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First
Group of Graduate Students Selected to Receive
The California Endowment-AACN Minority Nurse Faculty Scholarship
Scholarship
Applications Now Available for the 2007-2008 Academic Year
WASHINGTON, DC, October 10, 2006
- The American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) is
pleased to announce that nine outstanding graduate students
have been selected to receive The California Endowment-AACN
Nurse Faculty Scholarship. Introduced last spring, this program
was developed to provide financial support, mentoring and
leadership development activities to nursing students from
underrepresented minority populations who are committed to
teaching in a California school of nursing after graduation.
"Increasing the number of nurse educators
from diverse ethnic and racial backgrounds represents an important
step toward preparing a culturally competent nursing workforce
that reflects the patient population in California,"
said Robert Ross, MD, President and CEO of The
California Endowment. "We are pleased to be working
with AACN to support the development of new faculty who will
also serve as strong leaders, role models and mentors for
the next generation of nurses."
The California Endowment-AACN Nurse Faculty
Scholarship provides support to nursing students enrolled
in master's or doctoral degree programs who agree to teach
in a California nursing school. The first round of $18,000
scholarship awards were presented to:
- Sunny Yim Alperson, University of San Diego
- Maria Lourdes Bayog, University of California-San
Francisco
- Rita R. Callahan, University of San Diego
- Erik V. Carter, University of California-San
Francisco
- Elena Flowers, University of California-San
Francisco
- Denise A. Johnson-Dawkins, California State
University-Bakersfield
- Joseph Morris, University of California-Los
Angeles
- Robert C. Pope, Sr., University of California-San
Francisco
- Charlotte Louise Stoudmire, University of
San Diego
"AACN congratulates these scholarship
winners whose impressive academic achievements and varied
practice experiences will make them excellent teachers,"
said AACN President Jeanette Lancaster, PhD, RN, FAAN. "These
scholarship recipients represent the future of nursing education,
and we are definitely in good hands." The first round
of winners is a very impressive group with five nursing students
pursuing PhDs and four enrolled in master's programs. In terms
of racial background, five are African American, two are Asian
and two are Native American. Three of the award recipients
are male.
For a brief profile of each scholarship winner,
visit AACN's Web page at http://www.aacn.nche.edu/Media/CAEwinners8-06.htm.
The Need to Diversify the Nurse Faculty Population
In a national report released by the Sullivan
Commission on Diversity in the Healthcare Workforce in 2004,
the authors note: "In striking contrast to the relatively
diverse student body in nursing schools, the faculties of
the nation's nursing schools fall considerably short of reflecting
the nation's racial and ethnic diversity." Though almost
one-fourth of baccalaureate and graduate nursing students
in this U.S. are members of underrepresented racial or ethnic
minority groups, less than 10% of faculty teaching in these
programs are from minority backgrounds. In California, the
state with the most acute shortage of registered nurses in
the nation, schools boast the most diverse nursing student
body in the country with 46% of undergraduate students coming
from underrepresented groups. Still, only 14.2% of the nursing
faculty in California are members of a minority population.
"Increasing diversity among nurse faculty
will send a clear message to aspiring nursing students that
the profession is a welcome place for all bright individuals
looking to launch their professional careers," said Dr.
Lancaster. "Nursing is in dire need of leaders and educators
from diverse backgrounds to support students seeking academic
role models to encourage and enrich their learning."
Scholarship Applications Available for 2007-2008
Academic Year
The California Endowment-AACN Nurse Faculty
Scholarship program provides up to $18,000 in financial support
to students pursuing a graduate degree in nursing as well
as student mentoring and leadership development components
to facilitate academic success. Though students receiving
support may attend classes at any school of nursing, students
must return to their home state of California after graduation
to assume a teaching role at a California institution. The
schools where scholarship recipients will be attending classes
are required to offer a match of some portion of the student's
tuition.
Applications are now available to students
seeking funding for the 2007-2008 academic year. See http://www.aacn.nche.edu/CAEawardApp.pdf.
Applications must be submitted by June 1, 2007. For more information
or to ask questions, please contact AACN Project Coordinator
Annie Alesandrini at anniea@aacn.nche.edu.
About The California Endowment
The California Endowment is a private, statewide health foundation
established in 1996 to expand access to affordable, quality
health care for underserved individuals and communities, and
to promote fundamental improvements in the health status of
all Californians. Web site: http://www.calendow.org.
About the American
Association of Colleges of Nursing
The American Association of Colleges of Nursing is the national
voice for university and four-year-college education programs
in nursing. Representing more than 590 member schools of nursing
at public and private institutions nationwide, AACN's educational,
research, governmental advocacy, data collection, publications,
and other programs work to establish quality standards for
bachelor's and graduate-degree nursing education, assist deans
and directors to implement those standards, influence the
nursing profession to improve health care, and promote public
support of baccalaureate and graduate nursing education, research,
and practice. Web site: http://www.aacn.nche.edu.
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CONTACT: Robert Rosseter
(202) 463-6930, x231
rrosseter@aacn.nche.edu
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