SCHOLAR DIRECTORY

Valerie Halstead graduated Magna Cum Laude with her BSN in May 2012 from the University of Miami. She received the Edgar Hall Nursing Scholarship, was named the March of Dimes Student Nurse of the Year, and was awarded the School of Nursing and Health Studies (SONHS) Alumni Award. She is part of the Alpha Lambda Delta National Honor Society and the Beta Tau Chapter of Sigma Theta Tau National Nursing Honor Society. Additionally she serves as an active member on the University of Miami Nursing Alumni Board. Upon graduation she obtained a full time staff position in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital in Hollywood, Florida. After one year of clinical practice, she decided to advance her education and entered the Doctor of Philosophy Program at the University of Miami SONHS. Her research focus is on intimate partner violence, disordered eating, and health promotion in the college population. She is currently partaking in two research projects. One focuses on examining alcohol screening in the college population and the other aims to gain a better understanding of healthcare providers’ screening and protocol implementation for intimate partner violence. She is excited to continue her research in hopes to advance nursing knowledge focusing on the college population and helping to promote healthy lifestyles amongst this underserved population.