Brief Bio

Dr. Powell is a seasoned nursing educator and administrator with over 30 years of experience. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Hampton University, a Master of Science in Maternal and Infant Nursing from the Catholic University in America, and a Doctorate of Nursing Education in Higher Education Administration from the College of William and Mary. She furthered her studies at Harvard University in the School of Education. Prior to coming to Duke in January, 2006, Dr. Powell spent the previous 18 years as Chief Academic Officer for Nursing at Howard University, Washington, DC. Other posts include Chairperson, Department of Nursing at Norfolk State University, and Assistant Professor of Nursing at George Mason University, Hampton University, and Thomas Nelson Community College. Currently, she is Associate Dean of the Office of Global and Community Health Initiatives in the School of Nursing at Duke University, Durham, North Carolina.

Dr. Powell is a Fellow of the American Academy of Nursing. She has served as Secretary and a member of the Board of the American Association of Colleges of Nursing. In addition, she has served on several national advisory councils including the National Institute of Nursing Research, the National Center on Research Resources, the National Advisory Council on Nursing Education and Practice, and Friends of the National Institute of Nursing Research. Her dominant area of scholarly study and publications is environmental justice.

Beyond academic and administrative roles, much of Dr. Powell’s career has incorporated service to the community, particularly low income and minority communities. A significant facet of her community work has been her involvement with the homeless population in Washington, DC. In that capacity, she provided leadership to the development of a convalescent unit for homeless individuals in a large shelter. She was also responsible for the development of a unique career training program, Nursing Careers for Homeless People, which has won national recognition. Through this program, nearly 90 previously homeless men and women were trained for careers in nursing ranging from nursing assistants to RNs with Bachelor of Science degrees.

Since the late 1980s, Dr. Powell has been engaged in international development work. This work has been primarily focused in southern Africa. She has provided technical assistance and consultation on primary health care development to ministries of health, schools of nursing, hospitals and health care systems in Swaziland, Malawi, Zimbabwe, Lesotho, and South Africa.

In Dr. Powell’s current position as the Associate Dean of the Office of Global and Community Health Initiatives at Duke University, she is responsible for developing and facilitating educational, research, and community service programs to reduce health disparities in Durham, in North Carolina, and in countries around the world. Her international work has targeted the Caribbean, Central America, Africa, and parts of Asia.

Academic Program Affiliations

PhD in Nursing Program
Accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing Program
Doctor of Nursing Practice Program

Education

EdD	College of William and Mary
MSN	The Catholic University of America
BSN	Hampton University

Research Interests

Research Interests: Environmental Health, Environmental Justice, Global Health, Health Disparities, Community-Based Participatory Research, Homelessness, Adolescent Pregnancy

Clinical Interests

My passion for global health rests on four pillars: (1) interest and experience as a consultant and technical assistant in southern Africa (particularly Swaziland) as part of the W.K. Kellogg Southern African Initiative during the 1990s; (2) a career of engagement with poor and vulnerable populations in the US in both urban and rural settings working on such issues as environmental justice, adolescent pregnancy, and access to care; (3) a strong commitment to the elimination of health disparities; (4) and interest in interdisciplinary collaboration. I have used the platform of my administrative and teaching roles to enhance and promote understanding among academic and lay regarding these critical global issues. I have further demonstrated leadership in program development, to include an environmental health curriculum focused on the Mississippi Delta for use in schools of nursing in the Delta and beyond; a unique and highly successful workforce development program for Nursing Careers for Homeless People; community-based respite programs for the homeless, workforce and leadership development programs in southern Africa, and a child spacing program in Malawi, among others.

In 2006, I founded the Office of Global and Community Health Initiatives (OGACHI) in the Duke University School of Nursing. The mission of this Office is to address health disparities locally and abroad, through academic programming, service-learning, and research development and dissemination. Over the nearly four years, undergraduate nursing student involvement in global health has grown from less than 10% to greater than 80% and with a continuing rise in the involvement of graduate student residency placements in developing countries. OGACHI has developed clinical placement sites in Jamaica, Barbados, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Nicaragua, and Tanzania as well as with homeless populations and at-risk youth locally. Moreover, I have been given leadership to a long term capacity building and access to care project throughout the Caribbean on the Prevention and Management of Cardiovascular and Other Chronic Diseases among Caribbean Elderly. In addition, I facilitated the development of a memorandum of understanding between Duke University and the University of the West Indies. Other capacity building projects are evident in Nicaragua on integrating technology into nursing education; and we are embarking on an anticipated long term commitment in rural Tanzania to improve care and access to care among orphan children. I also teach in both the undergraduate and graduate program in Community Health and Nursing Education. The work profile of OGACHI and my leadership style are deeply rooted in principles and models of community engagement.

