Faculty

Associate Professor Rebecca Koszalinski investigates the relationships between air, water, the environment and health outcomes, and leads the interdisciplinary Human Health Outcomes of Exposure to Environmental Toxins Lab at UCF’s College of Nursing. Her harmful algal bloom research seeks to evaluate significant health care implications of potential toxin exposures. She is currently the primary investigator of a phase-two study funded by the Florida Department of Health examining long-term health impacts associated with algal blooms of cyanobacteria and red tide. She is also an expert in the use of smart technology in research, including investigation of respiratory health outcomes in environmental workers who collect air, water and human samples during bloom periods and other technological innovations.

Education

• PhD, Florida Atlantic University
• MS in Nursing Education, Florida Atlantic University
• BSN, University of Wisconsin Oshkosh
• Certificate, Introduction to Multiphase Optimization Strategy (MOST), NYU School of Global Health
• NIH Summer Genetics Institute

Selected Editorial Activities

• First Author, Underpinning Human Health Outcomes of Harmful Algal Bloom Exposure Research: An Analysis of the Relationship and Applicability of the Bureaucratic Caring Theory
• Community Editor, Frontier in Medicine, Healthcare Professions Section
• Second Author, Evaluating Bias in Self-Reported Symptoms During a Cyanobacterial Algal Bloom
• Review Editor, Healthcare Professions Education section, Frontiers in Medicine
• Reviewer, The Journals of Gerontology, Series B: Psychological Sciences and Social Sciences Reviewer
• Reviewer, Research in Gerontological Nursing
• Reviewer, Applied Clinical Informatics
• Reviewer, CIN: Computers, Informatics, Nursing

Selected Awards & Honors

• Fellow, American Academy of Nursing, 2025
• Distinguished Educator in Nursing, National Hartford Center of Gerontological Nursing Excellence, 2025
• Fellow, The Association of Rehabilitation Nurses, 2023 – Present
• Certification, The Association of Rehabilitation Nurses, 2018 – Present
• Fellow, SONSIEL, 2018 – Present

Selected Professional Activities

• ACE Leadership Academy, American Association of Colleges of Nursing, 2026
• Director of Grants, Southern Nursing Research Society
• CRRN Test Writing Item Review, The Association of Rehabilitation Nurses
• Appointee, Policy & Determinants of Health Innovation Committee, The American Nurses Association
• Conference Planning Committee Co-Chair, National Hartford Center of Gerontological Nursing Excellence
• Communications Committee Chair, National Hartford Center of Gerontological Nursing Excellence

Additional Languages

• Polish (limited working proficiency level)
• German (limited working proficiency level)