Directory

Susan J. Loeb
PhD, RN, FGSA, FAAN

Professor & Director, PhD Program

119E USB II, University Park

Phone: 814-863-2236

Email: SVL100@psu.edu

Over more than two decades, Loeb’s signature program of research has focused on enhancing the health and health care of people who have grown old, are living with advanced chronic conditions, and/or are approaching end-of-life in prison. Loeb has served as Principal Investigator or Multiple Principal Investigator on six NIH-funded studies as well as Co-I, Mentor, or Co-Sponsor on additional NIH-funded studies. Her most recent work focuses on research, development, and testing of innovative e-learning programs to prepare both prison staff and peer caregivers to contribute to enhancing the geriatric and end-of-life care delivered in prisons. Loeb received two Robert Wood Johnson Future of Nursing Scholars grants that funded two cohorts of two PhD students. Loeb also served as Mentor for a National Hartford Center for Geriatric Nursing Excellence Patricia G. Archbold Pre-doctoral Scholar 2012-2014, and as Co-Sponsor for a Pre-doctoral Scholar’s successful NIH National Service Research Award 2023-2025. In 1996 she was awarded the Evelyn R. Saubel Faculty Award at Penn State University. Loeb has been university faculty for 29+ years across three universities and mentored legions of students who have gone on to be leaders in research, education, practice, and beyond.

Education

• PhD in Nursing, Penn State (2002)
• MS in Nursing, Penn State (1992)
• BS in Nursing, Penn State (1988)

Awards and Honors

• Nursing Research Award, Nightingale Awards of Pennsylvania (2024)

Teaching

• NURS 200W: Principles of Nursing Research and Evidence Based Practice
• NURS300H: Honors Seminar in Nursing
• NURS579: Overview of Nursing Scholarship
• NURS583: Advanced Seminar in Nursing Science
• NURS594: Research Topics
• NURS596: Individual Studies
• NURS600: Thesis Research
• NURS601: PhD Dissertation Full Time
• NURS602: Supervised Experience in College Teaching

Clinical Expertise and Areas of Specialization

• Older Adults
• Community Health
• Corrections Health

Mentorship

• 1 Post-Doctoral Scholar
• 6 PhD Students’ Dissertation Chair (graduated)
• 12 PhD Students’ Dissertation Committee Member
  (11 graduated; 1 in-progress)
• 4 PhD Students’ Adviser (current)
• 5 DNP Students’ DNP Project Chair (graduated)
• 13 MS Students’ Scholarly Project Chair (graduated)
• 4 MS Students’ Scholarly Project Reader (graduated)
• 1 MPh Student’s Thesis Committee Member (graduated)
• 5 Schreyer Honor’s Scholars’ Thesis Supervisor/Co-Supervisor (graduated)

Research

Research & Publications

Research Interests and Areas of Expertise

• Enhancing the health of people who are incarcerated and the health care that is provided in correctional settings
• Developing innovative e-training for corrections staff and incarcerated people who provide peer caregiving
• Enhancing end-of-life, geriatric, and dementia care in correctional settings
• Intersection of Human Sex Trafficking and the Criminal Justice System

Presentations and Conference Involvement

DISTINGUISHED LECTURE:

• 2024 University of Rhode Island College of Nursing’s Spring Distinguished Lecture (May 1, 2024). Enhancing Care of Older Adults in Prison: Research and Development of Just Care. Providence, RI.

KEYNOTE PRESENTATIONS:

• Keynote speaker for the Saint Joseph’s University Sigma chapter, Psi Pi, Research Colloquium. Focus of my 40 minute address was, “Improving Geriatric and End-of-life Care in Prisons: Translation of Community-based Best Practices.” Monday, Lancaster, PA. April 14, 2025.
• Keynote Speaker for the 7th Annual Translating Research to Innovations in Practice Symposium. Focus of my 45 minute address was, “Translating Best Practices in Geriatric & End-of-Life Care for the Culture, Constraints, & Needs of Prisons.” Hershey, PA. May 9, 2024.
• Keynote Speaker for the Sigma Theta Tau-Beta Sigma Chapter Research Day. Focus of my 20 minute address was, “Enhancing the Health & Health Care of People Living in Prisons: Navigating my Path as a Nurse Scientist.” University Park, PA. March 18, 2022.

KEYNOTE PANEL PRESENTATION:

• Keynote Panelist at the 17th Biennial Custody and Caring. International Conference on the Nurse’s Role in the Criminal Justice System. Focus of our 75-minute address was “Reflections on Forensic Mental Health and Correctional Nursing”. Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada. September, 2023.

