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 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, hypertension/cardiovascular conditions, diabetes, cancer and sepsis. In addition to her faculty appointment, Davis serves as a volunteer family nurse practitioner and population community health nurse specialist with Remote Area Medical nationally, and with DOCare and JustHope internationally. Additionally, she 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
• MSN in Community/Population Health, Rutgers University
• BSN, Rutgers University

Selected Editorial Activities

• Reviewer, Western Journal of Nursing Research
• Reviewer, American Association of Public Health, Global Public Health Film Festival Program

Selected Awards & Honors

• Outstanding Leadership in Physical Activity award, American Public Health Association Physical Activity Section, 2021
• Noble Knight Nurse Award, Service Category, UCF College of Nursing, 2020
• PhD Dissertation Award, UCF College of Nursing, 2019
• President’s Excellence Award for Innovation, State College of Florida, Manatee-Sarasota, 2018
• Jonas Veterans Healthcare Scholar, Jonas Foundation, 2016-2019

Selected Professional Activities

• Physical Activity Section Strategic Partnerships Chair, American Public Health Association
• Community Health Research Interest Group Chair, Southern Nursing Research Society
• 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