Karen Alexander, PhD, RN, CNOR

Biography

Dr. Alexander, a native New Yorker, has been a proactive, experienced Registered Nurse for over 35 years. She earned her undergraduate associate and bachelor’s degrees in nursing from the City University of New York-Queensborough Community College and Excelsior College, New York, respectively. She earned her Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in nursing from The University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston (UTMB) Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, where she was an inaugural graduate from the BSN-PhD Nursing program.

She retired from the United States Air Force having served for 22 years, both as a Non-Commissioned and Commissioned Officer with several deployments, including Desert Shield and Desert Storm.

Dr. Alexander has worked in many facets of nursing. Currently, she is the program director and an associate professor for nursing at University of Houston Clear-Lake at Pearland. She strives to design and develop innovative strategies that promote high-quality education in a student-centered, active learning environment. She also serves to raise the bar in nursing excellence.

Before her role in higher education, she worked in the clinical arena as a medical-surgical staff nurse, perioperative staff nurse, and perioperative educator. She also worked in nursing management and administration.

Dr. Alexander is active in research and scholarly activities. Her research focus is on vulnerable populations (fathers of preterm infants, veterans, adolescent food insecurity). She has authored various peer-reviewed articles, been awarded research grants, and developed healthcare curriculum for the military, higher education nursing programs, and nursing education resources. She serves on various committees and boards internally and externally.

Dr. Alexander dedicates time to serve her professional and personal community as an active member of her church and various organizations, a role model, and a mentor.

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Publications

Google Scholar Profile for Dr. Alexander

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Courses (Current Academic Year)

• NURS 4313-Nursing Research and Evidence-Based Practice
• NURS 3311- History and Theories in Nursing

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Research Projects

• University of Houston Clear Lake-Early Entry into Clinical Practice: An Exploratory Evaluation Study of Nursing Student Performance During the COVID-19 Pandemic  Alexander, K. (PI), Woldu, D. (Co-PI) (Grant 2020).
• National Science Foundation (NSF)- RAPID: A CURE for COVID-19: Course-based Research Experience on the Interaction between the Nasal Microbiome and Coronavirus Carriage, grant award ($50,000.00). LaMontagne, M (PI), Alexander, K. (Co-PI) (Grant 2020).

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Awards and Accomplishments

• 2024 Association of Black Nursing Faculty, Inc (ABNF): Members on the Move-Trailblazer in Nursing Education and Advocate for Veterans and Vulnerable Populations
• 2024 Texas Nurse Association-District Liaison for District 9
• 2023 Nursing Fellow-Inaugural Association of Black Nursing Faculty (ABNF)
• 2023 Leadership and Public Policy Mentoring Fellowship
• 2022 Excellence in Community Service and Engagement Award-ABNF
• 2021 Outstanding Innovation in Teaching Award-ABNF
• Excellence in Leadership Award-Black Leadership Network
• Distinguished Alumni-UTMB Graduate School of Biosciences
• Distinguished Faculty Award
• Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society of Nursing
• McGovern Distinguished Professorship Award
• Graduate Assistance in Areas of National Need (GAANN) Grant Award recipient
• Johnson & Johnson Promise for Nursing Scholarship Award recipient
• Good Samaritan Scholarship Award recipient                
• Numerous U.S. Air Force military medals and awards of decoration

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