OTHER INVITED PRESENTATIONS:

• Invited sole speaker. My 40-minute address was “Preparing Peer Caregivers to Assist Staff with Geriatric & End-of-Life Care in Prisons: Just Care.” Friday Chalk Talk–A Grassroots Collaboration in Palliative Care. AdvocateAurora Health Care, St. Luke’s Medical Center, Milwaukee, WI, January 12, 2024.
• Invited speaker. My 60-minute address was “Preparing peer caregivers to assist staff with geriatric and end-of-life care in prisons: Just Care.” Mount Nittany Medical Center Palliative Medicine: State of the science. State College PA, October 27, 2023.
• An international panel on Corrections Healthcare. Our 60-minute panel discussion was focused on “Contemporary Issues, Insights, and Solutions.”. 18th Biennial Conference on Custody and Caring, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada. September 20-22, 2023.
• Invited speaker to multidisciplinary institutional staff members. My 40-minute presentation was “Meeting the Growing Need for Geriatric and End-of-life Care in Correctional Settings.” Regional [Forensic] Psychiatric Centre, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada, October 11, 2022.
• Invited speaker for Lunch & Learn Presentation to University of Saskatchewan, Faculty, Staff, Students, & External Stakeholders. My 40-minute presentation was “Geriatric & End-of-Life Peer Caregiver Training in Prisons: The Just Care E-Learning Program.” Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada, October 11, 2022.

Research Funding and Grants

COMPLETED GRANTS:

MULTIPLE PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

• Awarded $1,822,434 for grant titled, “E-training of Inmate Peer Caregivers for Enhancing Geriatric and End-of-Life Care in Prisons-II”. June 15, 2020-March 31, 2022; No Cost Extension (NCE) April 1, 2022-December 31, 2024. National Institutes of Health/National Institute on Aging, Grant #R44AG057239. MPIs: S.J. Loeb (contact PI throughout grant) & V.H. Myers (yr. 1); S.J. Loeb (contact PI) & Barbara Walkosz (yr. 2 & NCE)

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

• Awarded $300,000 total budget for grant titled, “Computer-based Learning to Enhance ADRD Care in Prison: Just Care for Dementia”. Funding period June 1, 2022-May 31, 2023; NCE June 1, 2023-May 31, 2024. National Institutes of Health/National Institute on Aging. Grant #1 R41 AG078103-01

MENTOR

• Awarded $15,000 for grant titled, “End-of-Life Careplanning in Corrections”. Aging Research in Corrections Health (ARCH) Network R25 small grants. June 1, 2020-May 31, 2021; NCE June 1, 2021-September 1, 2022. PI: E.A. Kitt-Lewis

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR/PROJECT DIRECTOR

• Awarded $150,000 grant to support 2 PhD students for Cohort 5. Funding period: 2018-2021. Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, Future of Nursing Scholars Program

Publications and Scholarly Work

• (◊ = data-based publication; * = mentored manuscript with student/recent graduate;
• † = mentored manuscript with junior faculty member)

PEER-REVIEWED PUBLICATIONS:

