Kenya V. Beard, EdD, AGACNP-BC, ANEF, FAAN, is a national nurse leader driven by a passion for transforming nursing education to empower nurses of color and eliminate healthcare disparities. She views education as both “an art and a science,” and dedicates her work to strengthening academia’s capacity to prepare a diverse, practice-ready workforce by equipping faculty with the skills to promote belongingness for each student. A highly sought-after mentor to students, she has improved the NCLEX-RN pass rate for several nursing programs in New York. From realizing the shortcomings of nursing textbooks to reaching back to high school students to fill the nursing pipeline, Dr. Beard knows that increasing awareness among those in power sets a standard of accountability and creates an impetus for change. She works to hold academia’s feet to the fire in eliminating the ways that solidify bias and discrimination as part of educational theory.

Her role in shaping how the nation’s nurses are educated extends to her positions as chairperson of the New York State Board of Nursing, which establishes standards for nursing education and practice, a previous role as associate vice president for curriculum and instruction at Jersey College, and as a current fellow of the New York Academy of Medicine, the American Academy of Nursing, and the Academy of Nursing Education. She also serves on the American Academy of Nursing’s Institute for Nursing Leadership, the board of Public Health Solutions, and the editorial board for the American Journal of Nursing. For decades, Dr. Beard has advocated for academic institutions and their faculty to practice culturally responsive teaching: creating learning environments that build on the strengths and prior knowledge of students.

Dr. Beard has continually risen to the challenge of mitigating and eliminating health disparities within nursing, most notably through the nation’s first Health Equity Influencer Program for Nurse Educators, an intensive residency designed to strengthen one’s preparedness to educate the newest generation of nurses through the lens of health equity. She is also a Commissioner for the National Commission to Address Racism in Nursing.

Now, as the inaugural Dean and Chief Nursing Officer of the School of Nursing for Mercy University, Dr. Beard works to expand the program and set an example for academic institutions nationwide, urging them to prioritize faculty development by centering nursing students and their successes. When academia is steeped in the realities of healthcare disparities and academicians understand their role in addressing them, says Beard, we  can  deliver a higher quality of education and graduate more successful students.

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