Kimberly Acquaviva

Dr. Kimberly D. Acquaviva, Betty Norman Norris Endowed Professor at the University of Virginia School of Nursing, is nationally known as an innovator and authority on lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and/or questioning (LGBTQ) aging and end-of-life issues as well as a leader on interprofessional aging research and policy.

Early in her career, Kim – a social worker and scholar – cared for patients and families facing life-limiting illness in hospitals and hospice settings, work that ultimately shaped her research interest in LGBTQ aging and end-of-life issues. In the classroom, Kim has taught topics that touch both nursing and medicine.

A Fulbright Scholar, an award-winning educator, a much-feted LGBTQ advocate, and an often-tapped national leader and scholar, Kim is the author of the book entitled LGBTQ-Inclusive Hospice and Palliative Care: A Practical Guide to Transforming Professional Practice (Columbia University Press: 2017), which has received the American Journal of Nursing’s Book of the Year Award in the Palliative Care and Hospice category. Her new book, The Handbook of LGBTQIA-Inclusive Hospice & Palliative Care, will be published by Columbia University Press in Fall 2023. She's the host of em dash podcast, a show that explores the lived experiences of patients and healthcare professionals in the healthcare arena. She is also a member of the Academy of Distinguished Teachers and winner of the 2011 Bender Teaching Award.