Kenya Kirkendoll KenyaKirkendoll, a clinical assistant professor in community health nursing at Georgia State University’s Byrdine F. Lewis School of Nursing and Health Professions, was a colleague of Coverson’s and is pleased to be the inaugural recipient of this award named in her honor.“I worked with Dr. Coverson, and she was an inspiration to me and someone who encouraged me to pursue my PhD,” Kirkendoll said. “It is truly an honor to receive this grant named after her.”
She will use the $500 grant to help fund her dissertation study on continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) use among long-haul truck drivers diagnosed with obstructive sleep apnea. Ultimately, she would like to examine the intersection of sleep and cardiovascular disease among vulnerable groups such as commercial truck drivers.
Chi Eta Phi Sorority Inc. is a national sorority of more than 8,000 registered nurses and nursing students with the motto “Service for Humanity,” and one of its objectives is to develop a corps of nursing leaders who promote research development.
The grant is given in memory of Coverson, an active member of the Gamma Chi Chapter from 2005 to 2012, who inspired many other members to advance their education and engage in research. Her research focused on cardiovascular risk assessment and risk reduction in African Americans.
The purpose of the grant is to honor Coverson’s spirit of scholarly inquiry by supporting graduate students whose scholarly activities embody the advancement of nursing.
To learn more about the UAB School of Nursing’s PhD program, click here.
