Stanek and Walters selected as Anne Belcher Interprofessional Scholars

Congratulations to Assistant Professor JoAn Stanek, DNP, RN, ANP-BC and Clinical Assistant Professor Elizabeth Walters, DNP, RN, PNP, who have been selected as the second cohort of Anne Belcher Interprofessional Faculty Scholars.

Last year, the Anne Belcher Interprofessional Faculty Scholars Program for Nursing was created with a generous gift from Anne Belcher, MN, PhD, (BSN ’67), ANEF, FAAN, to provide opportunities for selected faculty in the UNC School of Nursing to shape the world of interprofessional education (IPE) and to create the scholarly work others will look to as evidence for the power of IPE in the future.

During the two-year program, Scholars will participate in a targeted educational leadership program to develop, implement and evaluate an interprofessional scholarly product, as well as disseminate this work through presentations and publications. Meg Zomorodi, Assistant Provost of the Office of Interprofessional Education and Practice (IPEP) and Carol Durham, Professor and IPEP Director for the School of Nursing, will serve as mentors throughout the process.

Dr. Stanek will focus on leadership as she develops IPEP telehealth activities and expands students experiences in palliative care, hospice, and end of life conversations, saying, “It aligns with my desire and goals to grow and learn as a nurse leader both inside and outside the School of Nursing and to engage with other professions to enhance the learning of all students.”

Dr. Walters is involved in several IPEP projects and initiatives across settings and disease processes focused primarily on graduate students, and will also take advantage of the program to lead a diverse group of experts to achieve her goals: “This opportunity will allow me to grow as a leader at UNC’s School of Nursing and also in my appointment at the School of Medicine where I work with medical students, resident physicians, nurse practitioner students, attending physicians, nurses, and behavioral health clinicians.”

Anne Belcher knows how effective collaborative environments can be and is using this program to help others grow professionally.

“My Interprofessional education and practice experiences throughout my career have enriched my life as an oncology nurse and as a nurse educator and have inspired me, as a devoted alumna of the UNC School of Nursing, to support such opportunities for UNC faculty and their students,” says Anne.

Many thanks to Anne Belcher making this opportunity possible, and congratulations again to Drs. Stanek and Walters!