First Male Student Earns Ph.D. in Nursing from Idaho State University

A recent graduate, Isaac Ayabei is the first male student to earn a Ph.D. in nursing from Idaho State University. Ayabei's Ph.D. dissertation research was titled: “A Qualitative Study of the Experiences of African Refugee Women with Physical and Mental Health Care Needs While Living in Refugee Camps and have Resettled in Boise, Idaho” and was supervised by dissertation chair, Mary A. Nies, PhD, RN, FAAN, FAAHB.

Ayabei developed an interest in the experiences of immigrants and refugees because of his personal immigration journey. As an immigrant who moved from Kenya to Idaho 23 years ago, he related with the experiences of moving away from home and starting life in a new place in the world. Ayabei possesses reading and writing fluency in the Swahili language that is widely spoken and written in East African countries, providing translation services with East African immigrants and refugees in Idaho.

Ayabei recently disseminated his dissertation research findings as a peer-reviewed research poster at the Western Institute of Nursing Research Conference in Spokane, WA.

Ayabei received his undergraduate bachelor's degree in nursing at Idaho State University in December 2006. During his undergraduate years, he was a member of the African Students Association and served as a math tutor.