School of Nursing: Connections

Briefly

Julie Katz	Cheryl Cooke	Carol Landis
	Brooke Randell

Julie Katz has been appointed director of the academic programs office. Katz joined the School of Nursing in 1996 and has been serving as assistant director of academic programs for the past year. She is a 1988 graduate of the UW B.S.N. program.

Doctoral student Cheryl Cooke has been selected as a 1999-2000 Magnuson Scholar. She is the seventh nursing student to be chosen for this prestigious award since it was established in 1991 to honor the late Washington senator, Warren G. Magnuson. Cooke joins five other scholars from UW health sciences schools selected on the basis of their academic performance and potential contribution to research.

Dr. Carol Landis gave a State of the Science address at the 32nd annual Communicating Nursing Research conference for the Western Institute of Nursing in April. Her presentation was entitled "Current Perspectives in Psychoneuroimmunology for Nursing Research."

University of Washington Distinguished Alumnus Karen Matsuda was appointed deputy regional health administrator for the federal Department of Health and Human Services in Region X. A former public health nurse for Seattle-King County and director of the family planning program for the state’s Department of Social and Health Services, Matsuda currently serves as a clinical instructor in the School.

Doctoral student Viva J. Tapper has been selected as the recipient of a New Investigators Research Grant by the Oncology Nursing Foundation for her research focusing on women’s adjustment to an initial diagnosis of advanced stage breast cancer.

Family Nurse Practitioner student Katryna McCoy will be presenting her research on African-American women and breast cancer to the national conference of the Oncology Nursing Society.

Dr. Brooke Randell is the recipient of a National Institute of Nursing Research grant for her study on preventing youth suicide. A prevention trial will include 600 at-risk public school students from grades 10-12. Dean Emeritus Rheba de Tornyay and University House were featured in an NBC Nightly News special with Tom Brokaw about retirement communities near university campuses.

Doctoral student Pat Blissitt is one of the 1998 recipients of the Washington State Nurses Foundation scholarships.

Dr. Margaret Heitkemper, chair of Biobehavioral Nursing and Health Systems, was guest lecturer at a Seattle University School of Nursing alumni event celebrating the achievements of former graduates who have made a significant contribution to the field of nursing.

Dr. Leona Eggert was a delegate to the first biannual U.S.-Israel Conference on Women’s Health, representing young women’s mental health issues. Former faculty member Helen "Jo" McNeil was awarded the 1998 Ruth B. Freeman Distinguished Career Award by the Public Health Nursing Section of the American Public Health Association. This national award honors her 50-year career in nursing and public health.

Aubrey Hale and Cliff Solomon have joined the School of Nursing as web managers. They are assisting faculty and staff with improvements to the School’s website and with using technology more effectively for both teaching and administration. Hale comes to the UW from a commercial web site background while Solomon is familiar to many from his work on the Integrated Advanced Information Management System.

Mitchell appointed new associate dean for research

Dr. Pamela H. Mitchell was recently appointed associate dean for research. A member of the faculty since 1969, she is also professor of biobehavioral nursing and health systems and the second Elizabeth S. Soule Distinguished Professor of Health Promotion. Mitchell is currently principal investigator for a number of research projects, including a program focusing on intracranial pressure and head injury. Her doctoral studies focused on health services with an emphasis on outcomes research. Mitchell received both her bachelor of science in nursing and her Ph.D. from the UW. She is a fellow of the American Academy of Nursing. Mitchell was named acting associate dean last year when her predecessor, Dr. Nancy F. Woods, was appointed dean.

Price Spratlen honored as Outstanding Ombudsman of the Year

Dr. Lois Price Spratlen is the recipient of the Outstanding Ombudsman of the Year award. Reserved for exemplary contributions to the ombudsman profession, this national award was presented in recognition of her efforts in creating the first peer-reviewed journal for ombudsmen and for serving as a national model for excellence in her profession. Price Spratlen is the first ombudsmen from the University of Washington to win this award, and only the sixth person in the 15-year history of the ombudsman organization to be so honored A professor of psychosocial nursing, Price Spratlen has been serving the University as an ombudsman since 1982.

UW Tacoma announces new director of nursing programs

Dr. Marjorie Dobratz will assume the post of director of the UW Tacoma nursing program in June, a position formerly held by Dr. Sharon Gavin Fought, who was named associate dean for planning and assessment at the Tacoma campus.

Dobratz holds a doctorate in nursing science from the University of San Diego and has served since 1991 as a tenured professor and chair of the department of nursing at Mount St. Mary’s College in Los Angeles. There she directed a major curriculum revision and was involved in an accreditation program, as well as in building enrollment for both the undergraduate and graduate programs. Her research interests include topics related to hospice care, death and dying.

In Memoriam: Sallie Marie Verran

The School of Nursing mourns the passing of Master’s of Nursing student Sallie Marie Verran last quarter. After working as an ICU/CCU nurse at Yakima Valley Memorial Hospital, Verran joined the Peace Corps and was assigned to Guatemala. This experience inspired her to pursue a career in cross-cultural nursing at the University of Washington. Verran leaves behind many friends and will be remembered by faculty, staff and students for her incredible enthusiasm and for her avid interest in Latin America and the nursing profession. As Professor Noel Chrisman recalls, "Sallie had a special kind of energy that drew people to her and was also the foundation for explorations of new horizons in her cross-cultural work. The outcome was growth for all of us. She touched all our lives with brightness."