Degree Program: Ph.D. in Nursing Science
Expected Graduation: May 2023
INDIANAPOLIS, Ind., January 31, 2022—Matthew describes his experience as a Bepko Scholar as an extremely fulfilling one. As an undergraduate student, he discovered his passion for research through the Life–Health Sciences Internship Program, which inspired him to pursue a Ph.D. in Nursing Science. Matthew believes that the Bepko Fellows program builds on the foundation of the Bepko Scholars program and provides additional opportunities for fellows to serve the campus community and the city of Indianapolis. As a Bepko Scholar, Matthew served as a manager for the Indiana University Student Outreach Clinic (IUSOC), where he provided care, free of charge, to members of the local community. During his time volunteering for the IUSOC, he worked with hundreds of nursing students to assist them in caring for the patients in the clinic. Mathew also volunteered at annual flu vaccine clinics on campus to help campus health staff vaccinate students, faculty, and staff. His most memorable moments as an IUPUI student have been volunteering at the IUSOC and being named a Clinical Ethics Fellow at IU Health. Matthew plans to pursue a postdoctoral fellowship and become a tenure-track professor in a school of nursing in higher education, where he will impact and inspire nursing students through education and service. He enjoys hiking with his wife and two dogs, Winston and Willis, and continues to be inspired by the health care professionals and faculty on the front lines of the COVID-19 pandemic.