west virginia board of examiners for registered professional nurses

Cynthia Persily, PhD, RN, FAANBoard SecretaryCynthia Persily PhD, RN, FAAN is currently the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs, SouthernRegion Programs at the West Virginia University School of Nursing. She is also Professor andDepartment Chairperson for the Charleston Division of the School of Nursing. In addition to heradministrative duties overseeing the academic offerings on four campuses across SouthernWest Virginia, Dr. Persily teaches in both the Master's degree and Doctoral degree programs atWVU School of Nursing. Dr. Persily also serves as the Executive Director of the West VirginiaNursing Leadership Institute, a partnership between the WVU School of Nursing-CharlestonDivision and the CAMC Health Education Institute to provide a 12 month leadershipdevelopment program for emerging nurse leaders in West Virginia. This program is fundedthrough a generous federal grant from HRSA, and through local and regional foundations. Dr.Persily also currently serves as the Deputy Director of the WV Rural Health Research Center.Dr. Persily was an appointed member of the legislatively mandated West Virginia Commissionto Study the Nursing Shortage. Dr. Persily maintains an active practice as an advanced practicenurse in a rural health center in West Virginia, where she began the only prenatal care programin the community 15 years ago. She is an active researcher in the area of maternal child health,including research related to community-based interventions to improve pregnancy outcomes,and in the area of nursing workforce issues. Leadership roles include prior membership on theEditorial Board of the Journal of Obstetric, Gynecologic and Neonatal Nursing, Chair of theNational Advisory Board for the National Nursing Workforce Clearinghouse, and she serves asthe elected Chair of the WV Center for Nursing Board of Directors. Awards include a Penn/MacyFellowship by the University of Pennsylvania (2000), the William J. Maier Health EducationAward (2001), the highest award conferred at the West Virginia University Health SciencesCenter-Charleston, and the West Virginia University School of Nursing Leadership Award(2002). In November 2005, Dr. Persily was inducted as a Fellow in the American Academy ofNursing. Dr. Persily was honored to be named a Robert Wood Johnson Executive Nurse Fellowin 2001, one of 20 nurses nationwide to take part in the 3 year leadership development programfor nurses in senior leadership positions. She holds a BSN from East Stroudsburg University,and a MSN and PhD from the University of Pennsylvania.