Jennifer D'Auria

Jennifer D'Auria, PhD, RN, CPNP, Professor Emerita in Health Science at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Nursing, earned her PhD in nursing from the University of Texas at Austin in 1992 and her Master of Science in Nursing from the University of Colorado at Denver, specializing in pediatric ambulatory care with a functional minor in teaching and curriculum development. She joined the UNC School of Nursing as a visiting professor in 1991 and served for 33 years until her retirement on August 1, 2024, when she was appointed Professor Emerita. Throughout her career, D'Auria held key leadership roles, including Coordinator of the Pediatric Nurse Practitioner-Primary Care option from 1993 to 2015, Director of the Master of Science in Nursing program from 2000 to 2019, and Associate Dean for the MSN and Doctor of Nursing Practice programs starting in 2020. Under her guidance, the school achieved CCNE accreditations, revised its DNP program, introduced innovative online degree options, and launched the Pediatric Nurse Practitioner-Primary Care track. She was celebrated for 25 years of service to the state and recognized by peers across North Carolina and the nation for her dedication to nursing education.

D'Auria's research focused on chronic illness in children, with studies on interventions to improve health outcomes for children with cystic fibrosis and the hematopoietic stem cell transplant experiences of pediatric sibling donors and nondonors. Her clinical expertise in primary care for children and adolescents with chronic conditions enriched graduate curricula in children's health, maternal-child and family health, and chronic conditions. Notable publications include 'Improving Evaluation and Treatment of Hyperbilirubinemia in Late Preterm Infants' (2020, co-authored with Sheila A. Brown, Julee Waldrop, and Jamie Haushalter), 'Parental Perceptions of Their Child's Overweight: An Integrative Review' (2008), 'A Nurse-Led and Teacher-Assisted Adolescent Healthy Weight Program to Improve Health Behaviors in the School Setting' (2018, co-authored), 'An Integrative Research Review: Effective School-Based Childhood Overweight Interventions' (2006), and contributions to the Journal of Pediatric Health Care such as 'Best of the Web: Just for Kids' (2010) and 'Using an Evidence-Based Approach to Critical Appraisal' (2007). In 1995, she received UNC's Distinguished Teaching Award for Post-Baccalaureate Instruction. Her visionary leadership has profoundly shaped graduate nursing education and advanced pediatric health science at UNC Chapel Hill.

Professional Email: jdauria@email.unc.edu