Midwest Nursing History Research Center Spring Newsletter

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Dear Midwest Nursing History Research Center Supporters, 

I am happy to announce the appointment of Dr. Karen Flynn, PhD as the inaugural Terrance & Karyn Holm Endowed Professor, and the Director of the Midwest Nursing History Research Center, effective today! Dr. Karen Flynn’s research lies at the intersection of Black feminist and diaspora studies, health and care work, nursing history, transnational mobilities with keen attention to race, gender, and equity. Her award-winning book Moving Beyond Borders: Black Canadian and Caribbean women in the African Canadian Diaspora (University of Toronto, 2011) is the first book length manuscript that examines the experiences of Black Canadian and Caribbean nurses and the transnational formation of the occupation. She recently served as a guest editor of a special issue on race and nursing for the UK Association for the History of Nursing. The first of its kind, the volume on racialized nursing histories is global in scope and hopes to inspire current and new generations of nursing scholars and allies. As a scholar teacher and public intellectual, Dr. Flynn strives to ensure that her public scholarship is accessible, available and translatable to broader audiences. She is currently working on several projects, including the lives and experiences of Black Canadian midwives, Chicago Black Nurses, and the gendered and racialized histories of pandemics, including COVID.

I have every confidence that Dr. Flynn's experience, leadership, and passion for nursing history will make her a phenomenal leader for the Midwest Nursing History Research Center. I will be moving to an Assistant Director position with the MNHRC and am excited to continue the Center's mission with Dr. Flynn at the helm. 

To read more about the exciting work and how you can continue to support the MNHRC, please see our latest newsletter. 

Sincerely,

Gwyneth Franck PhD RN MPH
Clinical Associate Professor, Department of Population Health Nursing Science
Associate Director, Global Health Leadership Office
Assistant Director, Midwest Nursing History Research Center