Awards and Honors

• 2013 Samuel DuBois Cook Society Award, Samuel DuBois Cook Society, Duke University

• 2012 Appointed to the North Carolina Institute of Medicine (NCIOM)

• 2009 Inductee, Institute of Excellence, National Black Nurses Association

• 2003 Featured on BET Television Special Presentation, Black Entertainment Televison

• 2003 Black Nurse of the Year, Black Nurses Association of the Greater Washington DC-area.

• 2003 Featured in the Aetna 2003 African American History Calendar saluting African American Nurses, Aetna

• 2002 Participant in press conference on the nursing shortage, with Secretary of Health and Human Services Terry Thompson

• 2001 Compassionate Employer Recognition Award, Compassionate Friends

• 1999 National Honorary Member, Chi Eta Phi Sorority

• 1994 School of Nursing Alumni Hall of Fame, Hampton University, Hampton, Va.

• 1993 Association of Academic Health Centers Scholar in Academic Administration and Health Policy, Academic Health Centers

• 1993 Certificate of Recognition for Cooperation in the Development of the Northeastern Health Care Center, Prince George's County

• 1993 Recognized and honored for Notable and Outstanding Contributions to Nursing as one of the 100 Extraordinary Nurses, Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society of Nursing, Gamma Beta Chapter

• 1991 Fellow of the American Academy of Nursing, American Academy of Nursing

• 1991 Search for Excellence Award, American Nurses Association

• 1990 Outstanding Nurse Educator’s Award, District of Columbia Nurses Association

• 1990 Presidential Citation, Norfolk State University

• 1990 Regents Lecturer, School of Nursing, University of California, San Francisco, CA

• 1988 Certificate of Achievement, Department of the Army, Camp All-American, Fort Bragg, NC

• 1985 Outstanding Nurse Leader, Chi Eta Phi Nursing Sorority

• 1983 Inducted, Kappa Delta Pi

• 1969 Inducted, Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society

Areas of Expertise

• Global and Community Health
• Nursing and Health Care Leadership
• Nursing Education

Representative Publications

• 2012 -- Pubmed # 22211755 Powell, D. L., Price, A. J., Burns, F. A., McConnell, E. S., Hendrix, C. C., McWhinney-Dehaney, L., Lombardi, M. M. Pillars for the Care of Older Persons in the Caribbean. Public Health Nurs. January, 2012; 29(1); 80-90

• 2011 -- Pubmed # 20413330 Relf, M. V., Mekwa, J., Chasokela, C., Booth, C., Deng, L., Mallinson, R. K., Ramantele, K., Letsie, E., Mtengezo, J., Nhlengethwa, W., Powell, D., Webb, A., Diesel, T., Liddle, A. Essential core competencies related to HIV and AIDS are critically needed in nursing. J Assoc Nurses AIDS Care. January-February, 2011; 22(1); S2-8

• 2011 -- Pubmed # 21211698 Relf, M. V., Mekwa, J., Chasokela, C., Nhlengethwa, W., Letsie, E., Mtengezo, J., Ramantele, K., Diesel, T., Booth, C., Deng, L., Mallinson, R. K., Powell, D., Webb, A., Liddle, A., Yu-Shears, J., Hall, C., Aranda-Naranjo, B., Parham Hopson, D. Essential nursing competencies related to HIV and AIDS: Executive summary. J Assoc Nurses AIDS Care. January-February, 2011; 22(1); S9-16

• 2011 -- Pubmed # 21168066 Relf, M. V., Mekwa, J., Chasokela, C., Nhlengethwa, W., Letsie, E., Mtengezo, J., Ramantele, K., Diesel, T., Booth, C., Deng, L., Mallinson, R. K., Powell, D., Webb, A., Liddle, A., Yu-Shears, J., Hall, C., Aranda-Naranjo, B., Hopson, D. P. Essential nursing competencies related to HIV and AIDS. J Assoc Nurses AIDS Care. January-February, 2011; 22(1 Suppl); e5-40

• 2010 -- Pubmed # 21531964 Gilliss, C. L., Powell, D. L., Carter, B. Recruiting and retaining a diverse workforce in nursing: from evidence to best practices to policy. Policy Polit Nurs Pract. November, 2010; 11(4); 294-301

• 2010 -- Pubmed # 20055969 Powell, D. L., Gilliss, C. L., Hewitt, H. H., Flint, E. P. Application of a partnership model for transformative and sustainable international development. Public Health Nurs. Jan-Feb, 2010; 27(1); 54-70

