Diversity, Inclusion, and Engagement University of Florida College of Nursing
The University of Florida College of Nursing is committed to fostering an environment that supports all individuals and values diversity, inclusion and equity. As nurses who strive to Care, Lead and Inspire, we must express our core values of diversity, respect and courage in our thoughts and actions.
News Updates
Spring Sees Seeds of InteRNational Nursing Blossom
Like the season itself, spring collaborations were in full bloom at the UF College of Nursing, thanks to the latest cohort of visitors from Brazil…

UF Health mentorship program inspires next…
The homegrown nurse leaders of tomorrow may soon sprout from Gainesville’s own backyard, thanks to a new UF-led community outreach and mentorship…

Gator Nurse wins spot in prestigious research…
Congratulations are in order for BSN junior Alessia Rosa! She was recently admitted as a member of the University Scholars Program at the University…

EMBRACE GRatitude
YOU are invited
EMBRACE GRATITUDE
We invite all students to join us in recognizing the power of gratitude by submitting a six-word story, which is a form of narrative. Submit your own six-words (or more) gratitude story using the form below. If you prefer to add an original drawing or artwork, you can instead upload a file.

Faculty and Staff Engagement
Council for Diversity, Inclusion and Social Justice
The Council for Diversity, Inclusion and Social Justice has been created with the overall purpose of recommending systemic changes towards race and structural equality in the College of Nursing.
Think Collectively about Diversity
“Think Collectively about Diversity” dialogues started in the fall semester of 2019 in the College of Nursing. This program provides an opportunity for faculty and staff to have conversations about relevant issues of diversity, inclusion and social justice. Meetings are held online every fourth Friday of the month, from noon to 1 p.m.
Faculty Diversity and Inclusion Award
The Award recognizes faculty’s leading role in advancing diversity, inclusion, and sustainability in the College of Nursing and/or in the profession.
Student Engagement Groups
EMBRACE Program
The purpose of the EMBRACE Program is to provide unique research and leadership opportunities for nursing students from multiple backgrounds, toward creating an inclusive environment for different viewpoints in the scholarly nursing community.
Nurses Leading Change
NLC, has created a safe space to empower individuals of marginalized communities to speak and be heard. The organization advocates for social issues related to race, gender, sexual orientation, religion, ability, etc.
LGBTQ+ in Nursing
The goal of this inclusive student-interest group is to build a safe supportive community that affords members the opportunity to generate dialogue about professional development and leadership for LGBTQ+ identified nursing students and allies.
International Nursing
The goal of the International Nursing student-interest group is to generate dialogue about professional development and leadership for International nursing students.
Men in Nursing
The goal of the Men in Nursing student-interest group is to generate dialogue about professional development and leadership for male nursing students.
Multicultural Nursing
The goal of the Multicultural Nursing student-interest group is to generate dialogue about professional development and leadership for self-identified multicultural nursing students.
Research in Diversity and Inclusion
Investigating Movement-evoked Pain in osteoArthritic Conditions (IMPACT): An Observational Study to Inform Culturally-Tailored Intervention Development
Dr. Staja ‘Star’ Booker’s study focuses on elucidating and understanding movement-evoked pain, or MEP, in older African Americans with knee osteoarthritis. MEP is an emerging concept and represents a shift in assessing pain during movement-based activities rather than simply at rest. Goals include identifying biopsychosocial-behavioral factors implicated in MEP and associated physical function, while developing a collaborative intervention with older African Americans to improve knee pain and function/physical activity.
The Florida-California Cancer Research, Education & Engagement (CaRE2) Health Equity
