Published October 15, 2009, last updated on March 5, 2013
In honor of her work on health care disparities, Dorothy Powell, EdD, RN, FAAN, Associate Dean for Global and Community Health Initiatives at the Duke University School of Nursing, has been inducted into the National Black Nurses Association (NBNA) Institute of Excellence.
“NBNA’s recognition of Dr. Powell’s work toward the elimination of health disparities is timely and well deserved. For over 30 years, Dr. Powell has fought for society’s most vulnerable members domestically and abroad. She has created educational opportunities, promoted fair housing, and brought health care services to those in need,” said Catherine L. Gilliss, DNSc, RN, FAAN, Dean and Helene Fuld Health Trust Professor of Nursing and Vice Chancellor for Nursing Affairs at Duke University.
Powell, an internationally renowned nurse educator and Duke Global Health Institute Affiliate, is founding director of the Duke University School of Nursing Office of Global and Community Health Initiatives that addresses health disparities locally and abroad by promoting opportunities for academic enrichment, service-learning, and research. Her career has focused on service to the community, particularly for low-income and vulnerable populations. She has been engaged in international development work since the late 1980s. Prior to joining Duke in 2006, Powell served for 18 years as chief academic officer for nursing at Howard University in Washington, D.C.
A Fellow in the American Academy of Nursing who has held many leadership positions in regional and national organizations, Powell earned a Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree from Hampton University, a Master of Science in Maternal and Infant Nursing degree from the Catholic University of America, and a Doctorate in Education from the College of William and Mary.
Powell was inducted into the Institute of Excellence at an NBNA luncheon on Tuesday, August 4, 2009, in Toronto, Canada. NBNA is a non-profit organization representing 150,000 African American registered nurses, licensed vocational/practical nurses, nursing students, and retired nurses from the USA, Eastern Caribbean, and Africa, with 79 chartered chapters in 34 states.
Learn more about Powell’s career in nursing.
