The 2023 and 2024 Johnson & Johnson/NEF/Edwidge Thomas Health Equity Scholarships

In 2023 Nurses Educational Funds, (NEF) led by NEF Board Vice President, Edwidge Thomas in collaboration with Johnson & Johnson established a $50,000 scholarship focused on Health Equity.  The recipients were doctoral degree nursing students from underrepresented nursing groups or doctoral nursing students who dedicated their studies, clinical practice and research, to address health disparities and health inequity with the goal of promoting a more equitable health care system.  The criteria for these scholarships included: exceptional students enrolled in a doctoral nursing program from any or all of these underrepresented groups: American Indian/Native American/Pacific Islander, Black/African Ancestry, Hispanic/Latinx Black, or self-identifying as more than one race from any of the above combination of races, who may also self-identify as LGBTQIA with financial hardships related to being a veteran, single parent, resident of unstable housing, victim of intimate partner violence, disability, or recovered from substance abuse disorder, in pursuit of a doctoral in Nursing with the overall goal of improving patient care and outcomes through the delivery of patient-centered, culturally sensitive and appropriate, high-quality care as well as positioning and preparing these candidates to successfully transition into a Nursing leadership role while increasing the number of underrepresented Nurses in leadership in clinical care, academia, hospital administration, research, professional associations, governmental agencies, and other healthcare sectors.

The five doctoral J & J Scholarships awarded by NEF in 2023 were:

• Sharman Burney, PhD student attending Boston College William Connell School of Nursing
• Christine Hawknuff, DNP student attending Southern Illinois University School of Nursing
• Laura Mata Lopez, PhD student attending Johns Hopkins University School of Nursing
• Paula Tucker, PhD student attending Emory University Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing
• Roqu Anthony Velasco, PhD student attending the University of Colorado Anschutz College of Nursing

In 2024 Dr. Edwidge Thomas again facilitated the establishment of a second set of scholarships with Johnson & Johnson for a total amount of $100,000 to create The Johnson & Johnson and Edwidge Thomas Health Equity Scholarships.  The recipients were doctoral or master's degree nursing students from underrepresented nursing groups as defined above.

The eleven doctoral and master's J & J /Edwidge Thomas Health Equity Scholarships awarded by NEF in 2024 were: 

• Jennifer Bottoms-Robb, MS student attending Hunter College Hunter-Bellevue School of Nursing
• Patricia Buzelli, PhD student attending Duke University School of Nursing
• Ashley Davis, DNP student attending the University of Maryland School of Nursing
• Danica Dorlette, PhD student attending Columbia University School of Nursing
• Ihuoma Ezebuihe, PhD student attending the University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa capstone College of Nursing
• Latesha Harris, BSN/PhD student attending the university of North Carolina Chapel Hill School of Nursing
• Faith Metock, BSN/PhD student attending Johns Hopkins University School of Nursing
• Cassandra Mombrun, PhD student attending University of Massachusetts College of Nursing
• Karina Neves, MS student attending the University of Connecticut School of Nursing
• Glenda Susana Perez, PhD student attending Barry University School of Nursing
• Anna Quon, PhD student attending Rush University College of Nursing