LAFAYETTE, LA — Advanced Practice Education Associates (APEA) has established a scholarship at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette (UL Lafayette) that will help support and develop future nurse practitioners. The Dr. Amelie Hollier/APEA Endowed Graduate Scholarship in Nursing is awarded each semester to an NP or DNP student at the university.

The gift reflects the commitment of APEA’s owners to the development of new nurse practitioners, as well as their appreciation for UL Lafayette. Amelie Hollier, DNP, FNP-BC, FAANP, the CEO and president of APEA, earned undergraduate degrees in chemistry and nursing, as well as a master of science in nursing, from UL Lafayette. Jeanie Doucet, MBA, MT (ASCP), the COO and vice president of APEA, earned a bachelor’s degree in microbiology as well as a master’s in business administration from the university.

“We are proud to provide this gift to the University of Louisiana College of Nursing & Allied Health Professions,” Dr. Hollier said. “This scholarship will assist nurses who want to further their careers through graduate education and advanced practice.”

“Since we established our company in 1997, APEA has been dedicated to the education and professional growth of nurse practitioners,” Doucet said. “This endowment is another tangible representation of that commitment.”

“We very much appreciate and thank Dr. Hollier and Ms. Doucet for sponsoring this scholarship for students enrolled in our master of science in nursing program’s family nurse practitioner option,” said Melinda G. Oberleitner, DNS, RN, FAAN, dean of the College of Nursing & Allied Health Professions at UL Lafayette. “We are grateful that alumni such as Dr. Hollier and Ms. Doucet recognize the importance of active financial support for our students and graduate programs. Such support allows us to strengthen our program offerings and to recruit and retain outstanding graduate students.”

Since the Dr. Amelie Hollier/APEA Endowed Graduate Scholarship in Nursing was established in fall 2020, the UL Lafayette College of Nursing & Allied Health Professions has selected two recipients: Anna Edgecomb and Whitney Jones. “We congratulate these recipients and wish them much success in their program and in their careers as nurse practitioners,” Dr. Hollier said.

Photo courtesy UL Lafayette. From left, Nicole Jones, development officer for the UL Lafayette College of Nursing & Allied Health Professions; Jeanie Doucet, MBA, MT (SCP), vice president and COO of APEA; Amelie Hollier, DNP, FNP-BC, FAANP, president and CEO of APEA; and Melinda Oberleitner, DNS, RN, FAAN, dean of the College of Nursing & Allied Health Professions at UL Lafayette.