Ayomidamope (Ayo) Adebiyi

Ayomidamope (Ayo) Adebiyi, MSN, APRN, FNP-BC, CEN, COHN-S, is the recipient of the M. Elizabeth Carnegie Scholarship, an honor awarded to Black nurses pursuing doctoral studies. She earned her Associate and Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Miami Dade College, Benjamin Leon School of Nursing, graduating with highest honors, followed by a Master of Science in Nursing from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), where she specialized as a Family Nurse Practitioner with a focus in occupational and environmental health. Currently, she is pursuing her Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) at Johns Hopkins University, concentrating on Executive Leadership and Health Policy, while simultaneously completing a Post-Master's Certificate in Nursing Education. She is on track to graduate in May 2026.

Ayo's path to nursing was shaped by profound personal experience. Born prematurely at 29 weeks as one of triplets in Nigeria, she was the only survivor due to the lack of adequate medical resources. This tragedy ignited her commitment to healthcare as both a clinician and advocate for equitable access.
As Clinical Programs Lead in Occupational Health at the University of California, Merced through partnership with Work health Solutions, Ayo oversees comprehensive workplace health initiatives. She serves on the Institutional Biosafety Committee and Animal Care and Use Committee, where she contributes to critical decisions regarding research safety protocols and ethical animal research practices. Her leadership has been instrumental in developing OSHA-compliant respiratory protection systems, infectious disease surveillance protocols, and injury prevention strategies for high-risk environments.

Beyond her occupational health leadership, Ayo founded "Care for the Unreached," a nonprofit providing critical prenatal and antenatal care to rural Nigerian communities. Her dedication to service has earned her the Presidential Volunteer Service Award and recognition as a Clinton Global Initiative University Change Maker.
Ayo's DNP project at Johns Hopkins addresses musculoskeletal injuries among workers in high-physical-demand jobs, evaluating the impact of combined ergonomic education and workplace physical activity programs, with a “train-the-trainer” model for sustainable implementation. This research directly informs her occupational health practice while contributing to national worker safety standards. Her concurrent Nursing Education certification prepares her to train future nurses in occupational health principles as an adjunct faculty member.

The M. Elizabeth Carnegie Scholarship empowers Ayo to advance her vision of integrating occupational health research, education, and advocacy. Her future goals include expanding evidence-based workplace safety programs globally; mentoring nurse leaders; and bridging health disparities through policy innovation to ensure both workers and communities thrive.

Ayo plans to strive to honor Dr. Carnegie's legacy through her work, her advocacy and dedication to uplifting others in the nursing profession.