Frontier Nursing University (FNU) is proud to celebrate diversity in nursing, which is why student Diversity Impact ambassadors, faculty members and alumni attend a variety of annual conferences that do just that. A product of FNU’s diversity and inclusion initiative, the Diversity Impact Program promotes diversity in nursing and nurse-midwifery by recruiting and retaining students from underrepresented populations to become nurse-midwives and nurse practitioners. Conference participants have the opportunity to learn and celebrate, while also connecting with and providing information to prospective students.
FNU is a proud recipient of the Nursing Workforce Diversity (NWD) Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) grant that funds a Professional Organizational Mentoring Program (POMP) which makes it possible to send faculty mentors and student mentees to many conferences throughout the year. Here’s a look at all the conferences Diversity Impact students and faculty attended the last few months:
ACNM Meeting – May 18-23
The 64th annual American College of Nurse-Midwives (ACNM) Meeting was held in National Harbor, Md. this year. The meeting aims to emphasize the importance of evidence-based care and to instigate conversations centered around race, socioeconomic disparities and structural competency in healthcare in America. This year, ACNM introduced a new racism and disparities track to focus on health inequities, implicit bias and the mortality and morbidity rate for women of color.
FNU faculty and mentor Dr. Diana Jolles gave a podium presentation at the conference with her student mentee, Katrina George, as did Dr. Janelle Komorowski and her student mentee, Elizabeth Aviles.
FNU held its annual reception at the conference on Sunday, May 19 and had over 150 people in attendance. Student mentees helped greet guests and enjoyed an evening of networking with other FNU alumni, students, faculty and preceptors.
Student mentees Katrina George, Elizabeth Aviles, Aja Aviles-Soto, Alexandra Millett, Stacy Hepner and Ellen Apple represented the university by attending sessions and sharing information on distance education and specialty tracks at the exhibit booth.
You can read more about FNU’s participation at ACNM and how to join in at Frontier.edu/DIP-ACNM.
Many FNU faculty, staff and students received awards at the ACNM conference. You can read about the awards and presentations here.
AANP Conference and Exhibit – June 18-23
The nation’s largest multispecialty Nurse Practitioner conference, the 34th annual American Association of Nurse Practitioners (AANP) conference and exhibit was held in Indianapolis, Ind. in June. FNU faculty and mentor Dr. Delana Gardner attended along with FNU student mentees Frainleys Cruz, Caren Blantin, Ebony Hollins, Nancy Carter, Jessica Stevens and Channelle Nsangou. The mentor and mentee participants represented the university by attending educational sessions and sharing information on distance education and specialty tracks at the exhibit booth.
Keynote speaker Elizabeth Smart shared her personal struggles and how she overcame extreme adversity after being abducted as a child. She emphasized the importance of recovery and not allowing the past to dictate the future.
You can read more about FNU’s participation at AANP and how to join in at Frontier.edu/DIP-AANP.
NBNA Conference and Exhibit – July 23-28
The 47th annual National Black Nurses Association (NBNA) conference and exhibit was held in New Orleans, La. NBNA represents approximately 200,000 African American nurses from the U.S., Canada, Eastern Caribbean and Africa, with 115 chartered chapters nationwide.
This year’s theme, “Addressing the Epidemic of Health Inequity,” focused on multifaceted approaches to improving the health status of communities of color, as well as advocating for a diverse and inclusive workforce.
Attendees were encouraged by keynote speaker Dr. Ernest J. Grant, Ph.D., RN, FAAN, the 36th president of the American Nurses Association (ANA), the nation’s largest nurse’s organization representing the interests of the nation’s four million registered nurses. A distinguished leader, Dr. Grant has more than 30 years of nursing experience and is an internationally recognized burn-care and fire-safety expert.
FNU’s Assistant Director of Diversity and Inclusion Devon Peterika along with FNU faculty/mentor Dr. Linda McDaniel and student mentees Brittany Hogue and Erica McNealey attended the conference and represented the university with information on distance education and specialty tracks.
Visit Frontier.edu/DIP-NBNA to read more about FNU’s participation at AANP and how to join in.
NAHN Conference and Exhibit – July 15-19
The 44th annual National Association of Hispanic Nurses (NAHN) conference and exhibit was held in Reno, Nev. The conference theme, “A Climate of Change: Nurses Taking Action to Achieve Health Equity,” focused on addressing timely issues surrounding Latino healthcare regarding equity, diversity and inclusivity to bring awareness to health inequities affecting Hispanic communities of color.
