Awards for Alumni and Faculty
Through its awards programs, the Nursing Alumni Association is honored to publicly recognize UVA nursing alumni and faculty who are making extraordinary contributions to the profession and to our communities. In addition, the Association hopes to enrich nursing education by promoting innovation in the classroom or through research.
Alumni Awards |
Faculty Awards |
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Alumni Awards
Our graduates continue to distinguish themselves beyond the University's Grounds. Many have become leaders in education, research, clinical settings, government, and industry. Each year the Nursing Alumni Association recognizes the achievements of at least two outstanding alumni.
All alumni, students, and friends of the School of Nursing may nominate a deserving alum for recognition with an award. The annual deadline for receipt of nominations is March 15 for that spring's selection process. Nominations will be accepted throughout the year. For details, please see the individual award guidelines and instructions.
Distinguished Alumni Award
Awarded annually to an alumna or alumnus who has demonstrated outstanding contributions in one or more of the following areas: teaching and scholarship, leadership, research, clinical practice, and contributions to the Nursing Alumni Association.
Guidelines for Distinguished Alumni Award
2009 Distinguished Alumna: Mary B. DeLashmutt (BSN ’67)
After receiving her BSN from UVA in 1967, Mary Brundage DeLashmutt earned a master of science from Columbia University in 1968, a master of arts in Moral Theology from Mount St. Mary's Seminary (Emmitsburg, Md.) in 1988, and a PhD from George Mason University in 2000. Her research focused on “Spiritual Needs of Mothers Raising Children While Homeless,” which led her to develop clinical experiences for nursing students in homeless shelters.
Mary began her clinical practice as a Certified Nurse Midwife in eastern West Virginia and western Virginia, providing care to an underserved population of women needing both family planning and pre-natal services. She practiced in northern Virginia for over 30 years, at Loudoun Hospital Center and Winchester Medical Center, in labor and delivery nursing.
Over the years Mary also taught maternity nursing and midwifery at UVA, Shenandoah University, and Salisbury University. She “retired” to the Bahamas where she has dedicated her time and energy to working with the local hospital while teaching at the nursing school at the College of the Bahamas. Some of her more recent work has been with pregnant teens. She has volunteered countless hours to provide free in-services to local nurses, consult with nursing administrators, provide childbirth classes to families, and serve as a doula for many childbirths. She is a role model to nurses and others in her community and has clearly had a positive influence on health care on the island.
Young Alumni Award
Awarded annually to an alumna or alumnus who graduated in the past ten years and who is recognized for significant contributions to nursing practice, scholarship, teaching, research, or leadership beyond what is expected of young alumni. The recipient shows promise for developing new dimensions and directions in nursing. Letters of nomination should also include how the nominee's service to the profession of nursing is innovative or special, and if it is likely to be continuous and sustaining.
Guidelines for Young Alumni Award
2009 Young Alumni Award Recipient: Peter G. Hill (BSN ’01, MSN ’04)
Peter Hill established a solo nurse practitioner family practice, the Elkton Family & Children’s Medical Clinic, in the small town of Elkton, Va. His nomination materials cited “his warm and embracing welcome to the patients within his waiting room” and applauded him as “a champion in advanced nursing practice who provides excellence in care to the most needy in his community regardless of time, effort, or personal cost.” Pete has also offered clinical learning opportunities in his clinic to UVA nursing students, allowing them hands-on experience in the challenges of a vulnerable, socio-economically distressed rural population. He originally came to UVA through the RN-to-BSN program.
Faculty Recognition Awards
Each year the School of Nursing Alumni Association sponsors awards to recognize faculty for superior accomplishments in teaching, research, and/or service. Nominations are reviewed by an awards committee composed of nursing alumni with input from nursing faculty. Award winners are given a $1,500 cash award and are recognized at Pinning & Hooding ceremonies in May and at the Recognition Ceremony in October. Funding for these awards comes from the School of Nursing Centennial Faculty Award fund.
