Drs. Luth M. and Narciso P. Tenorio Endowed Scholar and Lectureship

Dr. Elizabeth Schenk, PhD, RN, FAAN serves as Chief Environmental Stewardship Officer for Providence, one of the nation’s largest non-profit health systems, which is committed to decreasing greenhouse gases and other pollution from its operations. Dr. Schenk and team lead this effort through strategy and innovation, efficiency of practices and processes, research, education, and engagement, built on her experience decreasing the environmental impacts of health care for over 30 years.

Her lecture focused on the environmental challenges health care professionals and organizations face using a planetary health leans, sharing effective solutions tested in one of the nation’s largest health systems. 

The 2024 Dean’s Endowed Lectureship, titled “Artificial Intelligence and Ethical Perspectives from Nursing,” brought together thought leaders to discuss the ethical implications of AI in health systems and patient care. Featured speakers included:

• Rozzano Locsin, PhD, RN, FAAN, PAASE , Professor Emeritus at Florida Atlantic University and renowned nursing theorist, who is known for his work on Technological Competency as Caring in Nursing and his many accolades, including being named a Fellow of the American Academy of Nursing.
• Liz Stokes, PhD, JD, RN , Director of the ANA Center for Ethics and Human Rights, whose expertise in nursing ethics and public policy has shaped significant work on end-of-life care and AI in health care. Dr. Stokes also serves as Associate Editor for the Journal of Bioethical Inquiry.

The lecture included a panel discussion with local nursing leaders:

• Sofia Aragon, JD, BSN, RN, FAAN , Executive Director, Washington Center for Nursing
• David Keepnews, PhD, JD, RN, FAAN , Executive Director, Washington State Nurses Association
• Mila Sprouse, EdD, MSN, RN, CCRN-K, NE-BC, Vice President/Chief Nursing Officer, Virginia Mason Medical Center
• Renee Rassilyer-Bomers, DNP, CMSRN, RN-BC-FAAN, Chief Nursing Officer, Providence Swedish Puget Sound Central Service Area

Dr. Tener Veenema is Senior Scholar at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security and a Senior Scientist in the Department of Environmental Health and Engineering at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. At the Center, she designs and leads research projects to explore health systems optimization and health care worker protection during disasters and large-scale biological events. As an internationally recognized expert in disaster nursing and public health emergency preparedness, she has conducted national workforce analyses evaluating emergency health care worker readiness for disaster response on behalf of the Ministries of Health in Ireland and Japan and in the United States. Dr. Veenema is an expert in workforce development and has taught public health preparedness for more than 25 years. She is the author of 4 national e-learning courses in public health preparedness for health care providers (Coursera, Elsevier, MC Strategies, American Red Cross).

Dr. Jenerette is a Professor and the Associate Dean for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusivity in the College of Nursing at the University of South Carolina. She earned a PhD and MSN in nursing from the University of South Carolina and her BSN from Clemson University. She completed post-doctoral fellowships at Yale University and The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She has an internationally recognized research program focused on enhancing self and family management of sickle cell disease. She was drawn to this research as a staff nurse when she witnessed the disparities in pain management as lived by those who lived with sickle cell disease and the inequities in care that were fueled by social determinants of health. Dr. Jenerette is a servant leader, exquisite nurse scientist, and social justice advocate.