Jonas Philanthropies Awards Grant for Doctoral Nursing Students

Jonas Philanthropies Awards Grant for Doctoral Nursing Students 

Jefferson College of Nursing Awarded Grant from Jonas Philanthropies 
to Fund Doctoral Nursing Students

The grant will help tackle the nation’s most pressing healthcare issues through support of high-potential doctoral nursing scholars

Philadelphia, PA, 5/28/2021 – Thomas Jefferson University is proud to announce that the Jefferson College of Nursing has been awarded a new grant of $30,000 from Jonas Philanthropies, a leading national philanthropic funder of graduate nursing education. Matched by $30,000 of its own monies, the grant will fund the scholarship of two doctoral nursing students in 2021.

As a grant recipient, Jefferson joins Jonas Philanthropies’ efforts to improve the quality of healthcare by investing in nursing scholars whose research and clinical foci specifically address our nation’s most urgent needs. The grant will empower and support nursing students with financial assistance, leadership development and networking to expand the pipeline of future nursing faculty, researchers and advanced practice nurses.

 With 10,000 baby boomers turning 65 each day, 1 an entire generation of the healthcare workforce is aging at a rapid pace. 2 This, coupled with care for the 22.2 million veterans living across the country, 3means the United States is facing a dire need for a new era of highly educated nursing professionals. Thomas Jefferson University and Jonas Philanthropies believe the investment in the education of nurse leaders is critically important to improve the healthcare system.

“The Jonas Scholarship facilitates a more robust development of doctorally prepared nurse leaders to address the ever-changing complexities of health care and population needs”, said Dr. Janice Miller, Associate Professor, College of Nursing, Thomas Jefferson University, and AACN Health Policy Fellow, “The Jonas Scholar network enlarges the students’ professional leadership skills and opportunities.” 

Jefferson’s Jonas Nurse Scholars are part of the new 2021-2023 cohort of more than 75 Scholars pursuing PhD, DNP or EdD degrees at 49 universities across the country whose doctoral work will focus on such critical health priorities as Environmental Health, Vision Health, Psych-Mental Health, and/or Veterans Health. They join more than 1,000 Jonas Scholar alumni representing 157 universitiesacross all 50 states.

 “Each year, we grow more in awe of all our Jonas Scholars have achieved. It is with great honor that we welcome and celebrate this new cohort of nurse leaders,” said Donald Jonas, who co-founded Jonas Philanthropies with his late wife Barbara Jonas. “With more than 1,400 Jonas Scholars to date who are committed to meeting the greatest health needs of our time, we look forward to continuing our work with our partner nursing schools and expanding our impact to advance care for the country’s most vulnerable populations.”

Jefferson College of Nursing’s 2021-2023 Student Jonas Scholars include the following:

Renee Wynn is a CRNP in Women’s Health at the College of Nursing and a Jefferson MSN alumna. She is the recipient of numerous academic, clinical, and community awards.  Renee will focus her DNP Scholarly Project on evaluating cultural competencies when caring for female veterans while working with Dr. Kathy Gray, Associate Professor, DNP Program, College of Nursing, 

Malinda Hawkins, RN, is a BSN to DNP student in the Family Nurse Practitioner track at the College of Nursing.  She will work with Dr. Angela Gerolamo, Associate Professor, College of Nursing, and focus her DNP Scholarly Project on the needs of patients with acute traumatic vision loss.  Malinda is a Jefferson BSN alumnus who demonstrated leadership through publication and a poster presentation at a regional prestigious conference as an undergraduate student. 

Past Thomas Jefferson University Jonas Scholars include: Christine Bonaccorso, Christina Catts, Carol Ann Gioia, Mara Killen, Tara Pezzuto, and Mazen Yousef.

“Improving health care, diminishing inequities and recognizing the value of diversity are long standing values of the nursing profession and the Jefferson College of Nursing,” said Dr. Marie Anne Marino, Dean and Professor, College of Nursing, Thomas Jefferson University, “This generous funding enables these values to be applied more rapidly where they are most needed while assisting our College in creating nurses who lead and impact society in innovative ways. We are proud of our new Jonas Scholars, Renee Wynn and Malinda Hawkins, and look forward to their great outcomes.”