• 2009 -- Powell, D. L. When wanting to do good may not be enough. The National Black Nurses Association News. Winter, 2009; 39-40

• 2005 -- Pubmed # 15988443 Powell, D. L., Gilliss, C. L. Building capacity and competency in conducting health disparities research. Nurs Outlook. August 8, 2005; 53(3); 107-8

• 2004 -- Eads, N. L., Powell, D. L. Cause for celebration. Minority Nurse. Summer, 2004; 36-41

• 2003 -- Pubmed # 15011943 Powell, D. L., Gilliss, C. L. Partnering in the cultivation of the next generation of ethnic minority nurse scientists: responding to a compelling national agenda. J Natl Black Nurses Assoc. December, 2003; 14(2); 34-43

• 2003 -- Gilliss, C. L., Powell, D. L. Perspectives in leadership. Supporting the next research generation. Nursing Spectrum. February 24, 2003; 13(4DC); 7

• 2003 -- Powell, D. L., Slade, D. Environmental justice: The context challenges and strategies for nursing advocacy. In Environmental Health and Nursing Practice, edited by Sattler, B. and Lipscomb, J. 2003; pp. 321-338. New York: Springer Publishing Company, Inc..

• 2002 -- Powell, D. L., Green, P. M., Slade, D. S. Socializing students toward a career in nursing research. Nursing Education Perspectives. Mar-Apr, 2002; 23(2); 76-80

• 2001 -- Pubmed # 11579675 Powell, D. L., Stewart, V. Children. The unwitting target of environmental injustices. Pediatr Clin North Am. October, 2001; 48(5); 1291-305

• 1999 -- Pubmed # 10188433 Powell, D. L., Lee, N. T., Nichols, S. A., Kamara, P., Sawyer, E. M. Nursing careers for the homeless: a curriculum for success. J Natl Black Nurses Assoc. December, 1999; 10(1); 81-93

• 1997 -- Pubmed # 9275805 Powell, D. L., Pope, D. Nursing education: urban university inspires service to under served. Reflections. 1997, 1st Quarter; 23(1); 29

• 1994 -- Powell, D. L. Prevention and primary health care delivery (Chapter 1). In Nursing Research and Its Utilization: International State of the Science, edited by Fitzpatrick, J. J. and Stevenson, J. S. 1994; pp. 4-16. New York: Springer Publishing Co..

• 1993 -- Pubmed # 1291622 Powell, D. L. The recruitment and retention of African American nurses: an analysis of current data. J Natl Black Nurses Assoc. April, 1993; 6(1); 3-12

• 1992 -- Powell, D. L. AACN Representative to National Coordinating Committee on Clinical Prevention Service (Inteview) Syllabus. 1992; 1992 2-3

• 1991 -- Pubmed # 1885955 Powell, D. L. Health care crisis in the black community: challenges prospects, and the black nurse. J Natl Black Nurses Assoc. October, 1991; 5(1); 3-10

• 1990 -- Powell, D. L., Lacey, B. M. Taking nursing education to the streets. In Perspectives in Nursing (NLN Pub. No. 41-2281), edited by 1990; pp. 107-16. New York: National League for Nursing Publications.

• 1990 -- Powell, D. L. Development and implementation of RN to BSN option at a public institution. In Springer series on the teaching of nursing: Educating RNs for the baccalaureate, edited by Redman, B.K. and Cassel, J.M. 1990; pp. 131-147. New York: Springer Publishing Co..

• 1983 -- Pubmed # 6879618 McNeil, P., Olafson, F., Powell, D. L., Jackson, J. The Women's Centre in Jamaica: an innovative project for adolescent mothers. Stud Fam Plann. May 1, 1983; 14(5); 143-9

• 1986 -- Powell, D. L. Articulation: Process and model ... transition of the associate degree/diploma nurse to a bachelor's degree nurse. Virginia Nurse. 1986; 54(1); 38-40

• 1984 -- Powell, D.L., Baker, S. Homes for the aged: A comparative AHEC, Community University Educational Experience Eastern Virginia AHEC Bulletin. 1984-1985 Fall/Winter;

Grant Funding (selected)

• Making a Difference in Nursing II  
  Health Resources and Service Administration
  1D19-HP19020-01-00
  07/2010-06/2013
  Role: PI
  Project Goal: To increase the number of high achieving/high potential under-represented minorities in nursing for enrollment in the School of Nursing.

