Esther Brown, assistant professor in the School of Nursing at Widener University, was appointed academic program director for the RN/BSN and RN/MSN programs.

Brown, who joined the Widener School of Nursing faculty in 2009, has made a number of significant contributions during her time at Widener.

She is mostly known for her work with “Introduction to Nursing,” the first nursing course that uses an innovative teaching strategy, incorporating the nursing process and service learning.

Students in her course work closely with agencies such as City Team Ministries, the BernadineCenter and Anna’s place in Chester to apply the nursing process. She has also chaired the University Experiential Learning Task Force and the School of Nursing’s Academic Council at Widener.

Brown was also selected as one of six faculty members nationwide to receive the Distinguished New Faculty Award at the 22nd International Conference on College Teaching and Learning in 2011 for her work with students in a service learning course.

Dr. Deborah Garrison, dean of the School of Nursing, looks forward to the contributions Brown will make as a member of the leadership team. “I’m excited about the expertise Brown brings to this position. She has a passion for education, and brings leadership and business acumen from her service in the private foundation sector.”

“It’s a great opportunity to work with registered nurses (RNs) from across the region and assist them in reaching the goal of becoming baccalaureate prepared nurses,” Brown said. “Nurses continue to gain momentum as the primary caregivers in this ever-changing health care environment, not only in the severity of disease processes, but also caring for people of diverse backgrounds. It’s important they continue expanding the knowledge base.”

She is well acquainted with the curriculum of the RN to BSN students, as she began her nursing career as a graduate of the Brandywine School of Nursing.

Since then she has earned the BSN from Immaculata College, the MSN in community health and nursing administration from West Chester University, a bachelor’s of theology from Boulden Seminary, and a doctorate in education from Immaculata University (formerly Immaculata College) in 2008.

Brown was recently named interim president of District 22 of the Pennsylvania State Nurses Association. She also published a manuscript titled “African American Present Perceptions of Organ Donations: A Pilot Study” in the spring 2012 edition of The Association of Black Nursing Faculty (ABNF) Journal. Brown is an ordained minister, an elder of Union American Methodist Episcopal (UAME) and the pastor of Mount Raymond UAME Church in Downingtown.