Advancing Hispanic and Latino/a Student Success in the Health Sciences: ACCESS Grant Faculty Dr. Mirian Zavala, DNS, RN

Headshot - Mirian

Dr. Mirian Zavala is a visiting professor of nursing and one of the activity directors on the Title V DHSI grant: Advancing Curricular Change to Enhance Student Success (ACCESS). The ACCESS grant is a $3 million Department of Education (DOE), Developing Hispanic Serving Institutions (DHSI) Title V grant awarded to Mercy College in 2020 to help Hispanic and low-income students succeed in the health and natural sciences. The ACCESS grant has the following goals: to help improve outcomes in Anatomy and Physiology I – a gateway course for health sciences majors, and to fill the region’s pressing need for more nurses by establishing a weekend Accelerated Second Degree Nursing (ASDBS) Program.

Zavala coordinates the Nursing Mentorship Program sponsored by the ACCESS grant in partnership with the National Association of Hispanic Nurses (NAHN). She earned her doctoral degree in 2012, Master’s in Adult Health (1999), Bachelor of Science in Nursing and a Bachelor of Arts in Economics.

As a member of the AARP-NY Executive Council, Zavala served on the Future of Nursing Diversifying the Workforce: Mentoring for Student Retention and NCLEX Success at Hispanic Serving Institutions Curriculum Committee (2020-2021). In May 2022 Zavala attended the Future of Nursing Campaign for Action AARP/NCLEX with NCSBN Train the Trainer Workshop.

She is a New York Academy of Medicine Fellow and a Jonas Scholar. Zavala was part of an American Heart Association (AHA) writing team which published, “Recommendations for the Implementation of Telehealth in Cardiovascular and Stroke Care: A Policy Statement from the American Heart Association.” She served on the AHA Advocacy Steering Committee and on the FDA Risk Communication Advisory Committee

She wrote the NAHN column, “Health Policy and Legislative Issues.” She received the NAHN Nurse of the Year Award and the National Hispanic Medical Association Leadership Award. She was the NAHN-Westchester Chapter President and is currently the NAHN NY Chapter President-Elect.

Zavala was appointed to the SUNY Downstate Council by the Governor’s office. She is the secretary to the Association of Council Member and Board of Trustees of SUNY.  She served as a coalition member to the Future of Nursing: Champion of Nursing and was a New York State Nurses Association Fellow.