SCHOLAR DIRECTORY

MaryAnn Perez-Brescia received an Associates degree in nursing from Greater Hartford Community College, followed by her BSN and Masters in Nursing Science from the University of Hartford. Her clinical background has been in critical care as well as community nursing, psychiatric nursing, and nursing education. Currently, Ms. Perez-Brescia serves on the board of the Connecticut Health Foundation focusing on improving the health and well being of people across the state through a systems change approach in health equity initiatives. She is the President of the National Association of Hispanic Nurses-Hartford Chapter, a non-profit nursing professional organization that concentrates on the promotion of diversity in nursing and closing gaps in healthcare to Hispanics in the community. Ms. Perez-Brescia co-chairs the Diversity Subcommittee for the Connecticut Nursing Collaborative-Action Coalition to implement the recommendations of the Institute of Medicine Report, The Future of Nursing. She is employed by Three Rivers Community College as an Assistant Nurse Professor. Ms. Perez-Brescia is currently enrolled in the PhD program at the School of Nursing at the University of Connecticut. Her research will focus on issues surrounding health equity for underserved populations such as veterans, people of color, and people from low socioecomic backgrounds.