Open SUNY Online Teaching Ambassador 2016 – Stony Brook: Kelly Walker

Kelly Caramore Walker, DNP, CNM, is an Assistant Professor and program director for the Nurse Midwifery Program at Stony Brook University School of Nursing. It is a distance education program with onsite requirements. She has been an Assistant Professor at Stony Brook University at since 2012. Prior to that, Dr. Walker was a member of the Regional Perinatal Center at Upstate Medical University as a Certified Nurse Midwife and faculty member for 12 years. Her clinical experience also included seven years in nursing at New York University. Her current practice includes midwifery care in the outpatient setting. She holds a Bachelor and Master’s degree in nursing from New York University and Doctorate in Nursing Practice from Stony Brook University. Dr. Walker also completed a Post Doctorate fellowship in leadership and education at Stony Brook University.

Dr. Walker’s clinical scholarship includes improving maternal fetal outcomes and access to health care for vulnerable populations. Specific areas of interest include identifying women at risk for postpartum depression, decreasing elective induction of labor rates and improving access to care for the LGBT community. Her scholarship in education includes promoting mentorship of midwifery students and evaluation and outcome evaluation in midwifery education. Dr. Walker serves as one of the two representatives for the School of Nursing in the Ipad initiative program at Stony Brook University.

Dr. Walker holds an appointment on the Board of Midwifery for New York State. In addition, she is currently a member of committees in the School of Nursing for curriculum development and evaluations and outcomes. She has served as chairperson of the academic admissions and standards committee of the School of Nursing. Dr. Walker also is a member of the Directors of Midwifery Education in the American College of Nurse Midwives in addition to the education committees for test construction and curriculum development.

Dr. Walker has received excellence in teaching awards from Stony Brook University School of Nursing and the American College of Nurse Midwives. She is committed to improving access to online education for graduate students. She is dedicated to incorporating innovative technology to enhancing the online learning.

It is an honor to be recognized as an ambassador and advocate for online teaching. The online Nurse Midwifery Program at Stony Brook University is one of the pioneers in online education and has enabled nurses representing a broad geographic region to engage in high quality graduate education. This education has in turn promoted improved maternal fetal outcomes and improved access to health care many families in underserved areas. I am committed to the education of students in an online format with best practice, innovative curriculum development and creating a community of scholars.