College of Nursing Faculty & Staff


Deborah Kenny

Deborah Kenny PhD, RN, FAAN

Associate Professor Division Chair of Health Systems, Leadership, and Informatics
  • College of Nursing

Email Address:deborah.kenny@cuanschutz.edu

Primary Phone:303-724-8527

Mailing Address:
  • CU Anschutz

Education II North

13120 East 19th Avenue

Aurora, CO 80045

Deb Kenny received her BSN from the University of Northern Colorado; a Master’s in Education from Boston University; Master of Science in Nursing from Vanderbilt University; Master of Arts from Loyola University, and her PhD in Nursing from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. She is an Associate Professor and HSLI Division Chair at the University of Colorado College of Nursing. Dr. Kenny is retired after 24 years from the US Army Nurse Corps and held various positions while in the military, including as a Nursing Scientist at the former Walter Reed Army Medical Center and as the Executive Director of the TriService Nursing Research Program. She is a member of the Order of Military Medical Merit. Dr. Kenny was awarded an Outstanding Alumni Award from the Graduate School of the University of Massachusetts, Amherst (2008) and was inducted as a Fellow of the American Academy of Nursing in 2010. In 2017, Dr. Kenny was selected as an Ambassador for the Friends of the National Institute for Nursing Research. She also received a Nightingale Luminary award for the Pikes Peak Region for outstanding advocacy in nursing.

Her research interests include women veterans in the areas of homelessness and healthcare as well as moral injury and resilience. She has numerous publications in various topics in nursing and women veterans. She is currently on the Military/Veterans expert panel and Chair of the Bioethics expert panel for the American Academy of Nursing. She is the Vice Chair of the Colorado State Children’s Trust Fund Board of Directors. She also serves on the Ethics Education Subcommittee for the ANA Ethics Advisory Board, is part of the Colorado Health Ethics Resources group, is on the Board of Directors for the Innovations in Aging Collaboration, and the Colorado Veteran’s Engagement Advisory Group, working to ensure all Coloradans receive needed services. In her spare time, she rides and shows her Icelandic horses.

Areas of Expertise

  • Evidence-Based Practice, Leadership, Research Methods

Education, Licensure & Certifications

  • PhD, Nursing, University of Massachusetts, Amherst 1998
  • MA, Bioethics, Loyola University, Chicago, 2021
  • MS, Nursing, Vanderbilt University, 1986
  • EdM, Organizational and Systems Development, Boston University, 1984
  • BS, Nursing, University of Northern Colorado, 1975

Awards

  • 2020 Johnson Beth-El College Research Award
  • 2020 Daniels Fund Ethics Initiative Fellow
  • 2018 Western Institute of Nursing Scholar Award
  • 2017 Colorado Springs Nightingale Luminary Award with State Recognition
  • 2016 Outstanding Contributions to UCCS Pre-Collegiate Program for HRSA Boot Camp
  • 2015 UCCS Million Dollar Club for obtaining >$1M in grant funding
  • 2009 Legion of Merit, Uniformed Services University
  • 2009 Defense Meritorious Service Medal, Uniformed Services University
  • 2008 Distinguished Alumna Award for Graduate School 100th Anniversary, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA

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