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KUDOS!

A round-up of honors, awards and other exciting professional news about students, faculty and staff

To submit news about achievements of students, faculty or staff, e-mail Jennifer Samples. Please include "KUDOS" in the subject line.

April 2024 Heading link

ALUMNI

UIC Nursing alum Ruth Kleinpell, PhD ’91, APRN-BC, FAAN, FAANP, MCCM, received the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses’s AACN Pioneering Spirit Award.

STUDENT

DNP student Meg Tomlins was awarded Second Place in the EBP poster awards at the International Society of Psychiatric Mental Health Nurses (ISPN). Their poster was titled “Using Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy in the COPE Program to Reduce Anxiety and Depression: Group Therapy in a School Setting.”

ALUMNI

Chris O’Brien, DNP ’23, was awarded First Place in the EBP poster awards at the International Society of Psychiatric Mental Health Nurses (ISPN). Their poster was titled “Unveiling the Invisible Wounds: Exploring Racial Trauma Through Evidence-Based Assessments.”

FACULTY

Professor Susan L. Dunn, PhD, RN, FAHA, FAAN, will be inducted into the Sigma Theta Tau International (STTI) Nurse Researcher Hall of Fame.

FACULTY

Clinical associate professor M. Cecilia Wendler, PhD, RN, NE-BC, will receive the 2024 College of Nursing Distinguished Mentor of Faculty Award.

March 2024 Heading link

FACULTY

Nursing collegiate professor Ardith Doorenbos, PhD, RN, FAAN, was selected the 2023 UIC Distinguished Researcher in Clinical Sciences.

FACULTY

Assistant professor Natasha Crooks, PhD, RN, was selected the 2023 UIC Rising Star in Clinical Sciences.

February 2024 Heading link

FACULTY

Assistant professor Onome Henry Osokpo, PhD, MSc., MSN, RN, received this year’s Janet A. Deatrick Award for Assistant Professors.

January 2024 Heading link

FACULTY

Clinical assistant professor Paige Ricca, DNP, MBA, RN, and professor Rosalba Hernandez, PhD, associate dean for Equity and Inclusion, will receive funding from the American Nurses Association (ANA) National Commission to End Racism in Nursing.

December 2023 Heading link

FACULTY

Clinical assistant professor Pamela Smith, DNP, MSN, RNC-OB; teaching assistant professor Dawn Sarginson, PhD, RN, CNE; and clinical assistant professor Amy Johnson, PhD, RN, were selected as Nurse Educator Fellows by the Illinois Board of Higher Education (IBHE).

STUDENT

DNP student Allison Clark Young, MS ’15, was selected as a Health Advocacy Scholar with the National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners.

STUDENT

PhD student Seo Yoon Lee received the UIC Graduate College’s prestigious Award for Graduate Research for their dissertation, “The Patient-Level Nursing Cost Estimation and Associated Factors.”

STUDENT

PhD student Sirinan Prakot received the UIC Graduate College’s prestigious Award for Graduate Research for their dissertation, “Understanding HIV Self-testing Preferences Among Key Populations in Thailand Using a Discrete Choice Experiment Methodology.”

FACULTY

Professor and Schwartz Lab director Katie Vanderzwan, DNP, APRN, CHSE, was selected for the 2023-24 Teaching Recognition Program.

November 2023 Heading link

STAFF

UIC Nursing writer Deb Soriano was awarded a Best of CASE (Council for Advancement and Support of Education) District V Award in the “profile (less than 1,000 words)” category for her story on Victoria Venable Fletcher’s gift to the college.

FACULTY

Associate professor Wendy Bostwick, PhD, MPH, was elected to the Board of Directors of the Guttmacher Institute – a research and policy organization committed to advancing sexual and reproductive health and rights worldwide.

FACULTY

Visiting clinical associate Gloria E. Barrera, RN-BSN program co-director, was elected as Executive Board Member, Secretary, of ANA-Illinois. Berrera was also named the 2023 Nurse Influencer of the Year award recipient by ANA-Illinois.

October 2023 Heading link

FACULTY

Professor and AG-ACNP program director Leah Burt, PhD APRN ANP-BC CHSE, received the 2023 Emerging Leader (Rising Start) Award from the Society to Improve Diagnosis in Medicine.

FACULTY

Professor Natasha Crooks,  PhD, RN,  received funding from the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities for her R01, “A Family-based HIV Prevention Program for Black Men to Protect Black Girls.”

