Georgetown Nursing Professor Selected to Serve in Fulbright Specialist Program

December 13, 2019 – Dr. Kelley M. Anderson, associate professor of professional nursing practice, has been named a Fulbright Specialist and will share her expertise through a project developed by the Univerzita Pardubice in the Czech Republic.

The specialist program, which began 18 years ago, was founded by the State Department’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs and is a component of the broader Fulbright Program.

“The program pairs highly qualified U.S. academics and professionals with host institutions abroad to share their expertise, strengthen institutional linkages, hone their skills, gain international experience, and learn about other cultures while building capacity at their overseas host institutions,” the program says, noting its purpose is “to provide a short-term, on-demand resource to international host institutions.”

Anderson will be working with the host university on doctoral education in nursing, as well as cardiovascular research.

Sharing Expertise

Anderson, who will serve on the specialist roster from 2019-2022, said she is grateful for and excited about this opportunity. She will present at an international nursing conference at the University of Pardubice, one that celebrates the WHO Year of the Nurse and Midwife in 2020 and the legacy of nursing pioneer Florence Nightingale.

“I’ll also be providing advisement on the development of faculty and doctoral students for their newly developed International Nursing PhD Program,” Anderson said. “They are interested to know the U.S. process, in particular, regarding consultation and review of the curriculum, advisement on the dissertation process, and quality indicators for the research-focused doctorate in nursing.”

Anderson said she is “hoping to establish international collaborations for research-focused doctoral students in nursing by enhancing collaborative opportunities for faculty and students both in the U.S. and abroad,” including through Georgetown’s future PhD in Nursing Program.

“The last main area is that they are interested to develop and promote international research opportunities regarding cardiovascular conditions,” she added. “They have a few cardiovascular researchers that would like to partner with us.”

A Scholar-Mentor

Dr. Carole Roan Gresenz, interim dean of the School of Nursing & Health Studies, and Dr. Edilma Yearwood, chair of the Department of Professional Nursing Practice, congratulated Anderson on this prestigious achievement and celebrated her work as mentor and scholar, including her serving as editor of the 800-page-plus text Advanced Practice Nurse Cardiovascular Clinician (Springer).

“Dr. Anderson is a recognized expert in cardiovascular health,” Yearwood said. “In all aspects of her clinical research and scholarship to date, she has sought other voices and opinions to enhance and further develop the work she does in cardiovascular health. Her intent is to make the work applicable to a broader audience and those most affected by this issue. She is a quiet, confident, and determined leader who works to bring people along with her.”

Gresenz, highlighting past global collaborations, said Anderson “is exceptionally well-suited for collaborating with an international host institution . . . . She has an in-depth understanding of doctoral education of nurses in the US and has extensive experience with program development, curriculum development, and teaching at the doctoral level in nursing.”