Meet Hall of Fame Inductee Dr. Melissa Avery
The College of Nursing is now accepting nominations for the third class of Hall of Fame inductees. Click here to nominate a distinguished nursing leader by March 31!
Melissa D. Avery, PhD, CNM, FACNM, FAAN, is a professor at the University of Minnesota School of Nursing. She received her bachelor of science degree in nursing at Northern Illinois University in 1976. After earning the master of science in nursing at the University of Kentucky in 1981, she began full-scope midwifery practice in Minneapolis, Minnesota which she continued for 25 years. Dr. Avery completed the PhD in nursing at the University of Minnesota in 1994 and has directed the nurse-midwifery education program since 1995, a specialty within the DNP program since 2009. Dr. Avery has been a pioneer in distance education having led multiple HRSA funded projects to develop quality hybrid distance education programs and simulation experiences in midwifery and several nurse practitioner specialties. She was inducted into the University of Minnesota, Academic Health Center, Academy of Excellence in the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning and is a member of the Academy of Distinguished Teachers at the University of Minnesota.
Dr. Avery’s background in research includes examining exercise as a therapy in gestational diabetes, including under-represented populations, and research focused on vaginal birth after cesarean. Her current research is examining prenatal care practices to enhance maternal confidence for physiological labor and birth. In addition, she is Co-Principal Investigator on a nationally funded project to develop and implement an interprofessional education curriculum for graduate midwifery students and ob-gyn residents. Along with a record of peer reviewed publications, Dr. Avery is editor of the book Supporting a Physiologic Approach to Pregnancy and Birth: A Practical Guide (Wiley Blackwell, 2013) and co-editor of the forthcoming book Freestanding Birth Centers: Innovation, Evidence, Optimal Outcomes (Springer, in press). Dr. Avery is currently a board member of the Accreditation Commission for Midwifery Education and is a past president of the American College of Nurse-Midwives. She is a Fellow in the American College of Nurse-Midwives and the American Academy of Nursing.