• *Weaver, R., Evan, M., Hrabovsky, S., Loeb, S.J. (2025). Taking a Closer Look at Incivility in Prelicensure Nursing Education: A Narrative Review of Student-to-Faculty Incivility. Nurse Educator, Doi: 10.1097/NNE.0000000000001834
• ◊*Kitt-Lewis, E., Zheng, N., & Loeb, S.J.. (2024). Advance care planning: Perspectives of people living in prison. Journal of Hospice & Palliative Nursing, 26(4), E115-E123. Doi: 10.1097/NJH.0000000000001031
• *Olanrewaju, S.A., & Loeb, S.J. (2024). Internationally educated nurses caring for older adults: A scoping study. Journal of Transcultural Nursing, 35(4), 290-305.
• Doi: 10.1177/10436596241239300
• ◊*Kitt-Lewis, E. Walkosz, B., Fullmer, S., Herbeck, B., Olanrewaju, S.A., & Loeb, S.J. (2024). Just Care: Usability of e-learning modules for peer caregivers living in prison. Journal of Offender Rehabilitation, 63(6), 387-400. https://doi.org/10.1080/10509674.2024.2370289
• ◊ Kitt-Lewis, E., & Loeb, S.J. (2024). End-of-life care planning: Perspectives of returning citizens. Journal of Hospice & Palliative Nursing, 26(2), 82-90. Doi: 10.1097/NJH.0000000000000999
• ◊*Shrestha, P., Fick, D.M., Boltz, M., Loeb, S.J., & High, A. (2023). Caregiving for persons living with dementia during the COVID-19 pandemic: Perspectives of family care partners. Journal of Gerontological Nursing, 49(3), 27-33. https://doi.org/10.3928/00989134-20230209-05
• ◊*Pierre, P.E., Loeb, S.J., & Bransby, K.A. (2023). Evaluating a Behavioral Response Team in an acute care hospital. MEDSURG Nursing, 32(1), 46-50, 61.
• ◊Myers, V.H., Loeb, S.J., Kitt-Lewis, E., & Jerrod, T. (2022). Large-scale evaluation of a computer-based learning program to increase prison staff knowledge on geriatric and end-of-life care. International Journal of Prison Health, 18(2), 185-199. Doi: 10.1108/IJPH-08-2021-0078. PMID: 35333012.
• Zucker, D. M., Reagan, L., Clifton, J., Abduhamed, A., Roscoe, L. E., Wright, R., Penix, D., Shelton, D., & Loeb, S. J. (2022). Nurse Practitioners caring for incarcerated people disproportionately impacted by social determinants of health. Nurse Practitioner Journal, 47(6), 38-46. Doi: 10.1097/01.NPR.0000829804.16627.7b
• Clifton, J., Marruca, A., Loeb, S.J., Zucker, D., Muse, M., & Shelton, D. (2022). Nurse Academic-Practice Partnerships in Justice Systems: Building Upon the Evidence. Journal of Professional Nursing, 40, 20-27. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.profnurs.2022.02.006
• ◊* Loeb, S.J., Murphy, J.L., Wion, R.K., Kitt-Lewis, E.A.,. & Myers, V.H. (2021). Inmates are: Computer-based training for geriatric and end-of-life care in prison. Journal of Correctional Health Care, 27(3), 132-144. Doi: 10.1089/jchc.20.03.0016
• ◊†Kitt-Lewis, E.A., Loeb, S.J., Myers, V.H., Jerrod, T., Wion, R.K., & Murphy, J.L. (2020). Barriers to recruiting and accessing correctional facilities for research. Canadian Journal of Nursing Leadership, 33(1), 71-80.
• ◊†Kitt-Lewis, E.A., Loeb, S.J., Wion, R.K., Myers, V.H., Jerrod, T., & Strickfaden, S. (2020) Developing computer-based learning on care of aged and dying incarcerated people. Journal of Forensic Nursing, 16(1), 36-46.

INVITED EDITORIALS:

• Reagan, L., Kitt-Lewis, E., Loeb, S.J., Shelton, D., & Zucker, D. (2024). Health equity for people who live in correctional facilities: Addressing bias, stigma, and dehumanization. Research in Nursing & Health, 47, 359–365. https//doi.org/10.1002/nur.22405
• Kitt-Lewis, E. & Loeb, S.J. (2022). The state of Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias care in corrections. Journal of Gerontological Nursing, 48(2), 3-4. Doi: 10.3928/00989134-20220111-01

EDITORIAL AND PEER REVIEW ROLES:

• Journal of Gerontological Nursing: Editorial Board Member

LEADERSHIP ROLES IN SCHOLARLY ORGANIZATIONS

• Penn State Fox Graduate School Graduate Exhibition Chairperson. (July 2023-Present)
• 17th & 18th Biennial Custody and Caring. International Conferences on the Nurse’s Role in the Criminal Justice System
• Conference Planning Committee Member (Invited). 2022-2023; 2024-2025
• Council for the Advancement of Nursing Science
• National Advisory Council (Elected as Councilor of Membership, Member of Executive Board). 2021-2023
• Councilor of Membership (Elected). 2021-2023
• Membership Committee (Appointed). 2020-2021

Service

Professional Organization Involvement and Fellowships

Memberships

• Academic Consortium on Criminal Justice Health
• Academy of Correctional Health Professionals
• American Academy of Nursing
• American Nurses Association
• Council for the Advancement of Nursing Science
• Eastern Nursing Research Society (Past President of the Organization)
• Gerontological Society of America
• Sigma Theta Tau International

Fellowships:

• American Academy of Nursing
• Gerontological Society of America

Download Loeb’s Curriculum Vitae »
Last updated 8/5/2025