• Human Resources for Health, Rwanda  
  Rwanda Ministry of Health
  05/2012-07/2013
  Role: PI (with Nathan M. Thielman)
  

• Raising Health, Raising Hope  
  Emmy Lou Tompkins Foundation
  09/2010-09/2011
  Role: PI
  Project Goal: Raising Health, Raising Hope is a student based service-learning experience to provide tailored monthly health promotion classes to homeless families at Genesis Home Family Shelter in Durham. These funds will support instructional supplies and materials necessary to hold the classes and to replicate the program at the Durham Rescue mission, Women’s Shelter.

• Step 2:5 - Enabling Policy: Building a Preferred Future for Elderly in the Caribbean  
  Pfizer, Inc.
  10/2009-04/2010
  Role: PI
  Project Goal: To support activities strengthening the capacity of the nursing profession in the Caribbean to improve care of the elderly (includes development of white paper, travel, consultations, etc.)

• Strengthening and Expanding Raising Health / Raising Hope among the Homeless  
  Duke University Chapel
  11/2007-12/2011
  Role: PI
  Project Goal: To support the Raising Health / Raising Hope program and Project Homeless Connect. Both programs support the work being done by DUSON students with the homeless population of Durham, NC.

• The Millennium Development Goals: Will Developing Countries Meet Them by 2015  
  Josiah Charles Trent Memorial Foundation
  11/2009-10/2010
  Role: PI
  Project Goal: To enhance student and faculty development regarding health disparities in developing nations through the 3rd Annual Global Health Lecture.

• Caribbean Continuing Education Conference on Managing Cardiovascular Disease in the Elderly  
  Pfizer, Inc.
  09/2008-09/2009
  Role: PI
  Project Goal: To provide partial support for 2008 continuing education conference (Community-based Prevention and Management of Cardiovascular and Other Chronic Diseases Among Caribbean Elderly: A Focus on Nursing Leadership).

• Strengthening and Expanding Raising Health / Raising Hope Among the Homeless  
  Mary Duke Biddle Foundation
  02/2008-06/2008
  Role: PI
  Project Goal: Raising Health, Raising Hope is a student based service-learning experience to provide tailored monthly health promotion classes to homeless families at Genesis Home Family Shelter in Durham. These funds will support instructional supplies and materials necessary to hold the classes and to replicate the program at the Durham Rescue Mission Women’s Shelter.

• Public Health Conference Support Program (Caribbean Continuing Education Conference on Managing Cardiovascular Disease)  
  Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
  1U13-DP000702-01
  09/2007-09/2010
  Role: PI
  Purpose: To provide partial support for specific continuing education conferences supporting capacity building in Caribbean nations for health promotion and disease prevention in the elderly. 2007 conference title: Managing Cardiovascular Disease in the Elderly. 2008 conference title: Community-based Prevention and Management of Cardiovascular and Other Chronic Diseases Among Caribbean Elderly: A Focus on Nursing Leadership.

• Caribbean Continuing Education Conference on Managing Cardiovascular Disease in the Elderly  
  Pfizer Medical Education Grants
  08/2007-10/2007
  Role: PI
  Project Goal: To provide partial support for continuing education conferences in the areas of health promotion and disease prevention for Caribbean elderly. 2007 conference title: Managing Cardiovascular Disease in the Elderly.

• 2007 Caribbean Conference on Managing Cardiovascular Disease in the Elderly  
  Merck, Inc.
  04/2007-10/2007
  Role: PI
  To provide partial support for 2007 Conference: Managing Cardiovascular Disease in the Elderly.

• Howard/Hopkins Center for Reducing Asthma Disparities  
  National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI)
  5U-01-HL07243-03
  09/2002-09/2006
  Role: Co-investigator and Subccontractor
  Project Goal: Subcontractor with the Howard University College of Medicine’s five year partnership grant with application with Johns Hopkins’ University for the establishment of the Partnership Center on Asthma Disparities. Nursing’s submission was to support the development of a training component with Dorothy Powell as co-investigator.

• Reducing Health Disparities by Self and Family Management  
  NIH/NINR
  09/2002-06/2006
  Role: Co-PI
  Project Goal: To develop nurse scientists committed to reducing health disparities (Yale-Howard Partnership Center on Reducing Health Disparities).

• Environmental Justice in Environmental Health and Nursing  
  Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR)
  07/2002-06/2003
  Role: PI
  Project Goal: Sub-contract to Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry for updating the module on Environmental Justice in Environmental Health and Nursing (Division of Nursing/ATSDR, 1999).

• Environmental Health Curriculum for Health Professionals; an Adaptation of Environmental Health and Nursing through the Minority Health Professions Foundation (MHPF)  
  U.S. Agency for Toxic Waste and Disease Registry (ATSDR) & Minority Health Professions Foundation
  07/2001-06/2002
  Role: PI
  Project Goal: To adapt the environmental health nursing curriculum for broader applicability to health professionals, in general.

