Dr. Christine Verni, dean and professor of Niagara University’s College of Nursing, was among the honorees included on Buffalo Business First’s 2026 list of Power 200 Women. This marks the second straight year Dr. Verni has been named to the prestigious list, which recognizes a group of local leaders whose talent and influence are fueling economic, social, and cultural growth throughout Western New York.
Since joining Niagara University in 2021, Dr. Verni has taken an innovative, holistic approach to reimagining NU’s nursing programs. Under her leadership, the College of Nursing completely overhauled its curriculum to align with the evolving healthcare environment, incorporating a vital focus on personal and nurse resiliency. This modern framework has prepared hundreds of nursing graduates to achieve consistently high NCLEX-RN licensure pass rates across both traditional and accelerated pathways.
A champion for academic excellence, Dr. Verni successfully steered a comprehensive undergraduate reaccreditation visit in 2022 and secured initial full accreditation for the graduate division in 2024. Furthermore, she has secured millions of dollars for nursing education at Niagara and collaborated with key healthcare stakeholders to design advanced programs tailored to the needs of Western New York. These include new graduate offerings in family nurse practitioner, nursing education, and a highly anticipated psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner program set to launch in January 2027.
Dr. Verni empowers her team to use their individual and collective expertise to produce highly qualified nursing graduates at all levels of study and allocates resources to upskill those entrusted with preparing the future nursing workforce to ensure they are well-positioned to address the challenges of healthcare across the globe.
Demonstrating her influence on a grander scale, Dr. Verni was appointed this year as the national secretary for the American Association of Colleges of Nursing’s Board of Directors. Committed to using her leadership acumen and a collaborative approach to advance the nursing profession, she also serves on the New York Organization of Nursing Leadership’s Public Policy Committee and lends her expertise as an academic advisor for multiple nursing and nurse residency programs across New York state. Locally, she remains an active member of the New York Council of Deans, Professional Nurses Association of Western New York, Sigma’s International Honor Society for Nursing, and the American Nurses Association.
Her dedication to serving others extends far beyond the university walls. Dr. Verni continues to practice as a family nurse practitioner with Jericho Road Community Health Center, an organization renowned for providing high-quality, culturally sensitive healthcare to Buffalo’s underserved and refugee populations. Through this vital work, she actively bridges the gap between academic leadership and frontline community health, embodying the service-driven mission of Niagara University.
Buffalo Business First has compiled a list of the most powerful women in Western New York for the past 12 years.
The Niagara University College of Nursing offers a comprehensive range of academic pathways, including a traditional four-year Bachelor of Science in Nursing and an Accelerated Second Degree B.S. for those already holding a degree in another field. For licensed professionals, the college provides an online RN-to-BS completion program and a unique Nursing RPN-to-BS pathway for Canadian students. At the graduate level, Niagara offers a Master of Science in Family Nurse Practitioner, a Master of Science in Nursing Education, and a Master of Science in Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner, as well as various advanced certificates. To learn more, please visit www.niagara.edu/nursing.
