Associate Professor of Nursing
Dr. Laura Garcia is a graduate of Silliman University College of Nursing, Philippines. She completed a second bachelor’s degree in Communications at Kean University and graduated summa cum laude. She has also earned two master’s degrees in nursing, and finished her Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) degree at Fairleigh Dickinson University. Dr. Garcia served as an Assistant Dean at the Long Island College Hospital School of Nursing in Brooklyn, New York, a position she held briefly until the school closed in August 2013. She also held a position as a Level I Coordinator, Educational Resources Coordinator, and Assistant Professor in the same institution.
For over 30 years Dr. Garcia has been a nurse clinician, primarily in Maternal-Child and Pediatrics, and has over fifteen years’ experience as an educator. Her long-time specialty is in Maternal-Child, and her other passion, aside from Obstetrics, is Pediatrics. She has taught in the various institutions including: New York University Rory Meyers College of Nursing (NY), Pace University (NY), SUNY Downstate (NY), and Trinitas School of Nursing (NJ), to name a few.
Dr. Garcia is a Volunteer Global Ambassador for the Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society of Nursing (Sigma). She was instrumental in the launching of the Silliman University College of Nursing Honor Society in the Philippines in 2014, which was chartered as the Psi Beta Chapter of Sigma in 2016. Psi Beta Chapter is the first Sigma Chapter in the Philippines.
Dr. Garcia actively participates in various professional organizations and has served two terms as the Press Relations Officer of the Philippine Nurses Association of New Jersey (PNANJ), and also served as one of the Board of Directors. Dr. Garcia has been invited as Balik Talent lecturer at her Alma matter, Silliman University, Philippines and has presented topics on Holistic Nursing, Quality of Life, and Pregnancy and Heart Disease. Balik Talent means to return to one’s school and share one’s talent through lectures, talks, and other means of presentations. She has written research, unpublished theses, and published dissertation paper. She has been published in the Holistic Nursing Practice Journal and was featured in The FilAm Who’s Who Magazine, The Fil Am Magazine, OSM Online Magazine, Asian Journal, and Makilala TV.
Dr. Garcia is a recipient of various awards, honors, and scholarships. She was recognized by former Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz as one of the recipients of the Brooklyn Nursing Partnership (BNP) Scholarship. She was featured in the Who’s Who Among Students in American Universities and Colleges and a recipient of the Janet Knup Award for Outstanding Clinical Practice at the Long Island College Hospital.
As an educator, Dr. Garcia is a recipient of the Pan American Concerned Citizen’s Action League’s (PACCAL) Women Achiever Award, Education Category; the United Federation Of Fil-Am Educator’s Inc.’s (UNIFFIED) Most Influential Teacher Award; the Association of Filipino Teachers in Eastern America’s (AFTEA, Inc.) Filipino International Teaching Service (FITS) Award; and the Association of Fil-American Teachers of America, Inc.’s (AFTA) America’s Finest Teacher Award – Ulirang Guro 2017 Post Secondary Level.
Dr. Garcia has been avidly active in Filipino and non-Filipino community concerns, having received a 2017 Citation for Academic Excellence and Community Leadership by New York State Assemblyman Brian Barnwell. For two terms, Dr. Garcia also serves in the Manhattan Community Board District Five (CB5). Dr. Garcia is committed to the pursuit of excellence in clinical nursing practice, education, research, and leadership. Her personal and professional commitment extends to help prepare quality nurses who would ensure the best outcomes for patient and families. Dr. Garcia’s most recent achievement is her appointment as an on-site evaluator for the National League for Nursing Commission for Nursing Education Accreditation (NLN CNEA).