Any alum, student, faculty member, or friend of the School of Nursing may initiate a nomination; supporting documentation is required. Nominations are due annually on March 15 for that spring's selection process. For details on how to nominate, please see the individual award guidelines.
Distinguished Professor Award
Recognizes tenured or tenure-track faculty for superior accomplishments in teaching,research, and/or service with emphasis on outstanding teaching and contributions to the School of Nursing and the University of Virginia.
Guidelines for Distinguished Professor Award
2009 Distinguished Professor Award: Professor Patricia Hollen
The awards committee noted that Dr. Hollen’s “vigor and motivation for mentoring numerous doctoral students serves to inspire many nursing scholars.” As principal investigator for several large, federally-funded research projects, Dr. Hollen has gained recognition as someone with high expectations for herself and others, engendering a high level of respect and effective team building for her groups. As noted by her nominators, “Dr. Hollen has a gift for teaching others in a gentle, kind, and professional manner. Her attention to detail and her willingness and skill in editing numerous manuscript drafts and grant applications are unparalleled.”
Excellence in Teaching Award
Recognizes faculty members with teaching responsibilities in the undergraduate program (traditional BSN, CNL, RN-BSN) and/or in clinical teaching (undergraduate and graduate level) for excellence in teaching. Candidates must hold at least a 50% appointment in the School of Nursing.
Guidelines for Excellence in Teaching Award
2009 Excellence in Teaching Award: Assistant Professor Marianne Baernholdt
In nominating Dr. Baernholdt, one of her students pointed in particular to her professorship of the course “Care Environment Management” and noted how she is able to distill complex ideas and broaden the idea of nursing as a practice that extends beyond direct patient care to encompass the health care system, policy decisions, and the community. Another supporter stated that she has a “strong commitment to curricular excellence and an unfaltering commitment to deepening the understanding of global issues that impact health and health care for all.”
Faculty Leadership Award
Recognizes and supports School of Nursing faculty who have distinguished themselves as leaders in the nursing profession. Recipients should demonstrate outstanding leadership qualities as nursing professionals, as evidenced by outstanding contributions to the profession through research, leadership positions, legislative influence, clinical service, or scholarly work.
Guidelines for Faculty Leadership Award
2009 Faculty Leadership Award: Associate Dean for Academic Programs Sarah Farrell
The awards selection committee noted many of Dr. Farrell’s accomplishments that they felt clearly epitomized the key elements of this award: serving as a role model for the professional nursing discipline, mentoring others, strong advocacy for clinical research, and support of a robust information technology infrastructure.
In her roles as associate dean and as chief technology officer for the School, Dr. Farrell has led the School of Nursing through a number of challenging processes and new programs, including the introduction of numerous new technologies, curriculum changes, and the addition of new programs such as the Doctorate of Nursing Practice and the Clinical Nurse Leader® program. Of note, the awards committee reported, was her influential guidance of faculty and students through the transition to a new dean as well as the move into a new building.
Innovative Teaching Awards
These awards offer faculty the opportunity to apply for funding to support projects or course development activities that result in excellent, innovative and cost-effective teaching methods. Proposals are reviewed first by a team of academic administrators within the school who then forward them to a committee of alumni who make final recommendations. Currently these awards are funded by the Centennial Teaching Award fund. However, the BSN Class of 1960 initiated fundraising to endow the awards in the name of a former dean through the Margaret G. Tyson Innovative Teaching Endowment Fund. For more information on this fund, please contact the Alumni & Development office, nursing-dev@virginia.edu.
Applications for the next cycle of Innovative Teaching Awards will be due Monday, April 12, 2010. Interested faculty should review the Guidelines for Innovative Teaching Awards and submit the Innovative Teaching Award Application 2009-2010 .
Research Awards for Faculty
The Center for Nursing Research coordinates applications and selection of the following awards:
For more information on these awards, please contact the Center for Nursing Research directly, (434) 924-2744.