Julie DeLoia, PhD

Co-Founder, DeLoia-Horn Consultancy

A Career Bridging Science, Education, and Strategy

Dr. Julie DeLoia is a public health educator, scientist, and academic strategist with more than two decades of experience leading transformation across higher education and health systems. Her work bridges science, leadership, and community partnership—helping institutions design innovative programs that expand access, improve quality, and strengthen connection.

Scientific Foundations

Dr. DeLoia began her career at the University of Pittsburgh, where she led the translational research team for the Ovarian Cancer Center and authored over 60 peer-reviewed publications funded by the NIH and other federal agencies. Her excellence in medical education earned her a Distinguished Teaching Award and sparked a lifelong passion for advancing learning.

Leadership in Academic Innovation

At Georgetown University, Dr. DeLoia served as Associate Dean for Academic Affairs and Interim Dean for the School of Nursing and Health Studies, where she launched a pioneering national online nursing program for Advanced Practice Nurses. Later, at The George Washington University School of Public Health, she led the School through a successful accreditation and developed three online and hybrid degree programs that more than doubled enrollment and revenue.

Collaborative Successes

As Dean of the Jefferson College of Health Sciences, Dr. DeLoia guided the College through a major merger aligning academic and healthcare missions to better serve students and communities. She most recently served as Chief Academic Officer Opus Vi, advancing workforce education and training across the healthcare sector.

Across every role, Dr. DeLoia has focused on building signature programs, forging cross-sector partnerships, and creating systems that translate learning into measurable impact. Her leadership reflects a lifelong commitment to collaboration, innovation, and the belief that education—done well—can change and save lives.

Education

PhD in Human Genetics, The Johns Hopkins University
Postdoctoral Fellowship in Developmental Genetics, University of Pennsylvania
Visiting Professorship, Max Planck Institute, Freiburg, Germany
Higher Education Leadership Development Program, HERS

Kimberly Horn, EdD

Co-Founder, DeLoia-Horn Consultancy

A Scholar and Leader in Collaborative Innovation

Named one of Virginia’s Top 50 Women Leaders (2023-2025), Dr. Kimberly Horn is a research psychologist and academic leader with more than 25 years of experience in higher education. Her career spans three major universities—West Virginia University and Virginia Tech, both public land-grant institutions serving central Appalachia, and The George Washington University, a private research university in Washington, D.C.

Across these diverse institutions, Dr. Horn has dedicated her work to transforming research into action—advancing behavioral science and community health through education, evaluation, and partnership. Her leadership roles have ranged from Professor to Research Dean, to Associate Vice President, giving her deep understanding of how collaboration drives innovation and impact across sectors.

Driving Innovation Through Collaboration

Central to Dr. Horn’s leadership is her ability to apply collaborative innovation models that strengthen research culture, streamline policy, and build cross-sector capacity. She has united universities, healthcare systems, and public-private sectors to form regional research consortia—creating enduring partnerships among researchers, clinicians, executives, and community leaders.

Her initiatives have produced new ways of managing and measuring research: shared staffing, co-recruitment networks, rapid-response infrastructure, incentive models, and joint funding strategies. Guided by a commitment to outcomes, Dr. Horn brings extensive expertise in strategic systems evaluation across academic and community settings.

Scientific Leadership

A federally funded scientist for over 25 years, Dr. Horn has served as Principal Investigator on more than 50 projects and authored nearly 160 peer-reviewed publications. Her collaborations have led to nationally recognized health innovations and earned distinction from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), where she received a Top Innovator Award.

cultural and cross-sector impact

Through DeLoia-Horn Consultancy, Dr. Horn now extends her research into training and applied learning initiatives that equip organizations to strengthen leadership, resilience, and social health. Drawing from the science-based framework in her best seller book, Friends Matter, For Life, she helps teams and communities turn connection into measurable change. Her book and related work on social connection have been featured in national outlets including TIME, The New York Times, CNN, NPR, ABC, USA Today, Psychology Today, SELF, Cosmopolitan, Newsweek, Mashable, and others.

Education

Doctor of Education (EdD), Educational Psychology, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV