Hopla and Myers named FMU Trustees’ Research Scholars

Dr. Deborah Hopla, a professor of nursing, and Dr. Jeannette M. Myers, a professor of astronomy, have been named Francis Marion University’s newest Board of Trustees’ Research Scholars.

FMU President Fred Carter presented Hopla and Myers with the prestigious recognition during a luncheon at Ervin Dining Hall on campus Tuesday afternoon.

The Board of Trustees’ Research Scholars program was formed in 2002 and is designed to recognize substantial and sustained scholarship by members of the faculty. Appointments are awarded to senior faculty members who have compiled a significant record of research and publication, and who show promise of continued scholarly productivity.

The three-year appointment is renewable and includes a reduced teaching load with a salary supplement.

Hopla joined FMU’s nursing faculty in 2012 and is the director of the Family Nurse Practitioner tracks in the Master of Science in Nursing and Doctor of Nursing Practice programs. She specializes in research surrounding health policy issues for nurse practitioners, pain management, sexual and reproductive health issues, and bridging social determinants of health. Hopla is a Fellow in the American Association of Nurse Practitioners and chairs the S.C. Board of Nursing Advisory Committee for Nursing Education. She has received numerous awards including the SC Palmetto Gold Award, published twenty-five peer-reviewed articles, and secured research grants totaling more than $5 million.

She received her Bachelor of Science in Nursing from the Medical University of South Carolina’s satellite program at FMU and earned both the Master of Science in Nursing and Doctor of Nursing Practice from the University of South Carolina.

Myers has been a professor at Francis Marion since 2003 and is the Director of the Dooley Planetarium and FMU Observatory. She has presented nearly 2,000 programs to over 79,600 visitors to the planetarium. With research interest in the field of astrophysics, she is the author of numerous peer-reviewed publications, abstracts, and presentations that describe and analyze the dynamics of galaxy collisions. She has also been involved in funded research projects totaling over $1.2 million. Myers has been recognized for her excellence in teaching and scholarship and was named the 2015-2016 FMU Distinguished Professor.

She earned her Bachelor of Science in Physics and Astronomy from Minnesota State University at Mankato and the Master of Science in Physics and Ph. D. in Astrophysics from Clemson University.