Dr. Donna Corley, RN, CNE, a professor in Eastern Kentucky University’s Department of Baccalaureate and Graduate Nursing, was a finalist for the 2014 Kentucky Nurse Educator of the Year Award given by Publishing Concepts Inc., the largest publisher of state boards of nursing journals.
Corley was nominated by Dr. Mary Clements, professor and chair of the department.
“She is a phenomenal professor of nursing who always places her focus on the success of her students,” Clements wrote in her nomination.
Corley teaches in the baccalaureate, master’s and doctoral programs at EKU. In addition to her on-campus courses, she also teaches online. Launched in Spring 2013, the EKU Online Nursing programs set an EKU record by enrolling more than 250 online students in the first year.
Based on students’ feedback, the department attributes much of the success to faculty like Corley who bring a hands-on approach to online learning and are committed to students’ engagement and achievement.
“Dr. Corley is the ultimate professional who gives 110 percent not only to her students but to her faculty peers,” Clements said. “I was recently in a meeting with several faculty and someone stated that Dr. Corley was her mentor and another faculty across the table quipped, ‘You can’t have her. She is my mentor!’”
Corley is recognized in the Fall 2014 issue of KBN Connection, the official publication of the Kentucky Board of Nursing. Dr. Judi Daniels was named Kentucky’s Outstanding Nurse Educator.
Consistently recognized as having some of the nation’s best online degree programs, Eastern Kentucky University strives to make quality education accessible to everyone. EKU is an accredited, brick-and-mortar institution celebrating more than 100 years of student success. EKU Online offers more than 25 undergraduate and graduate degree options in a variety of fields, representing Arts & Sciences, Education, Justice & Safety and Health Sciences.