September 2023 Heading link

FACULTY

Clinical associate professor Gwyneth Franck, PhD, RN, MPH, director of the Midwest Nursing History Research Center, received the 2023 Piergiorgio L.E. Uslenghi Emerging Global Engagement Faculty Leader Award.

STUDENT

PhD student Suchanart Inwanna received the 2023 Versiti Community Impact Scholarship, designed to invest in the next generation of diverse leaders in health care.

STAFF

Associate dean for administration Jon Morelos received UIC’s Award of Merit, which recognize outstanding civil service and academic professional employees who exhibit excellence in service, commitment and dedication.

August 2023 Heading link

FACULTY

Teaching assistant professor Alisha Betka, DNP, MSN/Ed, RN, CHSE, visiting clinical instructor Stacy Arriola, MS, RN, CNE, and sim lab coordinator Myralyn Ortiz, MSN, RN received 2023 DAISY Awards.

July 2023 Heading link

STUDENT

PhD student Enuma Onyiapat was a recipient of the 2023 Alice J. Dan Dissertation Award for their dissertation, “Roles of Nigerian Traditional Birth Attendants (TBAs) in preventing mother-to-child HIV transmission (PMTCT).”

May 2023 Heading link

FACULTY

Clinical assistant professor Kirby Adlam, PhD, and assistant professor Kylea Liese, PhD, CNM, were inducted as fellows in the American College of Nurse-Midwives.

STAFF

Candice Harlan, business manager at Rockford campus, received the college’s 2023 STAR Award for outstanding staff.

STUDENT

PhD student and UI Health midwife Karie Stewart was awarded the Excellence in Leadership and Innovation Award (Formerly known as the Kitty Ernst Award) from the American College of Nurse-Midwives.

March 2023 Heading link

STAFF

Edward C. Drogos, director of administrative operations, and Larisa A. Burke, senior research specialist, are recipients of the 2023 Alvie Griffin Bailey Award for exceptional performance.

STUDENT

Population health DNP student Cindy Cruz, BSN, RN, CMSRN, received the Mary Kelly Mullane Award for Clinical Excellence from the Alpha Lambda Chapter of Sigma International.

FACULTY

Clinical associate professor Susan M. Walsh, DNP, APRN, PNP-PC, received the Beverly McElmurry Award for contributions to global health from the Alpha Lambda Chapter of Sigma International.

FACULTY

DNP program director Melissa Carlucci, DNP, APRN, ACNP-BC, received a Nursing Recognition Award from the Alpha Lambda Chapter of Sigma International.

December 2022 Heading link

FACULTY

Clinical assistant professor Robin Johnson, DNP, APRN, CPNP-PC, received a 2022-23 Teaching Recognition Program award from the UIC Center for the Advancement of Teaching Excellence.

FACULTY

Assistant professor Randi Singer, PhD, CNM, received the Emerging Researcher Award from the American Public Health Association’s section of Public Health Nurses. This is awarded to only one researcher each year at the annual APHA meeting.

FACULTY

Assistant professor Kylea Liese, PhD, CNM, and professor Crystal Patil, PhD, were awarded the 2022 Hillman Emergent Innovation Program for their proposal entitled, “Yurok NET Wellness: A Culturally Congruent, Nursing-Driven, Village-Centered Model to Treat Trauma for Wellness Court Clients.”

November 2022 Heading link

STUDENTS

PhD student Sabrina Jamal-Eddine received a 2022-2023 Dissertation Research Grant from the UIC Institute for Research on Race and Public Policy (IRRPP).

STUDENTS

PhD student Madi Goodyke received a competitive travel award from the Cardiovascular and Stroke Nursing Council of the American Heart Association for expenses to attend the American Heart Association Scientific Sessions.

August 2022 Heading link

FACULTY

Assistant professor Hongjin Li, PhD, MS, BSN, was awarded a new R34 thru the National Center for Complementary & Integrative Health, entitled “Feasibility of Implementing Acupuncture into a Federally Qualified Health Center to Alleviate Multiple Symptoms Among Breast Cancer Survivors Receiving Endocrine therapy.” Her multidisciplinary co-investigative team include:

  • Ardith Doorenbos, professor and Harriet H. Werley Endowed Chair for Nursing Research, Department of Biobehavioral Nursing Science, UIC College of Nursing;
  • Judith Schlaeger, associate professor, Department of Human Development Nursing Science, UIC College of Nursing;
  • Crystal Patil, professor, head of Department of Human Development Nursing Science, UIC College of Nursing;
  • Oana Danciu, associate professor, Division of Hematology & Oncology, UIC College of Medicine; and
  • Zhengjia Chen, associate professor, UIC School of Public Health; director of Biostatistics Shared Resource Core, UI Cancer Center.

