Dr. Hans-Peter de Ruiter has been actively engaged in Family Nursing since 2010. He currently serves as Professor and Director of the Glen Taylor Nursing Institute for Family and Society at Minnesota State University, Mankato (MNSU). A passionate advocate for global collaboration, Dr. de Ruiter developed and coordinates an innovative Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL) initiative, connecting over 300 nursing students each semester from universities across the world. Through this initiative, students explore family nursing within the context of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Dr. de Ruiter is member of both the IFNA Education Committee and the IFNA Research Committee. He partners with 12 universities spanning four continents to advance the practice, education, and scholarship of family and societal nursing. Trained in Institutional Ethnography (IE), he brings a sociological lens to his research, examining how institutional systems and policies impact patients, families, and health professionals. He is the incoming Chair of the Institutional Ethnography Division of the Society for the Study of Social Problems (SSSP). His work reflects a strong commitment to ethics, equity, global citizenship, and inclusive learning.