Angela Barron McBride received her bachelor's degree in nursing from Georgetown University, her master's degree in psychiatric-mental health nursing from Yale University, and her PhD in developmental psychology from Purdue University.  She is Distinguished Professor and University Dean Emerita at Indiana University School of Nursing, a multi-campus nursing school with offerings on eight IU campuses (Indianapolis, Bloomington, Columbus, Gary, Kokomo, New Albany, Richmond and South Bend), and the only nursing school in the United States to offer all levels of academic preparation from associate degree through PhD, including postdoctoral research training and extensive continuing education.  In keeping with her multidisciplinary interests, she is an Adjunct Professor in the departments of Psychology, Psychiatry, Women's Studies, and in Philanthropic Studies on Nursing's core campus of Indiana University-Purdue University at Indianapolis (IUPUI).  During her tenure as dean, she also served as Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs-Nursing within Clarian Health Partners, the largest hospital network in Indiana and one of the largest in the United States.  In 2003-04,  she is the AAN-ANF-IOM Scholar-in-Residence at the Institute of Medicine, National Academies.

Dean McBride served as president of Sigma Theta Tau International (1987‑1989), nursing's honor society, during the building of the International Center for Nursing Scholarship in Indianapolis. She has served on the National Advisory Mental Health Council of the Alcohol, Drug Abuse, and Mental Health Administration (1987 to 1991), on the advisory committee of NIH's Office of Research on Women's Health (1997-2001), and as president of the American Academy of Nursing (1993‑1995).  She either is now or has been on the boards of the following professional journals and annuals:  Research in Nursing and Health, Annual Review of Nursing Research, Archives of Psychiatric Nursing, Nursing Scan in Women's Health, Journal of Psychosocial Nursing, Nursing Leadership Forum, Encyclopedia of Nursing Research, Australian and New Zealand Journal of Mental Health Nursing, Journal of Advanced Nursing, Nursing and Health Sciences, Journal of Chi Eta Phi Sorority, Inc.  She currently serves on a number of community (e.g., Women’s Fund of Indianapolis, Methodist Health Foundation, Wishard Foundation, United Way of Central Indiana) and academic (e.g., Yale University Council, Nursing at Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hartford Foundation’s "Building Geriatric Nursing Capacity" Program) boards/advisory committees.

Dr. McBride's first book The Growth and Development of Mothers recognized as one of the best books of 1973 by both the The New York Times and the American Journal of Nursing.  She went on to author Living With Contradictions: A Married Feminist (1976), and How to Enjoy a Good Life With Your Teenager (1987), which was a selection of Psychotherapy Book Review.  Her book (co-edited with Joan K. Austin) entitled Psychiatric-Mental Health Nursing: Integrating the Behavioral and Biological Sciences earned a 1996 Book of the Year Award from the American Journal of Nursing; in 2000, she compiled a monograph, Nursing and Philanthropy.  She has contributed to more than forty other books, and has published numerous articles in both professional journals (Nursing Research, Research in Nursing and Health, Women and Health, Women and Therapy, Sex Roles, Developmental Psychology, American Psychologist, etc.), and popular magazines (e.g., Glamour, Ms.,  Women's Day).

Dr. McBride was given a Distinguished Alumna Award by Yale University (1978) and by Purdue University (1992).  She has been elected a Fellow of the American Academy of Nursing (1980), of the National Academies of Practice as a Distinguished Practitioner (1986), and of the American Psychological Association's Division 35 on the Psychology of Women (1991) and Division 38 on Health Psychology (1996); she also was chosen to be a National Kellogg Fellow (1981‑1984).  She received the 1983 ANA Council of Specialists in Psychiatric and Mental Health Nursing Award for Current Impact in Research and Scholarship.  In 1985 she received the Distinguished Research Award of the Midwest Nursing Research Society, and in 1988, University Hospitals of Cleveland presented her with the MacDonald Hospital for Women Award for contributions to women's health.  She has been honored by the Coalition of Psychiatric Nursing Organizations (1991) and by the Journal of Psychosocial Nursing (1992) for her contributions to the specialty. 

She has received honorary doctorates from the University of Cincinnati (1983), Eastern Kentucky University (1991), Georgetown University (1993), Medical College of Ohio (1995), University of Akron (1997), and Purdue University (1998), and the University of San Francisco has honored her with its University Medallion (1993).  In 1993, she received a Mentor Award from Sigma Theta Tau International.  In 1995, she received the "Outstanding Contributions to Nursing and Health Psychology" Award from the American Psychological Association’s Division 38 on Health Psychology; that same year, she was elected to membership in the Institute of Medicine, National Academy of Sciences.  She has been repeatedly named to "Who's Who in Health Care" by Indianapolis Business Journal, and has been honored by the YWCA and Girls' Clubs of her community.  In 1999, the Indianapolis Business Journal and The Indiana Lawyer named her one of most "influential women" in Indianapolis; that same year, Governor O'Bannon honored her with Indiana's "Sagamore of the Wabash" award.  In 2000, she was recognized with a Hoosier Heritage Award, and she received the Distinguished Nurse Educator Award, College of Mount St. Joseph, Cincinnati.  In 2001, she was honored by Sigma Theta Tau International for her abilities as a dean with the Melanie Dreher Award.  In 2003, the Indianapolis Business Journal named her a "Health Care Hero" (non-physician category), and she was recognized as a "Woman of Distinction" by Soroptimist International of Indianapolis.