Briefly

The National Conference on Race and Ethnicity in Higher Education will be held in Seattle May 30-June 3. Attending this event will be Julie Katz, director of academic programs, and Dagmar Schmidt, assistant director.

The UW School of Nursing was once again ranked #1 in the nation for funded research. Grant and contract awards from the National Institutes of Health totaled $12,366,000, a 56% increase from fiscal year 1999 to 2000.

At the annual Western Institute of Nursing (WIN) annual assembly and research conference held in April in Seattle, approximately 70 School of Nursing faculty and students from all three campuses made oral or poster presentations. The meeting was opened by Dr. Margaret Heitkemper, current chair of WIN, who is also chair of the Department of Biobehavioral Nursing and Health Systems, director of the Center for Women's Health, and a world-renowned expert on GI disorders in women. She was followed by keynote speaker Dr. Betty Gallucci, professor of biobehavioral nursing and health systems, who is internationally recognized for her work on tumor biology and immune responses.

Associate Dean for Research Pamela Mitchell was honored with the Elliott Leadership Award at the WIN conference. This prestigious annual award was given in recognition of Mitchell's many contributions to the western regional nursing organization and to nursing in the West. Mitchell is the second Elizabeth Sterling Soule Distinguished Professor of Nursing and Health Promotion. Her research focuses on physiologic factors influencing the responses of critically ill neurosurgical patients to ordinary nursing care.

Dr. Beverly Horn was honored with a Distinguished Service Award at the annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Tribute organized by UW health sciences. An associate professor of psychosocial and community health, Horn is committed to bringing nursing services to diverse communities and to increasing diversity within nursing ranks through her leadership in the International Transcultural Nursing Society. She is also a tireless volunteer with the King County Nurses Association, the Salvation Army Rehabilitation Center, the Capitol Hill Homeless Youth Drop-in Center and T.T. Minor School.

Clinical faculty member Cindy Hecker, RN, has been appointed associate administrator, Patient Care Services, and chief nursing officer for Harborview Medical Center.

Clinical faculty member Teresa Delarose, '84 MN, was selected to receive the 2001 Outstanding Achievement in Perioperative Clinical Nursing Education Award. This national award commends her efforts to improve the quality of care for patients in surgery at Harborview Medical Center.

Doctoral candidate Pamella Talley has been selected as a Magnuson Scholar for the 2001-2002 academic year. This prestigious award is given each year to one graduate student from each of the UW health sciences schools and includes $22,500 to support graduate studies and research. Talley is currently living near the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota, one of the most economically depressed areas in the nation, where she is studying the connection between racism and health. Her doctoral thesis, on domestic violence and stress in pregnancy, reflects her strong research interest in maternal/child health as it relates to community. Talley teaches future nurse scholars as an assistant professor at South Dakota State University. She hopes that her work will help develop anti-racist strategies to improve the health of indigenous people.

Dr. Kathryn Barnard and Dr. Susan Spieker were contributors to a preliminary study from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services proving the value of Early Head Start programs in improving the cognitive, language and social-emotional development of children from birth to age 3. Working with one of 17 research sites in the National Head Start Research and Evaluation Study, they were involved in evaluating the program through their partnership with Children's Home Society in Kent, Washington. They have recently been funded to follow up the families in their study as the children prepare to enter kindergarten. Barnard is a professor in the Department of Family and Child Nursing and Spieker is a research professor. Both are nationally recognized experts on early child development.

Dr. Deborah Ward, who is widely admired for her studies on the lost opportunity costs of caregivers and her knowledge of health policies affecting aging, has been appointed acting director of the de Tornyay Center on Healthy Aging. She replaces Dr. Linda Teri, who initiated opportunities for undergraduate student grants and began faculty mentorship programs during her two years as director. Teri will turn her attention to two very large studies focusing on elders with dementia.

Dr. James Purnell Bush, associate professor in the Department of Biobehavioral Nursing and Health Systems (BNHS), announced his retirement after the Spring, 2001 quarter. Bush has been with BNHS since 1974. Considered a "master teacher" by many of his colleagues, he has mentored many junior faculty on the instruction of undergraduate students. He has also worked extensively with the community to encourage high school students to consider nursing as a profession. A retirement reception is being planned.

Dr. Linda Lee Lewis, associate professor, will also be retiring from BNHS at the end of the Spring quarter. Lewis joined the faculty in 1989 and has been funded continuously for her research related to women's health. BNHS Chair Margaret Heitkemper calls Lewis an "excellent educator whose broad range of expertise allowed her to teach at all three levels of our program." Lewis currently chairs the Ph.D. Committee. A retirement celebration will be held May 29 at 4 pm the UW Waterfront Activities Center. All are invited.

A photo in the current issue of America's Best Graduate Schools features nurse practitioner students Fred Jowdy and Kristin Mullen practicing their examination skills in the School's learning lab. Published by US News & World Report, it accompanies an article about the UW School of Nursing's #1 ranking nationally.


New DrNP Program Under Study
A new program of study leading to a doctorate nurse practitioner degree (DrNP) is under consideration in the School of Nursing. The program of study would be based on doctoral level education that includes classroom courses, supervised practice and a residency. We welcome your feedback about this new proposal and invite you to visit the following website to leave your comments: http://www.son.washington.edu/ about

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