Hampton University Nursing Faculty
Faculty and Staff Directory
Dr. Barbara Blackwell
Assistant Professor/Interim Assistant Dean
Chairperson of the Department of Undergraduate Nursing Education
barbara.blackwell@hamptonu.edu
 757.727.5527
Dr. Barbara has joined Hampton University School of Nursing as the Chairperson/Assistant Professor Undergraduate Nursing. She has over 37 years of experience in Nursing, Nursing Education and Staff Development and is certified in Nursing Professional Development. Her clinical specialty is Critical Care and Trauma nursing. Dr. Blackwell worked in a Level I trauma unit for almost 30 years in New York City. For the last 7 years Dr. Blackwell was the Director of a small school of nursing in Northern New Jersey, where they achieved advances in the areas of integrating technology into all aspects of student’s education, introducing electronic testing, and incorporating the use of iPads as a clinical and didactic tool. Students were introduced to active learning and she advanced the agenda of the incorporation of simulation into didactic and clinical learning. Dr. Blackwell has published on simulation and recently reviewed the latest edition of Urden’s Critical Care Nursing textbook. She is an active member of the International Nursing Association for Clinical Simulation and Learning and has been an abstract and research reviewer for them since 2015. Dr. Blackwell has presented webinars on technology in nursing education and the use of data as a tool to guide student performance. She is a strong advocate of technology, data usage, and active learning principles as tools to enhance student learning.
Dr. Gwendalyn L. Chambers
Assistant Director of Simulation
Assistant Professor gwendalyn.chambers@hamptonu.edu  757.637.3268
Dr. Gwendalyn Chambers is the Director of Student Academic Support Services here at Hampton University, School of Nursing. She is a graduate from Capella University, with a Doctorate in Education, specialized in Leadership and Management. She holds a Bachelorette in Psychology, a Masters in Marriage and Family Counseling, specializing in Substance Abuse and Mental Health. In addition she has a Post-Masters in College teaching and Adult Education.
Dr. Chambers is a Retired Army Veteran and a member of the National Society of Leadership Success (NSLS). NSLS is the nation’s largest leadership honor society that empowers the next generations of leaders. After her Retirement from the US Army in 2012, Dr. Chambers practiced as an Academic Counselor, Mental Health Counselor for transitional Soldiers and Assistant Counselor for a Rehabilitation Organization. In addition, Dr. Chamber has devoted her time to teaching Leadership Skills in her local community and high schools. Her influence to leadership skills, styles, and self-reflection comes from the coined term by Robert Greenleaf “Servant Leader.”  Dr. Chambers states “Leadership is all about serving others, and her Military Values LDRSHIP (Loyalty, Duty, Respect, Selfless Service, Honor, Integrity, and Personal Courage).” She adds,” One should have loyalty to organization, a sense of duty to assist where and when one can, respect for all people, learn to set self aside to assist others in their goals, consider it an honor to serve others, have integrity at all time, and develop the personal courage to see things through to the end.”
Dr. Maria Grace Amendola
Associate Professormariagrace.amendola@hamptonu.edu}Â Â 757.727.6537Â
Dr. Maria Grace Amendola is an Associate Professor in the School of Nursing Department of Graduate Nursing Education. Dr. Amendola earned her PhD and Master’s in Nursing, University of Connecticut.Â
Â
Most of Dr. Amendola’s entire professional career as a nurse has included some involvement and advocacy regarding health disparities.  Dr. Amendola is committed to helping underserved communities who are experiencing social inequities to have access to and participation in healthcare. At a young age, she volunteered for local community services including soup kitchens, Hospice, and a group home for the mentally challenged. Since becoming a registered nurse in 1993, she has worked in oncology, geriatrics, and various community nursing positions and settings. As a diabetes educator for Americorps, she worked with underserved communities in five RI community health centers (CHC). As a community health nurse supervisor at RI’s Crossroads homeless clinic, she provided health services, referrals, and advocacy. As a graduate student intern, she worked in the National Health Corps’ SEARCH program with the RI Department of Health to provide education to CHCs clerical staff in the prevention of dental caries.
Â
Dr. Amendola’s approach to educating nursing students and community members is aligned with Paolo Friere’s (1993) critical social theory (CST). The students, community members, and educator, work collaboratively to solve problems. Students and community members must be critical co-investigators in a dialogue process, and the information provided must be with the students and community in mind. Having used CST in a clinical, classroom, and research setting, has enriched her life as a nurse, educator, and researcher.
Â
Dr. Amendola is committed to service-learning, education, and community-based participatory research, including supporting an interdisciplinary approach to research collaboration with students, faculty, and underserved communities. With this foundation, nursing students can be well-equipped to be our future leaders in eliminating health disparities.
Â
Dr. Amendola also practice a complimentary healing modality, Therapeutic Touch (TT). She is a practitioner and teacher. Therapeutic Touch (TT) was created by Dolores Krieger, PhD, RN and Dora Kunz. Therapeutic touch is a contemporary interpretation of several ancient healing practices, it is a consciously directed process of energy exchange during which the practitioner uses the hands as a focus to facilitate the healing process. In 2016 Nanda approved TT diagnosis; Impaired energy field.