The Florida-California Cancer Research, Education & Engagement (CaRE2) Health Equity is proposed by the University of Florida, Florida A&M University and the University of Southern California-Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center to eliminate cancer health disparities in Florida, California and nationally. The long term goals of the CaRE2 center are to reduce cancer disparities in Blacks and Latinos, to train and increase the pool of underrepresented Black and Latino scientists conducting health disparity research, to increase research capacity at FAMU, and to increase cancer disparity research at UF and USC-NCCC. The bi-coastal location offers access to uniquely diverse populations of Blacks and Latinos, facilitating in an unprecedented way, the study of cancer disparities in these incredibly heterogeneous populations.
A Stress and Pain Self-management mHealth App for Adult Outpatients with Sickle Cell Disease (SCD)
The long-term goal of Dr. Miriam Ezenwa’s research is to reduce stress and improve SCD pain control with less opioid use through an intervention with self-management relaxation/distraction exercises (RDE), named You Cope, We Support (YCWS). Americans living with SCD suffer recurrent episodes of acute and chronic pain, both of which are exacerbated by stress. Building on the successes of our prior formative studies, we now propose a well-designed, appropriately powered study to test efficacy of YCWS on outcomes (pain intensity, stress intensity, opioid use) in adults with SCD.
Contributions of Biopsychosocial Factors in Sickle Cell Disease Pain
In patients with SCD, pain results in an amalgam of negative physical and emotional consequences. A significant barrier to adequately address the pain of SCD is the insufficient information about underlying mechanisms affecting the variable degree and types of pain experienced by patients. Multiple biological and psychological factors known so far to contribute to other pain conditions are under-studied in SCD. Dr. Keesha Roach’s research will utilize existing data for several vasopressin-related biological/psychosocial factors and quantitative sensory testing (QST) to investigate these mechanisms (and potential interactions) in SCD pain.
Neural Mechanisms Underlying Psychosocial Contributions to Ethnic Group Differences in Pain
Dr. Ellen Terry’s research involves determining whether pain catastrophizing contributes to ethnic group differences in pain-related brain function, clinical pain and pain sensitivity among African Americans and non-Hispanic whites with knee osteoarthritis, along with the impact of an anti-catastrophizing manipulation on central pain processes and pain.
A Nurse-led Intervention in Patients with Newly Diagnosed Cancer and Type 2 Diabetes: A Randomized Feasibility Pilot Study
More than 100 million Americans have diabetes or pre-diabetes and 1.8 million new cancer diagnoses are expected in 2020. Epidemiologically, a strong link exists between type 2 diabetes (T2D) and several forms of cancer including liver, pancreatic, and endometrial cancers. Given these linkages and the potential for improved oncologic treatment, it is imperative to detect and manage T2D in newly diagnosed cancer patients. Dr. Lisa Scarton’s long-term goal is to routinely screen for and effectively manage T2D in adults with newly diagnosed cancer. Attempting to harmonize treatment of two chronic conditions can be difficult for the treatment team and patients. In collaboration with their physician colleagues, nurses are well positioned and trained to bridge the gap between cancer and T2D care.
Campus-Wide Resources
THE TIME TO ACT IS NOW
#Academics4BlackLives
Academics for Black Survival and Wellness was organized by a group of Black counseling psychologists and their colleagues who practice Black allyship. Guided by a Black feminist frame, they hope to foster accountability and growth for non-Black people and enhance healing and wellness for Black people. Academics cannot stay silent about anti-Black racism. Academics cannot remain silent in the face of racial injustice. Everyone needs to do their part.

UF MultiCultural and Diversity Affairs
Black Affairs
UF MULTICULTURAL AND DIVERSITY AFFAIRS
Asian Pacific Islander Desi Affairs
UF MULTICULTURAL AND DIVERSITY AFFAIRS
Gatorship
UF MULTICULTURAL AND DIVERSITY AFFAIRS
Hispanic Latino Affairs
UF MULTICULTURAL AND DIVERSITY AFFAIRS
LGBTQ+ Affiars
Leadership

ASSOCIATE DEAN FOR DIVERSITY, INCLUSION AND Engagement
Jeanne-Marie Stacciarini
The University of Florida College of Nursing is committed to fostering an environment that supports all individuals and values diversity, inclusion and equity. As nurses who strive to Care, Lead and Inspire, we must express our core values of diversity, respect and courage in our thoughts and actions.