Dr. Carmen Alvarez Appointed Presidential Professor to Penn Nursing

The Johns Hopkins Center for Health Equity (CHE) is proud to announce that our very own researcher and faculty member Carmen Alvarez, PhD, RN, CRNP, CNM has been appointed Presidential Professor to Penn Nursing. As Penn’s second ever appointment of this role, Dr. Alvarez is the first nurse to attain this rank at the University.  

Presidential Professorships at Penn Nursing, originating in the Action Plan for Faculty Diversity and Excellence first issued in 2011, are awarded to exceptional scholars, at any rank, who contribute to faculty eminence through diversity across the University. 

“I am so honored to have mentored and worked alongside Dr. Alvarez for the many years she has contributed to our Center’s research and practice,” said Bloomberg Distinguished Professor and Center for Health Equity Director Dr. Lisa Cooper. “The mission of the Center of Health Equity is clearly demonstrated through her invaluable efforts towards advancing equity and reducing health disparities among racial and ethnic minorities. She will be an excellent asset to the faculty team at Penn Nursing” 

At CHE, Dr. Alvarez’s research focuses on the development and implementation of health promotion interventions primarily for underserved ethnic-minority women with a history of adverse childhood experiences and intimate partner violence. Throughout her career, Dr. Alvarez has served in community health centers as a Family Nurse Practitioner and Certified Nurse Midwife, which has inspired the direction of her research. She served as a committee member for the National Academies of Medicine (NAM) to assess the Campaign for Action’s progress on the 2010 Future of Nursing (FON) recommendations in key areas —scope of practice, education, leadership, interprofessional collaboration, diversity, and workforce data. She also served as the national co-chair for the Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Steering Committee for the Campaign for Action and led a committee of diverse nurse leaders to develop strategies to advance the recommendations of the NAM report.  

Through her various roles as a practitioner, researcher, and teacher, Dr. Alvarez has exemplified her deep commitment to issues of diversity and inclusion in nursing and in the healthcare field at large. There is no doubt she will continue to display this through her role as Presidential Professor at Penn Nursing. Join us in congratulating Dr. Caren Alvarez on her astounding accomplishment.  

You can find more articles from the CHE team featuring Dr. Alvarez below:  

COVID Vaccines Continue to Save Lives! 

Coping with COVID-19: Interviews with Center for Health Equity Stakeholders 

Dr. Lisa Cooper + her mentees reflect on: What Makes a Mentor?