After more than four decades of dedication to nursing and over 20 years in academia, Frontier Nursing University’s Interim Dean of Nursing Dr. Diane John, PhD, ARNP, FNP-BC, retired from her full-time faculty position in August.
Dr. John is a board-certified Family Nurse Practitioner and Associate Professor whose career reflects her unwavering commitment to service. She earned her master’s degree from Florida Atlantic University, followed by a PhD from Barry University. Since joining the nursing profession over 40 years ago, she has served in a variety of roles, from clinical care to faculty mentorship to curriculum development.
Dr. John’s journey in healthcare began early. Inspired by her mother, a home health aide, and shaped by experiences working in a pharmacy and nursing home as a teenager, Dr. John found a calling in nursing. Though she once dreamed of becoming a pilot in the U.S. Air Force, she ultimately found a passion in helping underserved patients. That decision would go on to shape not just her life, but the lives of countless students, patients, and community members.
Dr. John said she became a nurse practitioner for one simple reason: to care for others. Over the years, she has cared for a variety of underserved populations, including patients with HIV/AIDS, lowincome individuals, unhoused individuals, and the elderly.
“The most rewarding part of my career as a practitioner has been caring for the most vulnerable,” she said.
During her professional trajectory from LPN to FNP, Dr. John realized there was so much more she could do to help others with an advanced degree.
“I’ve encountered patients with many unanswered questions about their illnesses and their treatments. There never seems to be enough time for healthcare providers to get to know their patients, families, and communities, and during a provider-patient encounter there is not much time to engage in conversation about prevention, illness, and disease management,” she said. “Nurse practitioners provide these services. My education as a family nurse practitioner taught me humility, nursing as caring, compassion, nurturing relationships, and authentic presence.”
Dr. John said her interest in pursuing academia became apparent when she was earning her master’s degree, during which she observed faculty with a passion for teaching who believed that everyone can be successful.
“I completed my studies during a time when students were told that not everyone would graduate,” she said. “The message was, ‘look to the left, look to the right, you may not see these people at graduation.’ Like many people before me, I believe that we can all succeed.”
Joining FNU in 2012, Dr. John has served in numerous capacities, including curriculum and course design coach, faculty mentor, and committee leader. In March, she was named Interim Dean of Nursing. Throughout her time at FNU, Dr. John has been incredibly active in engaging students, from serving as the faculty liaison for the Students of Color in Nursing Student Interest Group (SIG) to facilitating important panel discussions. For Dr. John, her philosophy for teaching centers on professional identity, studentcentered learning, and lifelong learning. She said her professional identity reflects a meaningful life shaped by education and experience, inspiring her to help others achieve their goals. She promotes student-centered earning by engaging students as active, critical thinkers who apply ethical, reliable knowledge for the greater good. Lifelong learning, to her, is a continuous journey of growth through both formal education and personal development.
“As healthcare professionals, we must remain current with healthcare practices and treatments that lead to better outcomes for those we care for,” she said.
Beyond her work in the classroom, Dr. John has contributed to the profession through scholarly presentations, academic publications, and service as a federal grant reviewer for the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA). Her research and practice interests have spanned cardiovascular health, intimate partner violence, epidemiology, and health promotion.
She also founded Independent Nurse Providers (INP), a for-profit organization focused on providing healthcare and health education in partnership with advanced practice nurses. Through INP, she has obtained grant funding to implement community education and engagement programs, always with the aim of increasing health access and improving outcomes for underserved populations.
In her home community of Parkland, Florida, Dr. John has remained active as a health advocate and organizer. She’s led public talks on chronic disease, the obesity epidemic, and lifestyle-related health issues. As a board member of the local YMCA and South Florida Council for Advanced Practice Nurses, she’s helped shape public health programming and access initiatives.
Dr. John has also led initiatives in coordination with health care professionals to offer affordable dental, vision, and medical services to those in need. These events often included education around social determinants of health (SDOH), factors such as access to care, housing, education, and employment that profoundly affect health outcomes. Through partnerships with churches, schools, and other community organizations, she has provided holistic, culturally sensitive care rooted in compassion and understanding.
