Eboni Harris, a PhD nursing student, and April Pegram, a DNP nursing student at the University of South Carolina, have been selected for the 2014–16 Jonas Nurse Leaders Scholar Program of the Jonas Center for Nursing and Veterans Healthcare. As two of 300 Jonas Scholars across the country, Harris and Pegram will each receive $20,000 over the two-year period to support their doctoral studies, representing grant funds from the Jonas Foundation and matching funds from the College of Nursing.
The Jonas Nurse Leaders Scholar Program was created in 2008 to support the educational development of nursing doctoral students, helping to increase the number of advanced practice nurses and health care leaders as well as nursing school faculty. This is the second time the USC CON has received the Jonas Center Grant for doctoral students.
"With these grants, the Jonas Center is addressing a critical need for more nurses and the faculty to prepare them," said Jeannette Andrews, Dean of the USC College of Nursing. "The College of Nursing is proud to be part of this national effort to stem the nursing faculty shortage and prepare future nurses as America's health care system continues to evolve."
Eboni is a second-year doctoral student from Simpsonville, SC. Her research interest is to develop culturally tailored interventions addressing obesity in African American women. April is a second year doctoral student from Pawley's Island, SC. Her practice and policy interests are to improve the operational environment for enhanced team based healthcare.
The USC College of Nursing supports two doctoral nursing programs: the PhD in Nursing science and the Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP). In addition to the doctoral programs, the USC College of Nursing offers Master's, Post-Master's, and Undergraduate (Bachelor of Science) Programs in nursing. With over 1400 students enrolled, the USC flagship CON is nationally recognized for its' cutting edge and high quality education, research, and practice.
The Jonas Center, a leading philanthropic funder for the nursing profession, makes grants that advance scholarship, leadership and innovation and collaborates on initiatives with other leaders in the nursing field, with a focus on fostering partnerships across the philanthropic, business, policy and education sectors.