Contributor – Violet Malinski, RN, PhD
Guardian of the Discipline

            Dr. John R. Phillips, the foremost Rogerian scholar today, is evolving the science of unitary human beings, envisioned by Dr. Martha Rogers, with writings that convey his creative insights into this science. Fortunately for us, these writings have been compiled in the book, Evolving Rogerian Nursing Science: John R. Phillips’ Unique Contributions, published in July, 2023, by the Society of Rogerian Scholars. These writings span the years 1990-2023 and show the relevance of this science in the 21st century and beyond.

            John was born in 1936   at his family’s farmhouse in rural southwestern Virginia, one of six children. He lived there until 1954 when he joined the Air Force, serving for four years. Following his discharge John decided to attend nursing school at Bellevue Hospital School of Nursing in New York City. Falling in love with the city, John continued to live there rather than return home to Virginia. He worked at Bellevue Hospital for a number of years before deciding to obtain his baccalaureate from Hunter College/City University of New York (1968) and his master of arts in nursing from New York University (1970). John accepted a full-time position first as lecturer and then assistant professor at Hunter College, going on to earn his PhD at New York University in 1976, where he met Dr. Martha Rogers then head of the Division of Nursing. John left Hunter to join the nursing faculty at NYU, where he stayed until his retirement in 2003. 

            John and Martha became colleagues then friends, and John served as a strong advocate for nursing science as envisioned by Martha Rogers. John was in charge of the Rogerian conferences held in the 1980s at NYU, attended by hundreds of nurses eager to learn about the science. Three books evolved out of those conferences, and John’s talks were reproduced in each one. The three chapters are reprinted in the book mentioned above.

            When Dr. Rogers retired, she recommended John to take over her graduate course on the science of unitary human beings, which he taught until his retirement. Because of his knowledge and the value he placed on the science, John was in high demand for dissertation committees by those wanting to do research in the science. He devoted much of his time to working with these doctoral candidates.

            Upon his retirement John returned to his home town in Virginia in order to be closer to his sisters and their families. Freed from the time constraints of academia, John was free to soar throughout the pandimensional universe, exploring visionary ideas for the evolution of the science and producing numerous articles where he articulated these ideas, again reproduced in the book mentioned above. He gave us new language, unitariology, wellbecoming, and energyspirit among them. He gave us a new Rogerian theory, the theory of pandimensional awareness-integral presence. John writes frequent letters to the editors of local media on health issues and politics. He sent copies of his article, “A Rogerian Vision of Gender in a Pandimensional Universe,” reprinted in the book mentioned above, to Pope Francis, Supreme Court Justice Roberts, and President Biden.

            John R. Phillips’ professional life has been devoted to teaching and advancing the science of unitary human beings. Since his retirement he has written prolifically in the science and continues to do so. He is definitely a guardian of the discipline.

About Violet Malinski

Violet Malinski earned her baccalaureate in nursing at Rutgers College of Nursing, Newark, New Jersey (1969), her master of arts from New York University, Division of Nursing (1971), and her PhD from New York University, Division of Nursing (1980). She worked as a clinical specialist in child and adolescent psychiatric nursing before going into teaching after obtaining her doctorate. She has taught at the University of Delaware College of Nursing, Case Western Frances Payne Bolton School of Nursing, Hunter College/City University of New York (CUNY) School of Nursing, and the Graduate Center, CUNY. She taught in baccalaureate, master’s, and doctoral programs before retiring.

            While at NYU she studied with Dr. Martha Rogers. With Dr. Rogers, Dr. John R. Phillips,  Dr. Elizabeth Barrett, and Dr. Therese Connell Meehan she helped start the Society of Rogerian Scholars (SRS), serving as its first treasurer, newsletter editor, and co-editor of Visions: The Journal of Rogerian Nursing Science, which she began with Dr. Sheila Cheema. Still active in SRS she is currently chairperson of the Resource Development Committee, which spearheaded publication of Evolving Rogerian Nursing Science: John R. Phillips’ Unique Contributions in 2023. She chaired the Conference Planning Committee for the 2023 annual SRS conference.

            Dr. Malinski is also one of the founders of the Martha E. Rogers Scholars Fund, the 501 C3 arm of SRS. She sits on the board as de facto member. The Fund operates and maintains two grant awards annually, the Martha E. Rogers Grant and the Elizabeth Barrett Grant. Those using either the science of unitary humans beings or more specifically the Barrett power theory are eligible to apply. Dr. Malinski is the contact person for both grants and maintains panels of experts for blind review of proposals submitted.