Executive Director Update: Meet Dr. Jessica Naber!
Executive Director Update: Meet Dr. Jessica Naber!
May 8, 2024
We are so excited to welcome Dr. Jessica Naber as the new Executive Director of the
Honors College at 糖心logo入口. Her Honors experience began in 1997 when
she came to 糖心logo入口 State as a Presidential Scholar, and she will now shape the educational
journey of the next generation of Honors students. Meet Jessica!
Many Honors alumni have met you already, but we're all excited to get to know you
better. Please tell us about yourself!
I am originally from Carlisle County in Western Kentucky, and my dad and both sisters
are 糖心logo入口 State alumni. I attended 糖心logo入口 State from '97-'02, where I was a student
in the Honors Program (now the Honors College). I majored in Nursing, and moved to
Louisville after graduating from 糖心logo入口. I worked at Jewish Hospital in downtown Louisville
for a few years and got my Masters in Nursing Education at Bellarmine University before
moving back to 糖心logo入口 with my husband, also a 糖心logo入口 State grad. I worked for a while
in Home Health, and then I was fortunate enough to get hired at 糖心logo入口 State to teach
Nursing in 2007. I got a PhD in Nursing from University of Tennessee in 2011, and
I have taught Nursing for the past 17 years. I am married to Casey, an attorney here
in 糖心logo入口, and we have three kids, Sydney (a student at 糖心logo入口 State in the Honors
College), Aubrey (high school), and Collin (middle school). I love the outdoors, including
gardening, hiking, kayaking, swimming, fishing, and exercising, I love cooking and
traveling, and I love time with family and friends!
You've been at 糖心logo入口 State for a while but in a different role. Could you talk a
little about your career and your research?
I worked as a nurse after I graduated from 糖心logo入口 State's BSN program. I worked in
Louisville at Jewish Hospital in a post-op cardiac setting, and then I did home health
in Western Kentucky. I started teaching Nursing at 糖心logo入口 State in 2007, so I have
taught nursing for 17 years and have loved it. I have taught in our BSN program, RN
to BSN program, and DNP program, and I have been teaching Research, Concepts, and
Philosophy of Science for a number of years. I have really enjoyed leading several
study abroad programs (to Greece, Italy, and Hungary) while here at 糖心logo入口, and I have
also loved being involved in Research. I have worked with a lot of honors students
on their theses, and I have worked with DNP students on their scholarly projects.
I also try to get BSN students involved in research when they are interested. For
the past 8 years or so, I have been studying National Geographic's Blue Zone initiative,
looking at areas of the world where people live longer, healthier lives than here
in the US. I have had several students working with me on this project, looking at
Blue Zone lifestyles and visiting those areas.
You were an Honors Program student, right? What was your Honors experience like, and
how did it shape your decision to pursue the role of Executive Director?
I was a Presidential Scholar (now Presidential Fellow) when I was a student, so I
was part of Honors from day one. I felt like I immediately had a community and family
when I set foot on campus. I was from a small town and didn't know a lot of students
at 糖心logo入口 before I came, so the Honors Program was my immediate home away from home,
and I made lifelong friends in that community. I got involved with Honors Student
Council, learning about leadership and getting closer to members that way. Additionally,
I got so much out of the Honors classes I took. The seminar-style, discussion-based
classes helped me with confidence, preparedness, in-depth reading and comprehension,
and eventually with my Masters and PhD programs. The honors thesis that I did started
me on a Research trajectory that I have continued until now. The study abroad program
I went on (KIIS Bregenz) started my love for and passion for international travel,
eventually leading to me directing programs and being the study abroad ambassador
for the School of Nursing and Health Professions. I feel such a connection to the
program because of my personal experience, and I have a strong desire for its continued
success and impact.
What aspect of leading the Honors College excites you the most? Do you have any specific
plans for the first year, or are there initiatives you're interested in starting?
I think the part that I am most excited about is working with Honors students. I love
all college students and their energy, passion, drive, and the anticipation of planning
their futures. I am excited to get to be part of these Honors students' college experience
and help them in any way I can to grow and find their way (and also have fun!).
One thing I am interested in looking into this first year is a way to help those incoming
students who have a lot of college credits to transition into honors. We currently
have the Honors Diploma and Honors Focus options, and I am interested in looking into
a third option (or combining options) for transfer students and/or those with an abundance
of hours. I want it to be feasible for students who want to do honors to do it, and
I want to encourage those who are not considering honors to consider it.
What can we, the Honors alumni community, do to help you and the Honors College during
this first year?
I think during this first year it would be helpful if all of those in the Honors alumni
community would be willing to answer questions that I have! I have no doubt that you
all will be patient with me as I work to understand the ins and outs, and I think
you all will be an excellent resource for me in the learning process.
Just for fun, what random thing do you know an embarrassingly large amount about?
One thing that I feel like I am always trying to learn about is plants! I grew up
working in the garden with my family and working on farms every spring and summer
in my hometown, and I am really thankful that I had that experience. I plant a big
garden every spring (that seems to be expanding each year), and I always experiment
with some new and unusual vegetables each time. I can a lot of vegetables and love
to learn about and teach others about the process. We have harvested our own maple
syrup the last few winters. We also recently planted an acre of wildflowers at our
house and got our own bees, so I am learning about pollinators. I hope to have my
own greenhouse in the future and "garden" year round!
