In Memory of Dr. Maren Coffman: A Cherished Educator, Researcher and Colleague
The UNC Charlotte School of Nursing regrets to inform the Niner Nursing community of the passing of Dr. Maren Coffman, professor in the School of Nursing, on September 29.
Since joining the University in August 2004, Dr. Coffman made a lasting impact through her teaching, research, and service. A registered nurse, she taught a wide range of undergraduate and graduate courses and conducted influential research on population health, health promotion, and access to health care.
“Dr. Coffman was a valued and respected member of the School of Nursing faculty and the broader University community. Her dedication to student success, scholarly excellence and community engagement was truly outstanding. She will be deeply missed,” said Dr. Susan McLennon, director of the School of Nursing.
Fluent in Spanish, Dr. Coffman worked extensively with the Latino community. She was co-investigator on a five-year National Institutes of Health-funded study examining social determinants of health and held multiple internal and external research grants, including the American Nurses Foundation Presidential Scholar Award. In 2009, she was one of only 15 nurse educators nationwide to receive a three-year, $350,000 Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Nurse Faculty Scholar Award.
Dr. Coffman’s academic journey reflected her lifelong dedication to nursing. She earned her Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Weber State University in Ogden, Utah, and later lived in Venezuela for 18 months, where she immersed herself in the culture and became fluent in Spanish. She went on to earn a Master of Science in Nursing from Syracuse University and a Ph.D. in Nursing from the University of Connecticut, where she was honored with the 2005 Outstanding Doctoral Student Award.
Dr. Coffman’s legacy lives on through the students she taught, the communities she served, and the colleagues who admired her passion for nursing, research, and education. She will be remembered with deep gratitude and respect by the School of Nursing and all who had the privilege to know her.