Donna Schwartz-Barcott and Hesook Suzie Kim Nursing Fellowship aims to address shortage in nursing educators

U.S. Sen. Jack Reed joined University of Rhode Island Provost Barbara Wolfe and URI College of Nursing Dean Danny Willis Nov. 25 to honor two distinguished former professors in connection with a fellowship in their name that aims to develop the next generation of nursing faculty members and researchers.  

The Dr. Donna Schwartz-Barcott and Dr. Hesook Suzie Kim Nursing Fellowship has topped more than $1.7 million, after $600,000 in individual contributions triggered a $500,000 match from an anonymous donor. The fellowship is awarded to doctoral degree candidates at the URI College of Nursing, and is intended to address the nationwide shortage in nursing professors by supporting those who aspire to careers as faculty members after completing their degree.

“We’re honoring two icons of nursing education, extraordinary educators who have had a huge impact, not just on URI, but on the entire nursing profession,” Sen. Reed said. “With more than 80 years of combined experience, they have shaped generations of nursing educators and practitioners. They do such great work that they multiply the number of people in the field, and that’s why we’re at least coping with some of the issues we have today. The Barcott-Kim nursing fellowship will carry their mission of preparing dedicated students to enter this critical field forward. There is a tremendous need, and this will help fill that gap.”

Professor Emerita Hesook Suzie Kim was a College of Nursing professor from 1973 until her retirement in 2004, and dean of the College from 1983 to 1988. She also was a professor at the University of Oslo in Norway from 1992 to 2003. She has been an international researcher and leader in nursing theory development with an emphasis on the nature of nursing practice.

Professor Emerita Donna Schwartz-Barcott worked at URI for 46 years and had more than 20 years of experience in guiding graduate students, assisting them in building programs of study and mentoring faculty members in teaching and scholarly activities. Schwartz-Barcott collaborated internationally with researchers in Finland, Sweden, Norway, and Korea. Her research focused on pain, anxiety, and other central phenomena experienced by patients across nursing care settings; community health; inductive approaches to theory development; and sociocultural influences on health and illness.

“I first learned of them as a graduate nursing student in Louisiana. The work they have done has contributed to the scholarly evolution of the discipline and has influenced my own work,” said URI College of Nursing Dean Danny Willis, noting that dedicated faculty members like them have helped the college achieve tremendous success. “The college has grown and thrived, and today we are proud to announce that our college ranks among the top 8 percent of nursing colleges nationally. Our college is poised to educate nursing researchers and scholars who will inspire and train the next generation of nursing leaders.”

The Barcott-Kim Fellowship will build the faculty pipeline by selecting and supporting registered nurses whose research interest stems from their area of practice, like student Juyoung Kim, the newest Barcott-Kim scholar. Candidates for the fellowship must demonstrate a commitment to research and teaching, and maintain a 3.0 grade point average. Students on the Ph.D. track are preferred, but doctor of nursing practice candidates will also be considered.

“This fellowship is pivotal for the URI College of Nursing,” said Provost Wolfe, former dean of the College of Nursing, who noted the fellowship’s originator, Rye Barcott, son of Schwartz-Barcott. “Now more than ever, there is a vital need for more nursing faculty, and Rye embraced the idea of a graduate student fellowship wholeheartedly to help this need going forward. We are very fortunate to have such an incredible champion of nursing and someone who has helped recognize two legends in our field from the University of Rhode Island.”

Rye Barcott, an entrepreneur and former Marine who initially contacted Wolfe about establishing the fellowship, equated nursing to the military and other forms of public service, noting the importance of citizens to serve their community and their country.

“In the U.S., less than 3 percent of young Americans who graduate from high schools and colleges serve, whether that’s in military service, in nursing, as first responders or teachers,” Rye Barcott said. “We need to do something about that, and of course, we are doing something about that with this great institution. I’m so pleased to be a part of this.”

For more information on the Barcott-Kim Fellowship, contact Timothy Babcock at tbabcock@uri.edu.