Winner of the Mathy Mezey Scholarship, Kristen is currently enrolled in the PhD program at the University of Wisconsin Milwaukee. The Mathy Mezey Scholarship is dedicated to nurses engaged in graduate geriatric nursing programs.

Kristen graduated with her associate degree in nursing from Waubonsee Community College in 1990. Ms Selig’s professional nursing experience includes medical surgical as well as emergency, clinical care. She worked for 15 years in acute care before returning to school at Northern Illinois University where she obtained her BS in 2010 followed by her MS in nursing education in 2012. Kristen is a member of Sigma Theta Tau Honor Society and a member of the Illinois Medical Emergency Response Team since 2006. Since 2012, Kristen has worked for Northern Illinois University School of Nursing as the Nursing Laboratory and Simulation Director. During this time, she had the opportunity to work with nurse researchers in various capacities. Kristen realized the impact that nurse researchers can have and decided that obtaining a doctoral degree in nursing would allow her to participate in the advancement of nursing knowledge and nursing practice as well as significantly contribute to the health care of people on a larger scale.

In 2015 she began the University of Wisconsin Milwaukee online nursing PhD program. Her research focus is on prescription psychotropic and opiate substance misuse among community dwelling older adults. Her goal is to identify stressors that may predict substance misuse in this population so that earlier identification and treatment can occur. This scholarship opportunity will support Kristen as she completes her coursework and begins the dissertation process.