Paula V. Nersesian

Upon graduation, Dr. Nersesian joined the faculty at Johns Hopkins School of Nursing. Then, after living in the Washington, DC area for 33 years, she moved to Maine and joined the faculty of the University of Southern Maine School of Nursing in Portland where she will become a tenured Associated Professor and a Faculty Senator in September 2023.

As a public health specialist, Dr. Nersesian has been striving to improve health, health care, and health services for underserved populations her entire career. In her work, she focuses on health promotion and disease prevention across the life span and draws on her expertise in overseas and domestic health programs to bring health interventions with populations, families, and individuals into focus. Currently, she is implementing the CAPABLE Program in Androscoggin County, Maine in collaboration with Lewiston Housing and the Occupational Therapy Department of the University of Southern Maine. She is also collaborating with Dr. Wendy Looman, Principal Investigator of the University of Minnesota on Dr. Looman’s Tip Top Kids Study. Dr. Nersesian is active in the International Family Nursing Association and co-authored their position statement on planetary health and family health.

Dr. Nersesian guides undergraduate and graduate students in live and online courses in community and public health and health policy. She is a Certified Nurse Educator and has earned Micro-credential Badges (Levels 1-3) in Adult Learning and Teaching. She routinely participates in faculty fellowships to hone her teaching skills and is currently enrolled in a yearlong course to develop her online teaching skills.

Dr. Nersesian earned her Master of Public Health degree at Johns Hopkins University School of Hygiene and Public Health and graduated with honors from the University of Michigan, School of Nursing in Ann Arbor with a Bachelor’s of Science in Nursing.