Nurses and advanced practice providers have historically been undervalued and underutilized in global health, yet they comprise the majority of the global health workforce. The Global Nursing Impact Series aims to provide a platform for leading nurses and advanced practice providers to share the impact that they are making in the field of global health through research, advocacy, collaboration, innovation, and more. Invited speakers will present for 20 minutes followed by a 10-minute Q&A session.
The lecture series is hosted by the Center for Global Nursing (CGN) on the second Tuesday of each month on Zoom. More CGN events can be found on the CGN website.
Speakers
Joyce Jere, MPH, BS, RNM
Malawi Country Director, Global AIDS Interfaith Alliance
Joyce Jere is a Malawian Registered Nurse Midwife and GAIA’s Malawi Country Director. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Nursing and a Master’s degree in Public Health with a focus on Maternal and Child Health. Joyce initially joined the Global AIDS Interfaith Alliance (GAIA) to coordinate a USAID-funded nursing scholarship program to rebuild Malawi’s health workforce. Her leadership led to her appointment as Country Director in 2015. As Country Director, Joyce oversees national operations, partnerships, strategy, and major USAID awards that have strengthened health systems and expanded mobile primary health care services through government collaboration.
Jere’s influence extends to research and global advocacy. She has presented internationally and co-authored peer-reviewed studies focused on nursing workforce development and health systems strengthening, championing access for remote, marginalized, and climate-displaced communities.
Over more than three decades, Jere has demonstrated what compassionate and principled leadership can achieve. She has strengthened Malawi’s health system, empowered the next generation of nurses, and expanded care far beyond traditional health facilities, driven by a steadfast belief that every life matters.
Ellen Schell, PhD, RN
Co-Chair, Global Committee of the Association of Nurses in AIDS Care; Board Member, Global AIDS Interfaith Alliance; Adjunct Professor, UCSF School of Nursing
Ellen Schell holds a PhD in Nursing and is an Adjunct Professor at the UCSF School of Nursing. She retired from the Global AIDS Interfaith Alliance (GAIA) at the end of 2022 and continues to serve as a board member of the organization and as Co-Chair of the Global Committee of the Association of Nurses in AIDS Care.
Schell served for two decades as International Programs Director for GAIA Global Health, working with Malawi colleagues to develop and strengthen GAIA’s programs, including a community health education and treatment program that trained more than 600 community health workers, a mobile clinic program delivering essential health services through seven clinics serving remote rural communities in three districts, and an ongoing nursing scholarship program that has supported over 900 students, with more than 700 graduates currently deployed in Malawi to date. Today, GAIA Scholars represent approximately 10% of the country’s public sector nursing workforce.
Schell also served as Co-Principal Investigator with UCSF’s Dr. Sally Rankin, PhD, RN, FAAN, on an NIH-funded study investigating the response of Malawi religious organizations to the HIV epidemic. Dr. Schell helped build GAIA’s operational research program, designed to evaluate and improve GAIA’s services.
UCSF welcomes all participants to our events. If you need a reasonable accommodation to participate in this event because of a disability, please contact Pilar Deer at pilar.deer@ucsf.edu as soon as possible.