• Mississippi Delta Project: Evaluation of Nurse Education Project  
  U.S. Agency for Toxic Waste and Disease Registry (ATSDR)
  07/1999-06/2000
  Role: PI
  Project Goal: To systematically evaluate the use and impact of the environmental health modules in schools of nursing in the Mississippi Delta.

• Faculty Development in Environmental Health  
  W. K. Kellogg Foundation as a sub-contract with the University of Maryland, School of Nursing
  07/1998-06/2001
  Role: PI on subcontract through University of Maryland SON
  Project Goal: To develop, implement, and evaluate an environmental health training program in partnership with the School of Nursing, University of Maryland, for faculty in schools of nursing in the southern region of the US.

• Supplemental Funding for Nursing Careers Project  
  W.K. Kellogg Foundation
  07/1997-06/2000
  Role: PI
  Project Goal: To supplement the federal Nursing Careers for the Homeless Project to cover certain non-allowable federal cost (clothes, child care, etc.)

• Partnership for Support of Homeless Populations in Prince Georges County  
  Maryland Baptist Association.
  07/1997-06/1998
  Role: PI
  A collaboration among Howard University Division of Nursing, Kettering Baptist Church, and Community Ministries of PG County, submitted to and funded by the Maryland Baptist Association. Purpose: To support a training and health monitoring program for the homeless during the winter months.

• Nursing Careers for the Homeless  
  USDHHS, HRSA, Division of Nursing
  07/1996-06/1998
  Role: PI
  Project Goal: To develop and facilitate a program to train selected homeless individuals for careers as registered nurses.

• The Mississippi Delta Project: The Education of Nurses  
  U.S. Agency for Toxic Waste and Disease Registry (ATSDR)
  07/1996-06/2000
  Role: PI
  Project Goal: To develop educational modules for the integration of environmental health into the curriculum of schools of nursing in the Mississippi Delta.

• Nursing Careers for Homeless People  
  USDHHS, HRSA Division of Nursing
  07/1993-06/1996
  Role: PI
  Project Goal: To develop and facilitate a program to train selected homeless individuals for careers as registered nurses.

• Training Initiative for International Students  
  West Bank/Gaza Human Resource Development Project (AMIDEAST)
  01/1993-12/1993
  Role: PI
  Project Goal: To arrange and facilitate professional nursing experience for an international visitor.

• Community Intervention to Reduce Infant Mortality  
  National Institutes of Health/ National Institutes of Nursing Research
  01/1992-12/1992
  Role: PI
  Project Goal: To develop and implement multiple community-based research projects involving the collaboration among multiple academic institutions in the District of Columbia and community agencies to address the disproportionately high rate of infant mortality in the District.

• Curriculum Development for Primary Care Teachers in Southern Africa  
  W.K. Kellogg Foundation
  01/1990-12/1990
  Role: Co-PI
  Project Goal: To develop, implement, and evaluate a 4 week continuing education program for teachers of nursing in four southern African countries to increase skills in teaching, clinical supervision, and test and measurement.

• Expand Opportunities for RNs with Community Linkages  
  USDHHS, HRSA Division of Nursing
  07/1989-06/1997
  Role: Project Director
  Project Goal: To develop and implement an RN to BSN program utilizing a variety of primary health care settings in the community to support the clinical program.

• Flexible Curricular Pathways to a BSN for Inner City RNs  
  USDHHS, HRSA Division of Nursing
  07/1989-06/1992
  Role: Project Director
  Project Goal: To establish an RN to BSN program with multiple pathways for entry and targeted to non-baccalaureate registered nurse serving vulnerable populations in the Washington, DC area.

• Nurse Managed Health Care Delivery Model for the Homeless  
  W. K. Kellogg Foundation
  07/1989-06/1993
  Role: PI
  Project Goal: To develop a 24 bed respite unit for homeless men in a 1500 bed homeless shelter to provide around the clock management of minor common health problems and to integrate opportunities for clinical learning for nursing students.

• Professional Nurse Traineeship Program  
  USDHHS, HRSA Division of Nursing
  07/1989-06/1998
  Role: Project Director
  Project Goal: To provide financial support for graduate nursing students.

• Scholarships for the Undergraduate Education of Professional Nurses Grant Program  
  USDHHS, Bureau of Health Professionals
  07/1989-06/1990
  Role: Project Director
  Project Goal: To provide financial support for undergraduate nursing students.