Melissa Spezia Faulkner PhD, RN, FAAN

Melissa Spezia Faulkner has been appointed as professor and associate dean for nursing in the Byrdine F. Lewis School of Nursing and Health Professions, effective August 1. She will also hold the Lewis Distinguished Chair in Nursing.

Faulkner previously served as associate dean for educational innovation at Emory University’s Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing.

Faulkner’s research focuses on pediatric health care, primarily for children with type 1 and type 2 diabetes, aiming to improve outcomes for these youth and their families. She received National Institutes of Health funding for her research on early identification of cardiovascular risks and personalized exercise programs for adolescents with diabetes or who are at risk for diabetes. She served on the American Diabetes Association’s National Medical and Scientific Oversight Committee from 2008-2012 and was the president of the Phoenix Chapter of the American Diabetes Association’s Community Leadership Board from 2011-2013.

Faulkner holds a Ph.D. from the University of Alabama at Birmingham, a master’s degree in nursing from the University of Evansville, and a bachelor’s degree in nursing from Southern Illinois University. She was elected as a Fellow of the American Academy of Nursing in 2007.