Faculty

Jean Davis’ passion for community health promotion grew from listening to her aunt and her mother, both nurses, discussing community health problems when she was a child. Today the Jonas Veterans Healthcare Scholar and assistant professor at the UCF College of Nursing channels her passion into research that focuses on physical activity support, promotion and habit formation to improve patient outcomes and address health inequities fueled by social determinants of health. Davis is particularly interested in vulnerable populations, including Black pregnant people, cancer survivors and veterans. Her clinical foci are severe maternal morbidities, preterm birth, cardiovascular conditions, diabetes and cancer. In addition to her faculty appointment, Davis serves as a volunteer family nurse practitioner and population health clinical nurse specialist with Remote Area Medical nationally, and with DOCare and JustHope internationally. She is also a Duke Health-trained Health & Well-Being Coach and serves as an accreditation site visitor for the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education.

Education

• PhD, University of Central Florida
• DNP, Florida Atlantic University
• Family Nurse Practitioner Post-master’s Certificate, Barry University
• EdD in Higher Education, Nova Southeastern University
• MS, Nursing in Community/Population Health CNS, Rutgers University
• BS, Nursing, Rutgers University

Selected Editorial Activities

• Reviewer, The Science of Diabetes Self-Management and Care
• Reviewer, JOGNN: Journal of Obstetric, Gynecologic & Neonatal Nursing
• Reviewer, Translational Behavioral Medicine: Practice, Policy, Research
• Reviewer, Western Journal of Nursing Research
• Reviewer, American Association of Public Health, Global Public Health Film Festival Program

Selected Awards & Honors

• Outstanding Nurse Practitioner Educator Award, National Organization of Nurse Practitioner Faculties, 2025
• Distinguished Fellow, National Academies of Practice in Nursing, 2024
• Outstanding Leadership in Physical Activity award, American Public Health Association PA Section, 2021
• Noble Knight Nurse Award, Service Category, UCF College of Nursing, 2020
• Jonas Veterans Healthcare Scholar, Jonas Foundation, 2016-2019

Selected Professional Activities

• Governing Councilor, 2024-present, American Public Health Association, Physical Activity Section
• Synergy Expert Panel on Physical Activity and the Social Environment: A Systems Mapping Approach, European Health Psychology Society, 2023
• Chair, Community Public Health/Health Promotion Research Interest and Implementation Group, Southern Nursing Research Society, 2021 – 24.
• Curriculum Leadership Council appointee, National Organization of Nurse Practitioner Faculties
• Board Member, Central Florida Advanced Nursing Practice Council
• Ethics Special Interest Group Chair, Florida Nurses Association