Nursing Professor from University of Central Florida Receives Fulbright Scholar Award for Work in Global Nursing

Michele Upvall, PhD, RN, CNE, and professor at the University of Central Florida (UCF) College of Nursing, has been granted a Fulbright Scholar award for the 2016-2017 academic year. The Fulbright Scholar Program promotes connections between US scholars and professionals and their peers at host institutions overseas.

Upvall is a known expert in global health and recently traveled to Khon Kaen University in Thailand as a Fulbright Specialist to develop standards for quality research. The standards developed by Upvall will be incorporated into master’s and PhD level nursing courses. Through work with other faculty members, Upvall also helped incorporate research competencies into undergraduate and graduate curriculum.

Khon Kaen University has been working to expand its international programs, including partnerships with UCF’s nursing program and Hue University of Medicine and Pharmacy in Vietnam. During her time overseas, Upvall also worked with Health Volunteers Overseas from Hue University to provide support to nursing faculty and teach research workshops.

Upvall’s nursing experience goes beyond her position at UCF and overseas work with the Fulbright Specialist program. Her occupation at UCF includes positions as graduate nursing professor and coordinator of the Nurse Educator MSN and certificate programs since 2015. Other experience includes membership on the Nursing Educator Steering Committee, project director for Bhutan for Health Volunteers Overseas, and recent election to the Nominating Committee for the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education.

As co-editor of Global Health Nursing: Building and Sustaining Partnerships, Upvall has been involved in creating nursing education programs that make an impact worldwide. Her extensive experience in global nursing initiatives is comprised of helping create the first bachelor’s degree in nursing (BSN) program on American Indian lands, and developing the first master’s degree in nursing (MSN) program and first fully integrated BSN program allowing male and female students to attend classes together in Pakistan. Upvall’s most current work in global health nursing is helping to facilitate the development of an RN to BSN program in Lebanon.