July 2022 Heading link

FACULTY
Clinical assistant professor Natacha Pierre and her team, comprised of colleagues from UIC Medicine and UIC Pharmacy, received a HRSA grant for the Midwest Integration of the National HIV Curriculum.

FACULTY
UIC Nursing-Rockford campus director Kelly Rosenberger, clinical professor Valerie Gruss and clinical professor Janet Thorlton secured a $3.1 million HRSA grant to fund the Enhancing Nursing Education and Retention by Initiation of Care Delivered by Mobile Health Clinics (ENRICH) project.

June 2022 Heading link

FACULTY
The Peoria IPE Immersion Day program – organized by Quad Cities campus Director Kathy Sparbel, Urbana campus Director Krista Jones, Springfield campus Director Sara McPherson, and Quad Cities campus office manager Claire DeConte, among others – was selected to receive a 2022 I TEAM Award.

May 2022 Heading link

STUDENT
Ashley Melvin
, a DNP student in the adult-gerontology primary care program, has received a grant from the Geriatric Advanced Practice Nurses Association to support her DNP project, titled, “Adopting a patient-centered fall prevention program for the nursing home setting.”

STAFF
Tina Kavukattu, assistant director of the Global Health Leadership Office, received the 2022 UIC College of Nursing STAR Award, which recognizes exemplary employee contributions to the college.

STAFF
Jackie Bertucci, business administrative associate, received the 2022 UIC College of Nursing STAR Award, which recognizes exemplary employee contributions to the college.

FACULTY
Professor Phoenix Matthews, PhD, associate dean for equity and inclusion, received the 2022 UIC College of Nursing Julie & Mark Zerwic Diversity Award.

FACULTY
Clinical assistant professor Karen Cotler, DNP, FNP-BC, FAANP, director of the Family Nurse Practitioner Specialty Program, received the 2022 UIC College of Nursing Judith Lloyd Storjfell Distinguished Award for Scholarly Practice.

FACULTY
Research assistant professor Alana Steffen, PhD, received the 2022 UIC College of Nursing Distinguished Researcher Award.

FACULTY
Professor Crystal L. Patil, PhD, head of the Department of Human Development Nursing Science, received the 2022 UIC College of Nursing Distinguished Mentor of Faculty Award.

FACULTY
Clinical assistant professor Gina Juliano, DNP, APRN, CPNP, IBCLC, received the Alpha Lambda Chapter of Sigma Theta Tau International’s 2022 Mary Kelly Mullane Award for Clinical Excellence.

FACULTY
Clinical assistant professor Gwyneth Milbrath, PhD, RN, MPH, received the Alpha Lambda Chapter of Sigma Theta Tau International’s 2022 Beverly McElmurry Award for contributions to global health.

FACULTY
Clinical assistant professor Susan Vonderheid, PhD, RN, received the Alpha Lambda Chapter of Sigma Theta Tau International’s Nursing Recognition Award.

April 2022 Heading link

FACULTY
Visiting clinical instructor Cathy Leipold, MS, received the Faculty Teaching Excellence Award from the Urbana graduating BSN class.

FACULTY
Business manager Allison Bundy received the Staff Excellence Award from the Urbana graduating BSN class.

FACULTY
UIC Nursing alum Youngkwan Song, PhD ’20, was selected as an NIH-sponsored UIC T32 Diabetes Research Training Program postdoctoral fellow.

March 2022 Heading link

FACULTY
Clinical assistant professor Rebecca Vortman, DNP, RN, CNOR, was elected to the Association of periOperative Registered Nurses (AORN) 2022-23 Board of Directors

FACULTY
Clinical assistant professor Mary McNamara, DNP, APRN, CNP, was chosen as a 2022 Fellow of the American Association of Nurse Practitioners.

FACULTY
Clinical assistant professor Rebecca Singer, DNP, RN, was elected President-Elect of the Global Alliance for Behavioral Health & Social Justice – formerly the American Othopsychiatric Association.

February 2022 Heading link

FACULTY
Associate professor Judith Schlaeger, PhD, CNM, LAc, FACNM, FAAN, is the recipient of the 2022 MNRS Symptom Science RIG Mid-Career Award.

2018 - 2021 Heading link