Barnard, Ruth M.

Ruth M. Barnard was born in Minnesota in 1935. She earned her bachelor's degree in nursing in 1958 from Johns Hopkins University, her master's degree in nursing administration in 1965 from Boston University, and her Ph.D. in nursing rehabilitation and research in 1973 from New York University. She practiced nursing in a variety of settings between 1958 and 1971 and directed nursing research at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City from 1971 to 1975.

Barnard took a position as associate professor at the University of Michigan School of Nursing in 1975 where she remained until her retirement in 2000. She began her tenure as a faculty member in the School of Nursing Research Area, and from 1982 to 1988 chaired the Medical-Surgical Nursing Area and directed the Graduate Program in Medical-Surgical Nursing. She taught both graduate and undergraduate courses and later served as Academic Information Specialist in the Office of Academic Affairs. The University of Michigan Board of Regents granted emeritus status to Barnard in 2002.

Barnard was an active member of the University of Michigan's Rho Chapter of Sigma Theta Tau, the national honor society of nursing, as well as state and local nursing organizations. Her research interests included women's health, specifically menopause, and the use of technology in professional information exchange.

Technological issues in the field of nursing held a strong interest for Barnard and led her to make significant efforts to bring the School of Nursing into the information age. She supported world wide web and computer usage, the UMTV evolution and videotaping of various school activities. She was an advocate for computer literacy in the nursing field and for computer use in the classroom, presenting workshops and demonstrations to students and practicing nurses. Some of her early research examined the effects of teleconferencing on nursing research. She served as an informal consultant on web-based and computer-related issues and, as Academic Information Specialist, provided instruction and support for faculty employing advanced technologies to teach both at the university and through distance learning and led in the development of the School of Nursing Information Center.