FNU faculty and mentor Dr. Mary Ellen Biggerstaff and student mentees Amy Guzman, Leticia Fernandez, Sally Sanchez and Heather Ellin attended the conference and represented the university with information on distance education and specialty tracks at the exhibit booth. Fernandez was announced as a recipient of the United Health Foundation Diverse Scholars Initiative’s Latino Health Scholars Program.
Workshops emphasized evidence-based healthcare practices with the aim to impact Latin cultures in providing culturally congruent health care to decrease disparities and inequities. Conference workshops also focused on student leadership and education with a call to create a pathway to leadership for millennial Hispanic nurses.
You can read more about FNU’s participation at NAHN and how to join in at Frontier.edu/DIP-NAHN.
GLMA Conference and Exhibit – Sept. 11-14
The 37th annual Gay and Lesbian Medical Association (GLMA) conference and exhibit was held in New Orleans, La. This year’s conference theme, “LGBTQ Health Across the Lifespan”, highlighted the importance of understanding the ever-changing healthcare needs of LGBTQ patients from birth to end-of-life care.
FNU Diversity Impact Student Ambassadors Vanessa Shields-Haas and Margaret Galvez attended the conference and represented the university at its exhibit booth.
Visit Frontier.edu/DIP-GLMA to read more about FNU’s participation at GLMA and how to join in.
AABC Conference and Exhibit – Sept. 12-15
The 13th annual American Association of Birth Centers (AABC) conference and exhibit was held in Orlando, Fla. The AABC promotes and supports birth centers as a means to uphold the rights of healthy women and their families, in all communities, to birth their children in an environment that is safe, sensitive and cost-effective with minimal intervention.
FNU sent Diversity Impact Student Ambassadors Marie Alcide-Pigniat and Jamie Neal to represent the university and connect with prospective students.
You can read more about FNU’s participation at AABC and how to join in at Frontier.edu/DIP-AABC.
FNU is proud of its students, faculty, staff and alumni who have embraced the mission to reach diverse and minority populations to improve the quality of their healthcare. Thank you to all who played a part in this year’s diversity-focused conferences!
Frontier Nursing University (FNU) received the 2019 Health Professions Higher Education Excellence in Diversity (HEED) Award from 
FNU’s commitment to emphasizing and valuing diversity and inclusion was formally instituted with the creation of the 
Stephanie Vanderhorst, CNM, MSN, serves as midwifery director of Auburn Birthing Center in DeKalb, Ind. Shortly after graduating from FNU in 2002, she became the first certified nurse-midwife credentialed at DeKalb Memorial Hospital and Auburn OB/GYN; she has attended over 1,700 births since then.
Danny Shane Webb, MSN, FNP, is a nurse practitioner at Longstreet Clinic in Gainesville, Ga. He specializes in internal medicine and has hospital privileges at Northeast Georgia Medical Center.
Mary Kay Miller, CNM, MSN, DNP, serves as Florida regional clinical faculty for FNU’s Community-based Nurse-Midwifery Education Program (CNEP) and Women’s Healthcare Nurse Practitioner (WHNP) program tracks. She has also served as a preceptor for FNU students.
Jessica Lynn Smith, MSN, FNP, serves women and families as a nurse practitioner at the Vidalia Children’s Center in Vidalia, Ga. and at East Georgia Women’s Center in Statesboro, Ga. She also serves as a frequent preceptor for FNU students.
Carlyle Carter’s first connection to FNU dates back to 1954, when she was just 11 years old. Carlyle’s grandmother was a cousin of FNU founder Mary Breckinridge, who invited Carlyle to visit her in Wendover.
Frontier Nursing University (FNU) joined thousands of nurse-midwives across the country to celebrate 
Frontier Nursing University (FNU) graduates, family and friends gathered to celebrate commencement on Saturday, Sep. 28. A total of 852 graduates were honored in this year’s ceremony, and 265 attended along with family, friends and over 200 FNU faculty, staff and board members.
FNU was honored to welcome Dr. Joycelyn Elders, M.D. as the 
Frontier Nursing University (FNU) alumna and faculty member Mary Ellen Biggerstaff, MSN, DNP, has a heart for serving her community struggling with opioid addiction.
Frontier Nursing University (FNU) alumna Leslie McCormack, CNM (Class 70), is passionate about serving vulnerable populations—and teaching her students to do the same.
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).