About

Elizabeth W. Gonzalez, PhD, PMHCNS-BC, is associate professor emerita and former chair of the Doctoral Nursing Program (PhD, DNP) in the College of Nursing and Health Professions (CNHP) at Drexel University. She is board certified as a clinical specialist in adult psychiatric and mental health nursing by the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) of the American Nurses Association. Prior to joining Drexel, Gonzalez was a faculty at Thomas Jefferson University and Villanova University. At Drexel, she developed the Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner and PhD in Nursing programs. She served as consultant in psychiatric nursing to the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill and Texas University Medical Branch in Galveston, Texas. A frequent participant in scientific forums, her research focus has been in testing a theory-driven intervention to improve caregiver and patient outcomes of persons with dementia. She was a faculty scholar for the Hartford Gerontological Institute in Nursing Research at NYU, and a research fellow at the Center for Health Equality in Drexel University. She was a recipient of the Research Development Award from the American Nurses Association, Ethnic Minority Fellowship Programs and a fellow at the NIH/SAMSHA. She served as the principal investigator in an NINR/NIH R15 (Academic Research Enhancement Award) a three-year research project to determine the effects of a multicomponent intervention in family caregivers of persons with Alzheimer's disease and patient outcomes. This study focused on enhancing resourcefulness, a factor that may protect caregivers from health risk. She also collaborated with researchers in biomedical engineering and architecture to determine the effects of LED daylighting luminaire to reduce symptoms of dementia. Her community-based research experience involves collaboration with scientist from other disciplines that includes immunology, neurology and public health. She was president of the Asian American and Pacific Islander Nurses’ Association (AAPINA).


Academic Distinctions

Hartford Foundation Nurse Scholar, Geriatric Nursing Research Institute NYU.

The Mary Marquiz Trailblazer Award, Silliman University College of Nursing Alumni Association International, Silliman University College of Nursing, Philippines.

Mentor’s Award: Okura Mental Health Leadership Foundation, Asian American and Pacific Islander Nurses’ Association.

Research Fellow, Center for Health Equality, Drexel University.

Sigma Theta Tau, Research Award, Eta Nu Chapter.

Research Development Award, American Nurses Association, Ethnic Minority Fellowship Programs.

Summer Institute on Minority Research on Aging, National Institute on Aging, NIH.

Minority Supplement Award, National Institute on Aging, NIH.

Professional Society

Gerontological Society of America (GSA)

Sigma Theta Tau International Nursing Honor Society (ENRS)

Asian American, and Pacific Islander Nurses’ Association (AAPINA)

American Psychiatric Nurses’ Association (APNA)

Society of Behavioral Medicine (SBM)

Links

Organizational Affiliations

Doctoral Nursing, Nursing (Graduate), College of Nursing and Health Professions, Drexel University

Past Affiliations

Silliman University (Philippines, Dumaguete) - SU

Education

Nursing
Master of Science in Nursing (MSN), Silliman University (Philippines, Dumaguete) - SU
Nursing (Specialization: Mental Health & Psychiatric Nursing)
Master of Science in Nursing (MSN), University of the Philippines Cebu (Philippines, Cebu City) - UP Cebu)
Research & Theory Development in Nursing Science
PhD, New York University (United States, New York) - NYU