Dr. Barbara Damron, a previous cabinet secretary of the New Mexico Higher Education Department, will return to The University of New Mexico College of Nursing faculty as an associate professor.
“I am thrilled to have Dr. Damron return to the College of Nursing,” said Dr. Christine E. Kasper, dean of the College of Nursing. “Her expansive knowledge of health care policy, contributions at the national level, and tenure in state government will greatly benefit the UNM community and support our vision to elevate the College to the national stage.”
Her research interests include cancer health disparities in Hispanic and Native American populations, communication patterns between health care professionals and patients and attitudes of underserved populations toward bio-specimen collection. Damron’s most recent work focuses on higher education outcomes and funding.
Damron has experience teaching in both the undergraduate and graduate levels of study and has played an important role in the creation and implementation of the College of Nursing’s Nursing and Health Policy doctoral program, according to the University of New Mexico Health Sciences Newsroom.
She first joined the University of New Mexico faculty in October 2006 and has served in many roles, such as the director of community relations and government advocacy for its Comprehensive Cancer Center, as associate professor and as director of office of community partnerships & cancer health disparities.
Damron has participated in and chaired many national and state boards, such as Complete College America, the American Cancer Society, the Oncology Nursing Foundation and the CHRISTUS St. Vincent Regional Medical Center Board of Directors. She is the recipient of over 45 state, national and international awards and is also currently a commissioner for the Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education and for the Education Commission of the States.
Damron received a bachelor’s degree in nursing from Union College, a master’s degree in nursing from The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio and a Ph.D. in Educational Psychology from the University of Texas at Austin.
