Former Northern Michigan President, Kerri Schuiling, was inducted into the inaugural class of the Frontier Nursing University (FNU) Alumni Hall of Fame in recognition of her distinguished career as a nurse-midwife, nurse practitioner and educator. The induction ceremony was held last month at the Kentucky Castle in Versailles, Ky.
“It's one of the most significant honors I have received,” said Schuiling. “There are no words to express how absolutely flattered, humbled and excited I am. It's the perfect culmination of an absolutely wonderful career.”
Also an NMU alumna, Schuiling earned her bachelor's degree in nursing, summa cum laude, in 1973 before starting her career in labor and delivery at a small hospital in Petoskey. She went on to earn a master's degree in maternity nursing from Wayne State University in 1980 and a doctorate in nursing from the University of Michigan in 2003.
“As long as I can remember, I always wanted to be a nurse,” Dr. Schuiling said. “It was Life Magazine's April 1965 issue, “Drama of Life Before Birth,” that sparked my fascination with reproductive physiology, which later evolved into a passion for caring for families during birth.”
Early in her career, Schuiling became one of the first nurse practitioners in western Michigan and one of the earliest to achieve national certification when the NP certification process was introduced.
In 1991, she graduated as part of Frontier's first community-based nurse midwifery education program class. She played a pivotal role in FNU's distance education program, demonstrating an early commitment to expanding access to midwifery education. This laid the foundation for her academic and higher education career.
Schuiling helped establish credentialing standards for nurses and midwives in Grand Rapids and Boulder, Colo. She co-authored Gynecologic Healthcare (formerly Women's Gynecological Health) with fellow Frontier graduate Francie Likis. The textbook, now in its fourth edition, has twice received the American College of Nurse-Midwives Book of the Year Award and is widely regarded as the “Gold Standard” for gynecologic care.
At NMU, Schuiling served in multiple leadership roles, including provost and vice president of Academic Affairs, before completing a term as president of the university. She earned the title of emeritus distinguished professor and serves as vice chair of the FNU Board of Directors.
Her many honors include the Dorothea Lang Pioneer Award from the ACNM Foundation, recognition as one of Michigan's Esteemed Women, the Crain's Notable Women in Education Leadership Award and a Zonta International Award for her advocacy for women, equality and education.