N E W FACULT Y
Meet Dianne Morrison-Beedy BY NOELL WOLFGRAM EVANS professionals around the world. “Having the opportunity to embed myself in a different culture and discovering through that, that there is so much commonality in what people want out of their lives,” she said, was “phenomenal.” Now she would like to “find ways to extend those opportunities not just throughout the College of Nursing, but across the campus,” by helping Ohio State forge new international partnerships. “It’s easy,” she said, “to focus on where our feet are set, but a lot of times that happens because people just aren’t aware of other opportunities. The more people from Ohio State that we can get to partner and establish deeper relationships with others from other countries, the more successful we will be, personally, professionally and academically. Those opportunities are what excites me about being here.”
Dianne Morrison-Beedy, PhD, RN, WHNP, FAANP, FNAP, FAAN, our new Centennial Professor of Nursing and chief talent and global strategy officer at the College of Nursing, can pinpoint the moment when everything fell into place for her. “It was while I was in the hospital as a teen,” she said, “that I really understood that my dayto-day care and support was coming from the nurses. I realized that’s what I wanted to do. Their compassion put me on my career path in nursing.” Formerly Dean and Professor of Nursing, Public Health and Global Health at the University of South Florida College of Nursing, Morrison-Beedy had been focusing on research and international collaborations while living in Edinburgh, Scotland, as a Fulbright Scholar when Ohio State offered her a position. Visiting campus, she says, she was struck by displays of what she calls the “tions”: inspiration, collaboration and transformation. While that intrigued her, what sold her were, “The opportunities that Ohio State offers and thinking about how I could affect those by identifying, recruiting, advancing and developing the best and the brightest talent while expanding global partnerships.” A recipient of two Fulbright Awards, she has had opportunities to work shoulder to shoulder with health 8 | nursing.osu.edu
Morrison-Beedy is a women’s health NP, and her research reflects her passion for helping others. As a clinician, she was frustrated by a pattern of “seeing the same girls for the same health concerns, particularly exposure to STIs, HIV and unplanned pregnancies, over and over,” she said. “I knew that I was giving them lots of information but they kept coming in for the same concerns.” That led her to ask, “What are the critical pieces to change behavior?” The research she undertook to answer this question resulted in the creation of an evidence-based intervention program, HIPTeens – The Health Improvement Project for Teens. This intervention, recognized by the Centers for Disease Control and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services for STI/HIV and pregnancy prevention, “emphasizes healthy relationships, skills for negotiation and decision-making and less risky behavior choices while developing effective communication strategies with sexual partners, parents, peers and adults. It builds motivation and a positive view of girls’ personal futures.” HIPTeens is now part of the curriculum of health organizations in seven states and is being considered in several countries. After several years in Florida, New York native MorrisonBeedy is looking forward to having four seasons again. She’s also excited about exploring all that Columbus has to offer with her husband Michael, children Megan and Mason, and their three dogs, Oakley, Costa, and Stella.