People Group Archives: Maternal Health

Danielle Sterner is a postdoctoral scholar at UCF’s College of Nursing, working with Jean Davis on a behavioral clinical research program focused on improving physical activity and health outcomes during pregnancy. In her role, Sterner supports clinical trial operations, wearable device data management, participant engagement, data analysis, manuscript preparation and grant development. Sterner is passionate about bridging science, healthcare and executing […]

Olajumoke (Jummy) Ojeleye is a nurse‑midwife, maternal and child health nurse scientist, and perinatal mental health professional whose work spans clinical practice, academic scholarship and community‑engaged research. Her research focuses on advancing maternal and perinatal mental health with an emphasis on improving the experiences and outcomes of pregnant and parenting adolescents. Her scholarship reflects her […]

Jenna M. Wheeler is an assistant professor at UCF’s College of Nursing. As a practicing registered nurse with nearly 15 years of experience in the neonatal intensive care unit, she has witnessed firsthand the effect of preterm birth on families. Wheeler’s research focuses on the mother-father relationship and mental health during pregnancy utilizing a mixed […]

Kimberly Navarro is a certified nurse midwife and board certified women’s health nurse practitioner who is passionate about providing high quality care, combating maternal mortality and promoting the normalcy of pregnancy. She has more than 15 years of experience in women’s health and has been involved in serving her community and providing education and healthcare […]

A dual alumna of the UCF College of Nursing, Instructor Kelsey Gaffka helps educate future generations of Knight nurses and serves as site coordinator for UCF’s Daytona Beach campus. A board-certified registered nurse with an extensive background in obstetrical nursing, Gaffka is passionate about improving care for the perinatal population as well as facilitating the […]

Jennie M. Wagner is a lecturer at UCF’s College of Nursing who previously has led and taught RN to BSN and RN to MSN programs at institutions in North Carolina. She has actively served on several accreditation agencies and currently is an appointed member of the National League for Nursing accreditation review committee and evaluator […]

Carmen Giurgescu is a UCF Pegasus Professor, the Chatlos Foundation Endowed Chair and associate dean of research at UCF’s College of Nursing. Giurgescu is a world-renowned maternal health researcher who focuses her efforts on reducing preterm births to improve outcomes for new mothers and their babies. Her pioneering research, which is built upon more than […]

Associate Professor Jean Davis’ passion for community health promotion grew from listening to her aunt and her mother, both nurses, discuss and solve community health challenges when she was a child. Davis channels that passion into implementation science research using coaching, wearable technology and artificial intelligence (AI) for physical activity support, promotion and habit formation […]

Childhood obesity prevention and intervention; School nursing; Teaching strategies in nursing education.

Gerontology; Chronic disease management; Diabetes care across the age span; Transitional care needs of older adults and family caregivers.