Dr. Debra Kosko is an Associate Professor and Assistant Dean for Evaluation, Assessment, and Outcomes in the School of Nursing at Georgetown University and has been a family nurse practitioner and educator for many years. A pioneer advancing the role of nurse practitioners , Dr. Kosko helped establish the American College of Nurse Practitioners (now the American Association of Nurse Practitioners) and the Nurse Practitioner Association of Maryland.
An expert clinician in infectious diseases, HIV/AIDS and global health, her career has been dedicated to the care of vulnerable populations. Dr. Kosko co-founded the Adult HIV Program at University of Maryland, served on the White House National AIDS Policy Council that established National HIV Testing Day, and, as a Fellow with the US Agency for International Development, launched the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief. She has held both academic and medical appointments at The Johns Hopkins University, University of Maryland, and Duke University.
Dr. Kosko’s areas of scholarship include HIV/AIDS, interprofessional education, and global health, resulting in numerous publications and presentations, while establishing study abroad programs for nurse practitioner and medical students at several universities. She is on the editorial board for The Nurse Practitioner Journal and served on the editorial board of The Journal of the Association of Nurses in AIDS Care. She is a recipient of the Association of Nurses in AIDS Care Frank Lamendola Award for Nursing Leadership and is a Fellow with the American Association of Nurse Practitioners.
Dr. Kosko received a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from University of Texas at Austin, a Master’s in Nursing, with a minor in public health from UCLA, and a Doctor of Nursing Practice from The George Washington University.
Dr. Kosko is on the board and treasurer of Project Health for Leon and is Co-Chair of the National Organization of Nurse Practitioner Faculties Global Health Special Interest Group. She served on the North Carolina Institute of Medicine COVID-19 Vaccine Advisory Committee and is immediate past-Chair of the North Carolina Immunization Coalition.