Looking back on her career at FNU, Dr. John said her primary motivation has been a desire for others to succeed.
“My approach is to remind students that they bring so much with them to the classroom; they possess foundational knowledge, skills, and experiences to build upon, which will lead to success,” she said.
She is hopeful that others can look at her and know that all things are possible.
“My mother was a nurse’s aide, and my father was a chauffeur; and I am a dreamer,” she said. “I am the first to earn a college degree and the only immediate family member with a doctoral degree. I am proud of this and want this for others — something I’m always thinking of.”
Over the years, Dr. John has inspired many students, including Frontier Nursing University President Dr. Brooke A. Flinders. Their paths first crossed when Dr. Flinders was pursuing her Doctor of Nursing Practice at FNU. During that period, she had the privilege of working closely with Dr. John, both as a faculty member and as a mentor.
“Diane is an exceptional communicator, known for her kindness and measured approach,” Dr. Flinders said. “I consider myself fortunate to have had her as an educator and role model during my time in the DNP program, particularly as it coincided with my transition from a faculty role to an administrative position. Regardless of the circumstances, Diane remains composed, rational, and fair in her interactions and decision-making. She has been such a positive influence.”
Dr. Flinders said Dr. John consistently exemplifies integrity in all aspects of her professional conduct, making her a perfect fit for the role of Interim Dean of Nursing.
“From the outset, working closely with Dr. John in this capacity has exceeded all expectations,” she said. “She brings a fresh and insightful perspective to our discussions and is known for thoughtfully challenging the status quo—always in a constructive and appreciated manner. Diane demonstrates both openness and flexibility in her thinking, while consistently upholding policies with fairness and integrity. She has been precisely the leader we needed during this transitional period.”
As someone who has been working since she was 16, Dr. John is looking forward to some much-needed relaxation in retirement.
“For now, I’ll be happy to do nothing for a while and then look for opportunities to engage in community initiatives that focus on social determinants of health,” she said. “I’ve learned a lot at FNU and will miss the employees and the students. It will be a huge change for me, and I’m looking forward to what retirement has to offer.”
Carrie Belin is an experienced board-certified Family Nurse Practitioner and a graduate of the Johns Hopkins DNP program, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Georgetown University School of Nursing, and Johns Hopkins School of Nursing. She has also completed fellowships at Georgetown and the University of California Irvine.
Angie has been a full-scope midwife since 2009. She has experience in various birth settings including home, hospital, and birth centers. She is committed to integrating the midwifery model of care in the US. She completed her master’s degree in nurse-midwifery at Frontier Nursing University (FNU) and her Doctorate at Johns Hopkins University. She currently serves as the midwifery clinical faculty at FNU. Angie is motivated by the desire to improve the quality of healthcare and has led quality improvement projects on skin-to-skin implementation, labor induction, and improving transfer of care practices between hospital and community midwives. In 2017, she created a short film on skin-to-skin called 
Justin C. Daily, BSN, RN, has ten years of experience in nursing. At the start of his nursing career, Justin worked as a floor nurse on the oncology floor at St. Francis. He then spent two years as the Director of Nursing in a small rural Kansas hospital before returning to St. Francis and the oncology unit. He has been in his current position as the Chemo Nurse Educator for the past four years. He earned an Associate in Nurse from Hutchinson Community College and a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Bethel College.
Brandy Jackson serves as the Director of Undergraduate Nursing Programs and Assistant Educator at Wichita State University and Co-Director of Access in Nursing. Brandy is a seasoned educator with over 15 years of experience. Before entering academia, Brandy served in Hospital-based leadership and Critical Care Staff nurse roles. Brandy is passionate about equity in nursing education with a focus on individuals with disabilities. Her current research interests include accommodations of nursing students with disabilities in clinical learning environments and breaking down barriers for historically unrepresented individuals to enter the nursing profession. Brandy is also actively engaged in Interprofessional Education development, creating IPE opportunities for faculty and students at Wichita State. Brandy is an active member of Wichita Women for Good and Soroptimist, with the goal to empower women and girls. Brandy is a TeamSTEPPS master trainer. She received the DASIY Award for Extraordinary Nursing Faculty in 2019 at Wichita State University. 
