Nese College of Nursing

Dean Laurie Badzek elected as Hastings Center Fellow

Credit: Penn State. Creative Commons

Laurie A. Badzek, dean of the Ross and Carol Nese College of Nursing at Penn State, has been elected as a Hastings Center fellow. Badzek was elected in recognition of her work in genomics, ethics and their intersection with law and patient care; specifically, she champions the ethical use of genomics to optimize patient care. Specializing in bioethics, the Hastings Center is a think tank aiming to answer profound questions that are the result of our advancements in health, science and technology.

Badzek has a wealth of exemplary experience. For example, she has led revisions to the Code of Ethics for Nursing — twice. She also has been the principal investigator for one of the largest U.S. studies examining the translation of genomics to beside care. The outcomes of this study underscore the need for competency-based understandings of genomics and their role in precision medicine specific to nursing professionals. She has contributed to a variety of published works that highlight the role of genomics in healthcare policy, infrastructure, education and delivery. Badzek’s unique background in nursing and law -- she holds an RN and Juris Doctorate (JD) -- give her rare perspective into the complexities inherent to these medical breakthroughs.

Additionally, in her time at Penn State, Badzek has ushered the college through a successful accreditation process resulting in nursing’s continued accreditation status until 2030. She increased the number of nursing faculty in the college, including the addition of a wellness officer and an inaugural associate dean for equity and inclusion. Throughout the commonwealth, Badzek has overseen the launch of nursing programs at various campuses, in turn making quality education more accessible throughout the state. And, perhaps most impactful, she led the college through a fundraising campaign that resulted in the college's recent renaming and the introduction of thousands of dollars in scholarship support for nursing students. Her role in securing the $27.125 million dollar gift from the college’s namesake, Ross and Carol Nese, will support the college’s ability to increase the number of nurses who graduate by 20% in the next decade — a significant impact on the industry and commonwealth.

The Hastings Center is the oldest independent, nonpartisan, interdisciplinary research institute in the world and is considered highly prestigious. Aiming to bring a humanistic lens into social and ethical issues in health care, science and technology, the center’s overall goal is to influence policy that governs standards of practice in a variety of disciplines. Badzek is among a group of 24 highly accomplished individuals from six countries and numerous disciplines. According to the Hastings Center’s website, what unites these fellows is their “uncommon insight and impact” on navigating values, morality and societal impacts related to scientific advancements in health, health care, science, and technology.

Badzek is the recipient of numerous awards, including ANA Ethics and Leadership Award, ISONG International Genomics Nursing Research Award. She is a fellow in the American Academy of Nursing, American Association of Colleges of Nursing’s (AACN) Warton Executive Leadership and AACN’s Leadership for Academic Nursing and, finally, a member of the National Academies of Practice. She is involved in the development of the Global Genomics Nursing Alliance (G2NA.org) and serves on its steering committee. She is also a steering member on the Chinese University of Hong Kong Asian Pacific Genomic and Genetic Nursing Centre.

Last Updated December 16, 2021

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