Frontier Nursing University (FNU) is excited to announce that Dr. Maria J. Small, MD, MPH, was unanimously approved as the newest member of FNU’s Board of Directors during the Board’s meeting on July 22. Dr. Small is a maternal-fetal medicine specialist within the field of obstetrics and gynecology at Duke University Medical Center.
“I am honored to join the Frontier Nursing University Board of Directors,” Dr. Small said. “I have long been impressed by FNU’s history of educating nurses and midwives. FNU’s work is more important than ever. I look forward to collaborating with the other members of the Board of Directors and FNU leadership to build upon FNU’s nationwide impact.”
Born in Durham, N.C., Dr. Small earned her bachelor’s degree from Brown University, then completed medical school at East Carolina University’s Brody School of Medicine. She completed an internal medicine residency at Yale University’s New Haven Medical Center and an OB-GYN residency at Temple University Hospital. She went on to perform a fellowship in maternal-fetal medicine at Yale University and has a master’s degree in public health from Yale.
Dr. Small, who joined Duke University Medical School in 2007, is currently an Associate Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology. Prior to returning to Durham, Dr. Small served in a variety of instructional positions, including assistant professor in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Yale University’s School of Medicine and adjunct faculty and associate head of the Departments of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the University of Rwanda.
In addition to her professorial endeavors, Dr. Small also sees patients at Duke Birthing Center in Durham, N.C. She is board certified by both the American Board of Obstetrics/Gynecology, Maternal & Fetal Medicine, and the American Board of Obstetrics/Gynecology, Obstetrics & Gynecology. Dr. Small, who speaks Portuguese and Spanish in addition to English, has a special interest in high-risk maternal medical conditions such as hypertension, diabetes, and preeclampsia.
“We are extremely excited to welcome Dr. Small to our Board of Directors,” said FNU President Dr. Susan Stone, DNSc, CNM, FACNM, FAAN. “Her extensive knowledge and experience in both education and maternal health is an ideal combination and she promises to have a significant impact on the future of FNU. We are honored that Dr. Small accepted our invitation to join the Board of Directors and are excited to begin working with her.”
As part of Frontier Nursing University’s Board of Directors, Dr. Small will help guide the university’s direction and decision making during a critical period as the university prepares to transition to its new campus in Versailles, Kentucky. All on-campus student activities are postponed until at least January 1, 2021, due to the COVID-19 Pandemic. The university, which has just begun work on its recently approved 2020-22 strategic plan, continues to place priority focus on both new and ongoing diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives. Those initiatives focus on creating an equitable, welcoming environment that will enable the university to continue to become more diverse in all areas, including students, faculty, staff, and the Board of Directors.