Dr. Elmira Asongwed, BSN Program Director at UDC, is an experienced nurse educator with a focus on community health, brain health in older adults, and health promotion. She has been a nurse educator since 1971, teaching both in-person and online courses. Dr. Asongwed is a lifetime member of the Black Nurses Association and has co-authored publications on aging, cognition, and urban community health. She is actively engaged in research, including a multistate project on aging adults' health. Notable recognitions include 53 years of service in nursing education and a Faculty Award for 50 years at UDC.
Experience
Education
Doctor of Nursing Practice in Educational Leadership, Magna Cum Laude, Post University Master of Science in Community Health Nursing, University of Maryland Bachelor of Science in Nursing, Tuskegee University
Roles
BSN Program Director, UDC, 2022-Present Nurse Educator, Baccalaureate Nursing, 1971-Present
Courses Taught
Community Health Nursing and Population Health Nursing Research Nursing Capstone Health Assessment Theory and Laboratory Gerontological Nursing Discovery Technology Legal Issues and Health Policy Health Assessment Urban Community Health Nursing
Expertise
Clinical Nursing Practicum for Community Health Nursing (Homecare, Caseload Management, Public Health Practice, Epidemiology, and Infection Control)
Research Focus / Works in Progress
Evidence-based educational interventions to promote the health of students, health team, and community members; brain health in older adults;improving the health span of aging adults through diet and physical activity
Leadership
Lifetime Member, Black Nurses Association of the Greater Washington, D.C. Area, 1991-Present Member Editorial Review Board and Consulting Editor, Journal of the National Black Nurses Association, 1998-2017
Impact
Selected Publications
Eubank, J. M., Oberlin, D. J., Alto, A., Sahyoun, N. R., Asongwed, E., Monroe-Lord, L., & Harrison, E. A. (2022). Effects of lifestyle factors on cognition in minority population of older adults: A review. Frontiers in Nutrition, 9, 841070. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnut.2022.841070
Jean-Baptiste, A. M., & Asongwed, E. (2022). Rethinking the order of the learning process: A new and sustainable path designed for an RN-to-BSN education program. Nursing Education Perspectives, 43(1), 57-59. https://doi.org/10.1097/01.NEP.0000000000000657
Jean-Baptiste, A. M., & Asongwed, E. T. (2022). Service learning as an approach to combatting the triad of interrelated diseases in the District of Columbia. In Information Resources Management Association (Ed.), Research anthology on service learning and community engagement teaching practices. IGI Global. https://doi.org/10.4018/978-1-6684-3877-0.ch010
Harrison, E., Monroe-Lord, L., Carson, A. D., Jean-Baptiste, A. M., Phoenix, J., Jackson, P., Harris, B. M., Asongwed, E., & Richardson, M. L. (2021). COVID-19 pandemic-related changes in wellness behavior among older Americans. BMC Public Health, 21(1), 1-11.
Harrison, E. A., Lord, L. M., Asongwed, E., Jackson, P., Johnson-Largent, T., Jean-Baptiste, A. M., Harris, M. B., & Jeffery, T. (2020). Perceptions, opinions, beliefs, and attitudes about physical activity and exercise in urban-community-residing older adults. Journal of Primary Care & Community Health Research, 11, 1-7.
Selected Presentations
Asongwed, E. (2023). Immersive technologies in nursing education. Doctors of Nursing Practice (DNP) of Color (DOC) Annual Meeting, Washington, D.C.
Asongwed, E. (2022). Environmental health and urban sustainability for nursing students. National League for Nursing Education Summit, Las Vegas, Nevada.
Asongwed, E., Ayika, S., & Cato, S. (2022). Mentoring and mindfulness. Sigma Theta Tau International Nursing Conference on Creating Healthy Work Environments, Washington, D.C.
Recognitions
Fifty-three years of educating nursing students, 2025 Faculty Award for 50 Years of Service at the University of the District of Columbia, 2024 Forty-eight years of service to the baccalaureate nursing program, UDC, 2022
