Premera Endowed Professor of Nursing in Health Promotion and Care Innovations

Bonnie H. Bowie, PhD, MBA, RN, FAAN, is a Professor and Associate Dean for Graduate Programs at Seattle University. She joined the College of Nursing in 2000 and has made many significant contributions to the success of its programs and students. She is an engaged Jesuit educator who strives to be an active participant in lifelong learning.

Dr. Bowie’s research addresses gaps in fostering interpersonally and physically safe environments for children and families. Her research raises awareness of the harmful effects of microaggression and sibling aggression on children. She described how microaggressions by teachers can be particularly damaging to children and documented a higher association between Black children’s perceptions of peer and teacher discrimination and their experience of symptoms related to depression and anxiety. Through her studies of harmful sibling aggression, she realized that there were no mechanisms for clinical assessment of harmful sibling aggression. along with Greg Hudson, DNP ’18, she co-developed and introduced a screening tool for harmful sibling aggression that can be administered during well child visits. 

Dr. Bowie’s research also addresses threats to adult health. She partnered with nursing colleague, Lauren Valk Lawson, DNP, RN, and across interdisciplinary teams to develop and pilot a cost-effective respite care model for homeless individuals needing a safe place to recover from illness. Working with health economics colleagues, Bridget Hiedemann, PhD and Erin Vernon, PhD from Albers school of Business and economics, she addressed risks to women’s health associated with oral contraceptives, namely, flawed assumptions regarding the cost effectiveness of screening for thrombophilia prior to prescribing combined oral contraceptives. she is currently working with colleagues to change policy regarding thrombophilia testing at the state level, a condition that coupled with combined oral contraceptives can lead to markedly increased morbidity and mortality.