincentian university established in the U.S., Niagara prepares students for personal and professional success while emphasizing service to the community in honor of St. Vincent de Paul. Niagara’s institutional commitment to service-learning has led to its inclusion on the President’s Honor Roll for Community Service every year since its inception in 2006, and its recognition with the Carnegie Foundation’s Classification for Community Engagement.