Kerry Peterson (PhD, DNP, MSN, BSN) was appointed to CU Anschutz Nursing’s Psychiatric Mental Health Endowed Professorship. Previously held by Dr. Mary Weber, the appointment was reviewed by a group of faculty who made the recommendation and approved by Dean Provencio-Vasquez.

Dr. Kerry Peterson is an Associate Professor at the University of Colorado Anschutz College of Nursing and the Specialty Director of the Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner program. Peterson earned her PhD in Nursing from Johns Hopkins University, her DNP, MSN, and BSN at Shenandoah University and a BA in Psychology at the University of Colorado. She has over 10 years of experience as a nurse educator teaching in classroom, clinical, and online learning environments.

Her clinical experience includes psychiatric inpatient, outpatient, residential/shelter, and campus settings with an emphasis in psychotherapy, crisis interventions, and trauma-informed care. She has worked extensively with survivors of dating violence and domestic violence as well as primary prevention programs for interpersonal violence across the lifespan. Peterson’s research interests include prevention and interventions for intimate partner violence and mental illness. She is passionate about psychiatric mental health nursing education, research, practice, and advocacy to reduce the stigma of mental illness and increase access to high quality mental health care services.

Dr. Peterson is dedicated to continuing her proven track record of excellence in PMHNP teaching, scholarship, and leadership, and the Psychiatric Mental Health Endowed Professorship will greatly help support her efforts.