Dr. Sabrina Ali Jamal-Eddine is an Arab-disabled queer woman of color with a PhD in Nursing and an interdisciplinary certificate in Disability Ethics from the University of Illinois Chicago (UIC). Dr. Jamal-Eddine’s doctoral research explored spoken word poetry as a form of critical narrative pedagogy to educate nursing students about disability, ableism, and disability justice. Dr. Jamal-Eddine now serves as a Postdoctoral Research Associate in UIC’s Department of Disability and Human Development and serves on the Board of Directors of the National Organization of Nurses with Disabilities (NOND). During her doctoral program, Sabrina served as a Summer Fellow at a residential National Endowment of the Humanities (NEH) Summer Institute at Arizona State University (2023), a summer fellow at Andrew W. Mellon’s National Humanities Without Walls program at University of Michigan (2022), a Summer Research Fellow at UC Berkeley’s Othering & Belonging Institute (2021), and an Illinois Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental and related Disabilities (LEND) trainee (2019-2020).
Vanessa Cameron works for Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nursing Education & Professional Development. She is also attending George Washington University and progressing towards a PhD in Nursing with an emphasis on ableism in nursing. After becoming disabled in April 2021, Vanessa’s worldview and perspective changed, and a recognition of the ableism present within healthcare and within the culture of nursing was apparent. She has been working since that time to provide educational foundations for nurses about disability and ableism, provide support for fellow disabled nursing colleagues, and advocate for the disabled community within healthcare settings to reduce disparities.
Dr. Lucinda Canty is a certified nurse-midwife, Associate Professor of Nursing, and Director of the Seedworks Health Equity in Nursing Program at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. She earned a bachelor’s degree in nursing from Columbia University, a master’s degree from Yale University, specializing in nurse-midwifery, and a PhD from the University of Connecticut. Dr. Canty has provided reproductive health care for over 29 years. Her research interests include the prevention of maternal mortality and severe maternal morbidity, reducing racial and ethnic health disparities in reproductive health, promoting diversity in nursing, and eliminating racism in nursing and midwifery.
Dr. Lisa Meeks is a distinguished scholar and leader whose unwavering commitment to inclusivity and excellence has significantly influenced the landscape of health professions education and accessibility. She is the founder and executive director of the DocsWithDisabilities Initiative and holds appointments as an Associate Professor in the Departments of Learning Health Sciences and Family Medicine at the University of Michigan.
Dr. Nikia Grayson, DNP, MSN, MPH, MA, CNM, FNP-C, FACNM (she/her) is a trailblazing force in reproductive justice, blending her expertise as a public health activist, anthropologist, and family nurse-midwife to champion the rights and health of underserved communities. Graduating with distinction from Howard University, Nikia holds a bachelor’s degree in communications and a master’s degree in public health. Her academic journey also led her to the University of Memphis, where she earned a master’s in medical anthropology, and the University of Tennessee, where she achieved both a master’s in nursing and a doctorate in nursing practice. Complementing her extensive education, she completed a post-master’s certificate in midwifery at Frontier Nursing University.
Dr. Tia Brown McNair is the Vice President in the Office of Diversity, Equity, and Student Success and Executive Director for the Truth, Racial Healing, and Transformation (TRHT) Campus Centers at the American Association of Colleges and Universities (AAC&U) in Washington, DC. She oversees both funded projects and AAC&U’s continuing programs on equity, inclusive excellence, high-impact practices, and student success. McNair directs AAC&U’s Summer Institutes on High-Impact Practices and Student Success, and TRHT Campus Centers and serves as the project director for several AAC&U initiatives, including the development of a TRHT-focused campus climate toolkit. She is the lead author of From Equity Talk to Equity Walk: Expanding Practitioner Knowledge for Racial Justice in Higher Education (January 2020) and Becoming a Student-Ready College: A New Culture of Leadership for Student Success (July 2016 and August 2022 Second edition).