Monica McLemore — Nurse Researcher Award

Presented to an individual or a group to recognize excellence in nursing research. (The recipient may be asked to present the research in a poster or presentation at the Washington State Nurses Convention or to write a summary of the work for The Washington Nurse.) 

Dr. Monica McLemore is one of the few nurse-scientists with expertise in reproductive health, rights, and justice, grounded in the principles of antiracism. Her research is conducted within a foundational framework of community engagement and accountability. 

She is nationally and internationally renowned and highly innovative, focusing on structurally marginalized populations including Black birthing people, where disparities in mortality by race are 3-fold higher. 

Monica is the interim director of the Center for Anti-Racism at the University of Washington School of Nursing, co-chair of the Black Mamas Matter Alliance, and co-director of the Scholars Program for the National Birth Equity Collaborative. She is also recipient of the Mentor of the Year and Outstanding Leadership award from the Society of Family Planning and American Public Health Association. 

Monica developed a Pregnancy Coronavirus Outcomes Registry that resulted in free toolkits, dashboards, protocols, and public-facing scholarly products for community-based organizations. She has published extensively via publications, op-eds, and podcasts featured in national venues, and is a sought-after speaker. 

Monica has an impressive track record of mentoring and supporting the professional development of diverse scholars and training students in research methods specifically collaborating with communities who are underrepresented in research using community-based approaches. McLemore is a change agent and leading the nation in how to conduct equitable nursing research.