Angela Frederick Amar Named a Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Nurse Faculty Scholar

                                                                                    Nurse Faculty Scholars National Program Office

Phone: (877) 738-0737

E-mail: info@rwjfnursefacultyscholars.org

 

 

Boston, M.A.(July25, 2008) ─ Angela Frederick Amar,R.N., Ph.D., an assistant professor in the William F. Connell School of Nursing at Boston College, was one of 15 junior faculty nationwide to receive an inaugural Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Nurse Faculty Scholar award. The three-year, $350,000 grant will begin September 1.

 

The award will support herresearch exploring the factors that encourage college women to report experiencing interpersonal violence. Despite campus prevention programs, most young women do not report such episodes, even though it is critical to receiving help in managing the immediate and long-term physical and mental health effects and lifestyle changes. She intends for the research findings to be used to develop campus and national policy and campus programming. The award will also support Amar’s participation in a training program that will help prepare her for academic leadership and  translating evidence into policy and practice initiatives.

 

“I hope to use this generous support from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation to execute a substantive research project that will result in data that informs policy and practice to create real change for real people,” said Amar. “The mentorship, training and networking opportunities are pivotal to reaching my career goals.”

 

Herfaculty mentors for this research are Barbara E. Wolfe, Ph.D., R.N., F.A.A.N., professor and director of the Center for Nursing Research, and Lisa Goodman, Ph.D., associate professor, Lynch School of Education at Boston College.

 

Boston College Connell School of Nursing Dean Susan Gennaro, D.S.N., F.A.A.N., R.N., commented, “The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation’s support for nursing is well established in enhancing academic and clinical nurse leadership. As someone who has personally benefited from the Foundation’s support as a Robert Wood Johnson Clinical Nurse Scholar, I know that Amar’s career will be enhanced by the educational, leadership and networking opportunities provided by the program.”

 

Gennaro added: “Amar is a perfect recipient of this important and prestigious fellowship because she is a visionary, committed researcher and teacher who has made and will continue to make significant contributions to improving the health of women and families in the United States.”

 

While a doctoral student at the University of Pennsylvania, Amar was a Fontaine Fellow and a fellow in the International Center for Research on Women, Children, and Families. Currently, she is an editorial board member and research column editor for the Journal of Forensic Nursing. She has received research funding internally from Boston College and national funding from the United States Health Resources and Services Administration.

 

The goal of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Nurse Faculty Scholars program is to develop the next generation of national leaders in academic nursing through career development awards for outstanding junior nursing faculty. The program aims to strengthen the academic productivity and overall excellence of nursing schools by providing mentorship, leadership training, salary and research support to young faculty.

 

Despite a rise in applicants, U.S. nursing schools turn away thousands of prospective students from baccalaureate and masters programs because of an acute shortage of faculty and clinical preceptors, training sites, space and funding constraints. Since the stature of nursing schools and the promotion of nursing faculty are dependent on the quality of the nursing faculty’s scholarly and/or research pursuits, the Nurse Faculty Scholars program seeks to strengthen the link between institutional reputation and faculty success by providing career development and other opportunities to junior faculty.

 

With a large number of faculty nurses set to retire soon, the Nurse Faculty Scholars program also aims to encourage junior nurse faculty to continue on in their roles as educators.

 

The program is run out of the Johns Hopkins University School of Nursing. Jacquelyn C. Campbell, Ph.D., R.N., F.A.A.N., Anna D. Wolf Chair and Professor in the Johns Hopkins University School of Nursing directs the program. For more information, go to: www.nursefacultyscholars.org.

 

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The Boston College William F. Connell School of Nursing opened in 1947, making it the first Catholic higher education institution in the Boston area to offer a baccalaureate nursing program. Today, the Connell School offers baccalaureate, masters, doctoral, and continuing education programs. In the Jesuit tradition, the Connell School of Nursing seeks to educate students to think critically and to incorporate values in service to others. Graduates of the bachelor degree program have one of the country's highest pass rates for the National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses (NCLEX-RN). US News & World Report ranks the Connell School of Nursing's graduate program among the top 30 in the nation. Many Connell School faculty are certified for advanced clinical practice and more than 85% hold a doctorate in nursing or a related field. The faculty is widely published and includes nurse scholars who are recognized as national and internationally leaders in their fields. For more information, visit www.bc.edu/nursing.

 

 

The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation focuses on the pressing health and health care issues facing our country. As the nation's largest philanthropy devoted exclusively to improving the health and health care of all Americans, the Foundation works with a diverse group of organizations and individuals to identify solutions and achieve comprehensive, meaningful and timely change. For more than 35 years the Foundation has brought experience, commitment, and a rigorous, balanced approach to the problems that affect the health and health care of those it serves. When it comes to helping Americans lead healthier lives and get the care they need, the Foundation expects to make a difference in your lifetime. For more information, visit www.rwjf.org.