Mount Union nursing professor nets national spot

Karen Towne, clinical assistant professor of nursing at University of Mount Union, was accepted as a Jonas Nursing and Veterans Healthcare Scholar for 2021-23.

University of Kansas School of Nursing, where Towne is enrolled in the Ph.D. program, matched a $15,000 grant from Jonas Philanthropies.

According to a news release announcing the grant, Towne will serve as an environmental health scholar, and “focus her research on the exploration of the relationships between disaster-related environmental exposures and epigenetic changes in rural, low-income pregnant women that can impact the health outcomes of future generations.”

Towne will work with Dr. Barbara Sattler, professor emeritus at the School of Nursing and Health Professions at the University of San Francisco, and her doctoral advisor, Dr. Barbara Polivka, associate dean of research at the University of Kansas School of Nursing.

"Examining how environmental exposures impact the health of individuals and populations is crucial to the future of healthcare," said Towne. "I am honored to be nominated as a Jonas Scholar and to have been selected amongst a cohort of such promising nurse leaders. I'm also excited to translate this knowledge into classroom experiences for students at University of Mount Union through innovative and cutting-edge learning experiences in classes which are often overlooked in BSN programs."

"Professor Towne is a remarkable young scientist," said Dr. Tim Meyers, professor and chair of Mount Union's Department of Nursing. "When I arrived at Mount Union, I could tell that her passion for research and assisting students with research was unparalleled. I say that coming from a R1 research institution. Faculty like Professor Towne are what make our nursing program so special.”