Published December 05, 2016 AACN Selects New Nurse Faculty Scholars through Joint Program with the Johnson & Johnson Campaign for Nursing’s Future
WASHINGTON, D.C., December 5, 2016 – The American
Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) is pleased to announce that
five new Minority Nurse Faculty Scholars have been selected through a
national scholarship program funded by the Johnson & Johnson
Campaign for Nursing’s Future. Launched to address the faculty shortage
and enhance diversity among nurse educators, this AACN-administered
program provides generous financial support, mentoring, and leadership
development to graduate students from minority backgrounds who aspire to
teach in our nation’s schools of nursing.

- Dorothy Forde, University of San Diego
- Tamryn Gray, Johns Hopkins University
- Seung Eun Lee, University of Illinois at Chicago
- Mimi Niles, New York University
- Rose Saldivar, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee
“Diversifying the nursing profession is essential
to meeting the healthcare needs of the nation and reducing health
disparities that exist among many underserved populations,” said AACN
Board Chair Juliann G. Sebastian. “AACN applauds the Johnson &
Johnson Campaign for Nursing’s Future for understanding the strong
connection between having an ethnically diverse nursing faculty
population and attracting new students from underrepresented groups into
the profession. We are so pleased to welcome this year’s scholars who
are all poised to be future leaders in the academic nursing arena.”
See additional details and photos of this year’s scholarship recipients.
Addressing a National Need
Faculty shortages at nursing schools across the
country are limiting student capacity at a time when the need for
registered nurses continues to grow. Budget constraints at schools of
nursing, an aging faculty, and increasing job competition from clinical
sites have contributed to this crisis. The need for more nursing faculty
from ethnically diverse populations is particularly acute since only
14.9% of full-time nursing faculty are from groups underrepresented in
the profession.
To address this great need, the Johnson & Johnson Campaign for
Nursing’s Future joined with AACN in 2007 to launch a national
scholarship program designed to increase diversity within the nurse
faculty population. The J&J Campaign-AACN Minority Nurse Faculty
Scholars program provides financial assistance to eligible nursing
students to facilitate the completion of a doctoral or master’s degree
in nursing. Five Scholars are selected each year to receive $18,000 in
funding support for a maximum 2 years. Recipients must establish a
mentoring relationship with a seasoned faculty member and attend a
leadership development program as part of AACN’s annual Faculty
Development Conference. Scholars also must agree to teach in a U.S.
school of nursing after graduation for at least one year for every year
funding was received.
Since the program was launched, 50 Scholars have been supported through
this successful initiative, and many have already graduated and begun
their teaching careers. Most Scholars have pursued research-focused
doctoral degrees (PhD), though a handful are enrolled in practice
doctorate (DNP) or master’s programs. AACN typical receives 65 to 80
applications for the 5 slots each year, demonstrating strong interest in
this program. The award selection committee – a diverse group of 10
nursing school deans and faculty members – work diligently each year to
ensure that top candidates for the scholarship are selected. This year’s
committee members include:
- Willie Mae Abel, PhD, RN, Assistant Professor, School of Nursing, University of North Carolina at Charlotte
- Susan Baker, PhD, RN, Dean, School of Nursing, St. Petersburg College
- Estrella Evangelista, DNP, CNL, RN, Adjunct Clinical Faculty, School of Nursing, Nevada State College
- James A. Fain, PhD, RN, FAAN, Associate Dean for Academic Affairs, Graduate School of Nursing, University of Massachusetts Medical School
- F. Ndidi U. Griffin-Myers,
EdD, RN, School of Nursing Department Chair & Program Director,
College of Health & Human Services, California State University,
Fresno
- Luz Huntington-Moskos, PhD, RN, CPN, Assistant Professor, University of Louisville
- Norma Martinez Rogers, PhD, RN, FAAN, Professor, University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio
- Danita Potter,
PhD, RN, Associate Professor, RN to BSN Director, College of Nursing
and School of Allied Health, Northwestern State University
- Yvonne Stringfield, EdD, Associate Professor, Department of Nursing, Delaware State University
- Lin Zhan, PhD, RN, FAAN, Professor and Dean, Loewenberg College of Nursing, University of Memphis
For more information on issues related to diversity in nursing education and AACN’s efforts to address this critical issue, see www.aacn.nche.edu/diversity.