Doreen C. Harper, PhD, RN, FAAN
Trustee
Doreen C. Harper is Dean and Professor at the University of Alabama (UAB) at Birmingham School of Nursing. Dr. Harper earned her bachelor's degree in nursing from Cornell University, a master's degree at Catholic University in Washington, D.C., with a focus on psychiatric-mental health nursing and nursing education. She pursued doctoral studies at the University of Maryland, earning a PhD in human development and gerontology in conjunction with pursuing postmaster's courses to become a certified adult nurse practitioner. Dr. Harper joined UAB in 2005 after serving five years as dean of the Graduate School of Nursing at the University of Massachusetts Worcester (UMW).
Dr. Harper's scholarly work focuses on breaking new ground in joint academic/service partnerships for nursing workforce development, with a focus on improved patient care across clinical and community settings. A national leader in developing interdisciplinary collaborative partnerships, she is known for her expertise in nursing education, nurse practitioner education, policy, and nursing and health professions workforce development.
Dr. Harper is the recipient of numerous national and distinguished awards for her scholarly contributions in nursing and health workforce research. Throughout her career, Dr. Harper has made an impact on improving patient care access through developing and promoting the nurse practitioner role. At UAB, she provides leadership in academic nursing across the School's education, research and service missions. She is also the Director of the School of Nursing's World Health Organization Collaborating Centre for International Nursing, one of twelve Centres in the U.S. that focuses on nursing education to improve the care for children and families through global outreach, with an emphasis on Central and Latin America. In recognition of her many contributions to the discipline, Dr. Harper is a Fellow in the American Academy of Nursing.
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