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Kimberly D. Acquaviva, the Betty Norman Norris Professor of Nursing and a social worker, was recently inducted into the international, multidisciplinary scientific research honor society Sigma Xi, which celebrates science, technology, engineering, and math scholars around the world for excellence.

In addition to teaching nursing students at the School of Nursing, Acquaviva studies hospice and palliative care spaces, creating interventions and supports for LGBTQIA+ populations in particular, groups that are often excluded from holistic, compassionate end-of-life care. A UVA Provost’s Office faculty fellow, as well as one of UVA’s faculty AI advisors, Acquaviva teaches fellow educators about the use of generative AI tools to support teaching and learning. A Fulbright alumna, Acquaviva is also an award-winning author and educator who mentors PhD in nursing students and high-achieving undergraduates selected for the Distinguished Majors program.

In 2023, she was awarded a Rita & Alex Hillman Foundation grant to develop an LGBTQIA-inclusive intervention to address sexual pleasure among patients with serious illness, with the aim of developing research on sexual health near the end of life to reduce symptom burden and improve quality of life.

Acquaviva is also a thought leader whose personal story of caring for her late wife, Kathy Brandt, through terminal cancer captivated legions of followers for its frank, powerful, human depictions of end-of-life. The subject of a New Yorker documentary film, “Documenting Death,” Acquaviva has penned two books, including, most recently, The Handbook of LGBTQIA-Inclusive Hospice & Palliative Care (Columbia University Press, 2023).

“We’re always pleased and proud when our scholars and scientists earn recognition,” said Marianne Baernholdt, dean of UVA School of Nursing, “but especially individuals who are committed, as Kim is, to shining a light on diverse voices and people that deserve our support and care. I’m proud of her work, this honor, and to call Kim my colleague.”

Acquaviva’s nomination letter lists Jamie Vernon, Sigma Xi’s executive director and CEO, and Allen Thomas, chair of the committee on qualifications and members for Sigma Xi, as her nominators for membership in Sigma Xi.

Founded in 1886 at Cornell University, Sigma Xi membership, by invitation only, is administered through current members who nominate others based on their research achievements. With an emphasis on honoring individuals broadly committed to science, Sigma Xi today includes nearly 60,000 members, including 200 Nobel laureates, who belong to more than 500 chapters across the U.S., Canada, Switzerland, Thailand, Lebanon, New Zealand, and Australia, among others. The honor society offers regular opportunities for members to come together, engage, and learn from one another.