"Nanle is a kind, caring, and compassionate leader and colleague who is most deserving of honoring his research and commitment to Iowa and Iowa Nursing." – Sarah Hansen

Hometown: Jos, Plateau State, and Mushere, Bokkos Local Government, Plateau State, Nigeria

Faculty mentor/advisor: Karen Dunn Lopez, PhD, MPH, RN, FAAN, professor, director, Center for Nursing Classification & Clinical Effectiveness, College of Nursing

Nanle Joseph Gusen aims to improve holistic well-being for those who have experienced trauma by studying patients’ spiritual needs and outcomes following spiritual nursing interventions. His work also explores innovative methods for using generative artificial intelligence to support literature reviews and data analysis, streamlining the resource-intensive process of extracting clinical data to support clinical decision-making. 

“Being involved in research was the best decision I ever made about my academic pathway,” says Gusen. 

Gusen’s research has already earned distinction: his abstract, Predictors of Spiritual Distress in Polytrauma Patients, was selected as a Distinguished Abstract by the Midwest Nursing Research Conference.

After graduation, Gusen plans to pursue a faculty role focused on research, teaching, and service, mentoring nursing and other healthcare professional students worldwide to advance whole-person care.