It is with great sadness that we acknowledge the death of Beverly McElmurry, EdD, RN, FAAN, who served as an Advances in Nursing Science (ANS) reviewer since the early 1980s. It is fitting that we recognize the significance of Dr McElmurry's life and work in this issue of ANS devoted to the topic of Emancipatory Scholarship. Throughout her career, Dr McElmurry worked tirelessly to improve the health and well-being of people and communities throughout the world, establishing notable community projects founded on principles of nurse leadership and grassroots community activism to create change.
Dr McElmurry was Professor of Nursing, and Associate Dean of the University of Illinois at Chicago's College of Nursing Global Health Leadership Office. Her many achievements include the 1987 Midwest Nursing Research Society Senior Researcher Award, the 2001 Midwest Nursing Research Society Distinguished Service Award, and the University of Illinois at Chicago College of Nursing Faculty Excellence Award from the Graduate Student Organization in 1988, 1992, 1998, and 2010. She also received the 2009 Joan L. Shaver Illinois Outstanding Nurse Leader Award and was selected as one of the University of Minnesota's 100 Distinguished Nursing Alumni.
In the early 1980s, when ANS was in the early stages of development, JoAnn Ashley suggested that I contact Dr McElmurry as a possible reviewer because of her vision of the potential for nurses to create community-based programs to serve the needs of underserved and neglected populations. When I contacted her, she gladly accepted the invitation to be involved in this journal of little-known stature and reputation. Throughout the years she rarely turned down a request to review a manuscript and consistently provided detailed and constructive feedback to assist authors in developing their work for publication.
Many years later I referred Elissa Dresden to her. Elissa had recently graduated from the University of Colorado Nurse Doctorate program and was looking for postgraduate opportunities to develop innovative international community-based approaches to health care. Here is what Elissa told me when she wrote about Beverly's death: "...been thinking a lot about Bev today. What an amazing woman. Thank you so much for suggesting I contact her so many years ago."
Beverly's work exemplified the very best of emancipatory scholarship. She had a clear vision of future possibilities, understood the constraints of social and political structures, believed in the power of nursing as to provide leadership and support in making change, and trusted people to be active participants in creating better circumstances for themselves and their communities. I know she would have been thrilled with the content of this issue of the journal!! I hope that the articles in this issue will provide inspiration to all and prompt renewed passion for the kinds of changes that Dr McElmurry created in her lifetime.
Editor
-Peggy L. Chinn, PhD, RN, FAAN