Foundation gift to guide associate nursing students to Emory bachelor’s and doctoral degrees, research careers

April 10, 2025

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Melanie Kieve

Senior Director of Communications and Marketing

The Bedford Falls Foundation-DAF has awarded the Emory University Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing $2.35 million for a program to support Atlanta-area community college students as they complete their associate’s degree in nursing, continue bachelor’s and doctoral nursing studies at Emory, and pursue careers in nursing research and education.

The Leadership and Educational Advancement Program in Nursing (LEAPN) will expand upon the success of Emory School of Nursing’s Bridges to the Baccalaureate program, a federally funded initiative from 2013-2018 in which the school partnered with Georgia Perimeter College to help transition associate’s degree students to Bachelor of Science in Nursing and PhD programs at Emory.

Roxana Chicas, PhD, RN, FAAN, and Sarah Febres-Cordero, PhD, RN, were two of those students. After earning their doctorate, they joined the faculty at the School of Nursing. Chicas now researches occupational and environmental health, particularly the effects of heat exposure on farmworkers, and teaches public health nursing and evidence-based practice. Febres-Cordero’s research focuses on harm reduction, overdose education and naloxone distribution; she teaches evidence-based practice, public and population health nursing, and mental health.

“The Bridges to the Baccalaureate program taught me how research can improve quality of life for individuals and communities – that you can take an entire population and make them your patient,” says Chicas, who will serve as LEAPN director. “I also have had the opportunity to teach my own students what I have learned — providing a challenging academic experience where they can produce publications and present at conferences, ultimately preparing them for success as nurse scientists.”

The LEAPN program will support 20 high-achieving students with demonstrated financial need as they complete their associate’s degree at their community and technical college and then continue baccalaureate and doctoral studies at Emory. Key components of the program will include:

Summer research intensives with paid stipends at Emory School of Nursing during and just after completing their associate’s degree.
An adapted two-semester bachelor’s curriculum with tuition support from the Bedford Falls Foundation and the School of Nursing.
One-to-one and group mentoring with Emory nursing faculty.
Full tuition coverage and stipends for those who pursue their PhD.

The program's students will come from backgrounds with limited access to the resources or opportunities for this kind of career exposure. Many of them, Chicas says, simply aren’t aware of the various opportunities available in nursing or the difference that nursing science can make.

“It is very exciting to think how this program will push students far beyond their imagination,” she says. “All it requires is some support. We are incredibly grateful to Bedford Falls for their generosity, which will help these motivated students give back to their communities — and help humanity in the process.”

Bill Conway, Jr.

The Bedford Falls Foundation, a private foundation, and Bedford Falls Foundation-DAF, its associated donor-advised fund, were started by Carlyle Group Co-founder and Co-chairman Bill Conway, Jr., and his late wife, Joanne Barkett Conway. Together, they seek to remove barriers to high-quality nursing education and address the critical nursing workforce shortage. This is the second gift from Bedford Falls to the Emory School of Nursing. Last year, the Bedford Falls Foundation awarded the school $1 million to support scholarships for bachelor’s degree students.

“We are pleased to partner with the Emory School of Nursing in this effort to support nursing students from associate’s degrees to PhDs,” Bill Conway says. “Where a nurse starts the nursing pathway should not limit how far they ultimately go.”

The program will begin recruiting students in Fall 2025. The School of Nursing will partner with three to five community and technical colleges in the Atlanta area. For more information, contact Chicas at rchicas@emory.edu.

About the School of Nursing

As one of the nation’s top nursing schools, the Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing at Emory University is committed to educating visionary nurse leaders and scholars. Ranked the No. 1 master’s, No. 1 BSN, and No. 8 DNP programs in the nation by U.S. News & World Report, the school offers undergraduate, master’s, doctoral, and non-degree programs. It brings together cutting-edge resources, distinguished faculty, top clinical experiences, and access to leading health care partners to shape the future of nursing and improve health and well-being. Learn more at nursing.emory.edu.

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