Dr. AnnMarie Kopitzke
Associate Professor annmarie.koptizke@hamptonu.edu  757.727.5678
Dr. AnnMarie Kopitzke an Associate Professor at Hampton University, in the School of Nursing – Health Sciences, and collaborative research focuses on chronic diseases and aging health issues. Dr. Kopitzke has a broad background in health services research, with specific emphasis on the access to care and treatment options, given financial constraints. She has worked on diverse grants that include: childhood immunizations, cultural competency, nurse practitioners and the elderly, medication management; domestic abuse (heterosexual/same sex partners), teen obesity, and neighborhood satisfaction. In addition, collaboration with other researchers produced several peer-reviewed publications and presentations. Dr. Kopitzke has familiarity with all phases of research: 1) designing research studies; 2) conducting; 3) supervising and 4) research support (survey administration, data collection & entry; database management; as well as statistical analysis using SPSS/SAS).Dr. Kopitzke has taught Health Services Research to emerging undergraduate scholars with classes of 60+ students per semester). Dr. Kopitzke’s work with Senior Services of Southeastern Virginia (SSEVA), allowed her to assist older adults with managing their chronic illnesses (such as diabetes mellitus) with increased access to their prescribed medications. During 2018-2020, my academic career was disrupted due to organizational changes at my former university and burnout (non-tenured track with heavy course loads and no administrative support). However, upon returning to higher education (in a tenure track), her focus is on aging populations and diabetic related research. My diverse background in business, public administration and health services research make me uniquely qualified to approach diabetes mellitus research from a holistic position of disease management. In summary, Dr. Kopitzke has the research experience, administrative and leadership skills, as well the expertise working with aging populations (with chronic illnesses) necessary to successfully carry out the proposed research project.
Dr. Ethlyn McQueen-Gibson
Associate Professor & Director, Gerontology Center for Excellence ethlyn.gibson@hamptonu.edu 757.727.5657
Dr. McQueen-Gibson was appointed as associate professor in the School of Nursing and director for the Gerontology Center for Excellence that will focus on developing inter-professional health care providers to deliver care for older adults, developing community-based programs to address social determinants of health for older adults and lead community-engaged research with a focus on helping older adults live healthy lives.
Dr. McQueen-Gibson said, “The population of Virginians age 65 and older are expected to double between 2010 and 2030, almost one in five Virginians will be considered a senior citizen, according to statistics from the University of Virginia’s Weldon Cooper Center for Public Service. Hampton University is uniquely placed to be a leader in Hampton Roads in working with providing community education for older adults and caregivers, working along with policymakers, leading research efforts and preparing future health care providers. I am very excited to begin this journey to help our older citizens live healthy lives and continue being productive citizens in the Commonwealth!”
Prior to assuming to the role at Hampton University, Dr. McQueen-Gibson spent two years at Virginia Commonwealth University as part of the Richmond Health & Wellness Program. In this role, she served as an advanced practice nurse and clinical researcher providing care for community-dwelling older adults in low-income apartment buildings in the inner city of Richmond. Her clinical research focuses on developing models of care for custodial African American grandmothers raising their grandchildren with a focus of addressing management of chronic disease. Her community-engaged research with fellow VCU team members has also addressed nutrition insecurity, social isolation and it’s effect on older adults. Her clinical research focuses on developing community-based interventions for custodial African American grandmothers, ages 45-65, caring for their grandchildren under the age of 18, the effects of stress on management of chronic diseases of type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease.
She holds a Doctor of Nursing Practice degree from Ursuline College in Cleveland, OH, a Master of Science degree in Nursing from the Medical College of Georgia in Augusta, GA; and a Bachelor of Science degree in Nursing from Ursuline College in Cleveland, OH. She has practiced nursing for over 35 years to include clinical and administrative positions, and is a veteran having served as a commissioned officer in the U.S. Army Nurse Corps on active and reserve duty.
Dr. Jacqueline V. Kane Parham
Clinical Coordinator jacqueline.parham@hamptonu.edu 757.727.2546
Dr. Jacqueline (Jackie) V. Kane Parham earned a B.S.N. from Sojourner-Douglass College, a B.S. from Columbus State University, a M.A. (Education {curriculum and development}) from Delaware State University, and a Ph.D. from University of Maryland Eastern Shore. Dr. Parham is a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. Dr. Parham has a Daughter named Alynn Parham earned a M.A. Ed. (curriculum and development) from William & Mary and a B.A. from Virginia State University. Dr. Parham takes great joy in being an advocate for children through legislation.
Dr. Jacqueline Sharpe
Assistant Professor jacqueline.sharpe@hamptonu.edu757.727.5673
Dr. Jacqueline Sharpe is an Assistant Professor of Nursing who is from Suffolk, Virginia. She has practiced in her profession as a registered nurse for 46 years. Near 30 years of that time was spent as a Navy Nurse Corps Officer, culminating to the final rank of Captain (06). She moved progressively through her career from being a staff nurse to Director of Nursing; Head of all Education and Training at Portsmouth Naval Hospital; and Head of all Navy Medicine training and education for the Mid-Atlantic Region. She was Head of the Managed Care Division when the Navy moved to that change of health care delivery. Professional experiences outside the United States include living in the Caribbean area for about 4 years. She was selected by Old Dominion University (ODU) to stand up the undergraduate public health concentration and assisted with the start-up of the graduate program in public health as well. Dr. Sharpe was the sole writer for the 25-year-old Health Sciences Degree Program when it received its first and second Association of University Programs in Health Administration (AUPHA) national certification. She is a member of 3 national honor societies and 9 other professional organizations, including the College of Healthcare Executives. She received the Excellence in Teaching Award twice while at the College of Health Sciences at ODU; each award was based on a three-year period. She is the recipient of numerous professional awards as well, such as the Alumni Achiever’s Award for outstanding accomplishments from her undergrad school, Winston Salem State University. Her master’s degree in Nursing is from the University of Maryland and her PhD is from Old Dominion University. Her interest in the health care field are multiple and includes administration, management, public health, and health disparities. Dr. Sharpe is also a certified health education specialist (CHES) and is very capable of development of community health promotion programs. Her research priority is working with vulnerable populations for improving health outcomes
Thomasena Wicker
Instructor thomasena.wicker@hamptonu.edu  757.727.5527