Jennifer Herman grew up in Peabody, Massachusetts. Jennifer was already interested in research abroad before she began her studies at the University of New Hampshire. She has always been interested in travel, and believes that it's important to experience ourselves in new and unfamiliar contexts. When the International Research Opportunities Program was mentioned at student orientation, Jennifer recognized it as an opportunity that few undergraduates have. Connections already established between the nursing departments at the University of Wales in Swansea and at UNH made Wales a natural destination for her research. While there, she was pleasantly surprised by the ease with which she got access to people and places she wished to learn about. She notes that this “enabled me to see the well child health care system.” Jennifer graduates in May with a Bachelors of Science in nursing, and plans to begin her career as a registered nurse. She hopes to visit Wales again soon, and to eventually return to school to pursue a Masters degree in nursing.
Gene Harkless, DNSC, ARNP, is an associate professor in the nursing department. She is a family nurse practitioner who has taught at the University of New Hampshire for over twenty years, focusing her research on evidence-based practice and clinical decision making. She has mentored many students in their research projects, including Christina Joseph, whose article appeared in Inquiry ‘06. Dr. Harkless says she is “in awe of the rich experience the International Research Opportunities Program (IROP) creates for students. On so many levels, it enables students to have a truly "liberal" education. They grow to understand their own academic abilities, to ask a question and search for answers and perspectives outside of expert text materials. When this is blended with international opportunities and challenges, it is an incredibly energizing experience. Living the discipline of nursing as a scholar becomes real to them, and they come to see nursing as an amazingly powerful international force.” Jennifer’s experience in Wales brought benefits to both her and her mentor, as Dr. Harkless describes: “Jen's enthusiasm for learning and her interest in social justice create a great dynamic in a nursing student. She relishes asking the ‘why do we do that?’ question, and she was a perfect fit with me as I am studying the evidence-base for the content and process of well child care. The IROP experience allowed her to investigate how Wales believes it best to keep their kids healthy and to learn the important lesson of how socioeconomic and environmental factors interact with human physiology to create (or diminish) health. My gains from working with Jen include the international scholarly connections that are fostered by the IROPers, and a deepening respect for the generosity and helpfulness of the international nursing community.”
Read Jennifer Herman's research article, Well Child Health Care in Wales: A Change of Setting, a Shift of Power >>
