BSN students chosen by faculty members for their clinical skill, leadership, and academic strength

• Julienne Butler
  Virginia Nurses Association Leader Award
  For a graduating BSN student who demonstrates leadership in the classroom, impacts other students as leaders, and participates in community activities and nursing organizations while maintaining a clear sense of direction for their nursing career and making a significant contribution to the overall excellence of the School
  
  
• Deanna Weiss
  The Susan Hutchinson Memorial Award 
  For a graduating RN to BSN student who demonstrates academic excellence and has the intention to continue practice at the bedside
  
  
• Anniston Armour
  Anne Pollok Hemmings Clinical Excellence Award
  Each year, the nursing faculty are asked to nominate a fourth-year student who best typifies the “total patient nurse.”  This award comes with a monetary gift provided by the Anne Pollok Hemmings Clinical Excellence Award Fund, begun by the BSN Class of 1959
  
  
• Nakayla Figgins
  The 2025 Z Society Edgar Shannon Scholar Award for Academic Excellence
  Recognizes the “best” graduating student from each school within the University. The Z Society instructions given to each school are to nominate one graduating fourth year student who has, in their words, “incredible academic success and passionate extracurricular involvements"
  
  
• Nakayla Figgins
  Nursing Student Contributing Most to the School of Nursing
  Each year, the fourth year class and faculty recognize those students who have made an extraordinary contribution to the University and to the School
  
  
• James Edwards
  Nursing Student Contributing Most to the University Award
  Each year, the fourth year class and faculty recognize those students who have made an extraordinary contribution to the University and to the School

MSN, CNL, PhD, and DNP Class of 2025 Award Winners

Graduate students chosen by their faculty mentors for their academic skill, their clinical dedication, and for the power and strength of their scholarly pursuits

• Darnisha Pitts and Hannah Stanly
  The Brodie NP Recognition - from the Barbara Brodie Endowment
  The Barbara Brodie Scholars Endowment was established in 1988 by the many friends and former students of the late Barbara Brodie, a professor emerita of the School and founder of the Bjoring Center for Nursing Historical Inquiry, as a permanent tribute to an outstanding teacher, mentor, and friend
  
  
• Lauren Catlett
  The Brodie PhD Recognition - from the Barbara Brodie Endowment
  The Barbara Brodie Scholars Endowment was established in 1988 by the many friends and former students of the late Barbara Brodie, a professor emerita of the School and founder of the Bjoring Center for Nursing Historical Inquiry, as a permanent tribute to an outstanding teacher, mentor, and friend
  
  
• Sookyung Park
  Outstanding Graduate Teaching Assistant Award
  Presented to an individual who exemplifies outstanding contributions to teaching as part of their program of study and educational experience
  
  
• Michelle Moore
  The Clinical Nurse Leader Clinical Excellence Award
  Recognizes a master’s-entry student who has consistently exhibited outstanding performance in the clinical setting by working effectively with others in the system to both provide and lead outstanding patient and family-centered care
  
  
• Marie Carr, Khirstyn Waggoner, Zena Yahaya, and Dana Butterfield
  The Outstanding CNL Capstone Award 
  Presented to graduating students in the Clinical Nurse Leader program who showed outstanding advanced clinical leadership at the point of care. Through implementation of the Clinical Nurse Leader role, the outstanding capstone recognizes a graduate(s) who brings system change to improve patient safety and quality care delivery, advances evidence-based practice, and improves the professional practice environment
  
  
• Cynthia Dehart
  The Outstanding DNP Scholarly Practice Project Award
  Presented to a Doctor of Nursing Practice student graduate whose culminating scholarly project resulted in a significant nursing practice change that was written in an outstanding manner
  
  
• Reynaldo Capucao Jr.
  The Verhonick Dissertation Award
  Presented to a PhD program graduate who presents the most outstanding dissertation. The award is named in honor of Phyllis J. Verhonick, a pioneer in nursing research, who served as professor at the UVA School of Nursing from 1968 until her death in 1977

Third-year nursing students who have a cumulative GPA of 3.4 or better may elect to take on a Distinguished Majors project during their final year of nursing school. It requires the successful completion of a paper that presents the student's own analysis of a particular problem and an argument based on serious research that is directed by a Nursing faculty member. The final project results in a manuscript ready to be submitted for publication in a professional journal.

BSN students who complete Distinguished Majors Projects - work that is over and above what is required to graduate and outside the traditional BSN curriculum - spend the final year of their nursing program investigating a topic of their choice under the guidance of a faculty mentor. The following students, some of whom will publish their findings in academic journals, proposed, tested, and presented their findings to the School community in April 2025, and graduate as our 2025 Distinguished Majors:

Distinguished Major Program Awardees

• Anniston Armour (mentors Drs. Ashley Hurst and Bethany Coyne)
  Assessment of ethics education and ethical awareness in undergraduate nursing students
  
  
• Lydia Borden (mentors Drs. Crystal Chu and Randy Jones)
  Breast cancer surgery satisfaction / regret and health literacy
  
  
• Faith Bush (mentor Dr. Dominique Tobbell)
  The Westhaven Nursing Clinic: History, funding, and community impacts
  
  
• BreAnn Dishman (mentor Dr. Kathryn Reid)
  The evaluation of stress and sense of belonging within nursing students at the UVA School of Nursing - Part II
  
  
• Nakayla Figgins (mentor Dr. Ashley Apple)
  The experiences of LGBTQIA+ identifying parents in American pediatric healthcare settings
  
  
• Allyson Hoosier (mentor Dr. Kathryn Reid)
  The evaluation of stress and sense of belonging within nursing students at the UVA School of Nursing - Part I
  
  
• Campbell Irby and Ana Aguirre (mentor Dr. Kathryn Reid)
  Strength in sharing: Investigating the effects of peer group facilitation on nursing student stress
  
  
• Katherine Krievs (mentor Dr. Amy Boitnott)
  Approaching pediatric autism: Nurses' perspectives on confidence and competence
  
  
• Marisa Le (mentor Dr. Sarah Craig)
  Difference in time of recognizing onset in patients undergoing cardiac surgery with sternal wound infections who have a hemoglobin A1C below 6.5% and patients with sternal wound infections who have a hemoglobin A1C above 6.5%
  
  
• Kendall McDonald (mentor Dr. Ashley Apple)
  Healthcare providers' experiences working with foster children
  
  
• Abrar Sharfi (mentor Dr. Jennifer Kastello)
  Increasing awareness and knowledge among school nurses regarding female genital mutilation/cutting/circumcision
  
  
• Zoe Siamon (mentors Drs. Crystal Chu and Randy Jones)
  Understanding the influence of genetic testing on breast cancer surgery choice
  
• Leslie Silva (mentor Dr. Emma Mitchell)
  Improving follow up for helicobacter pylori: A program evaluation evaluating the impact of a SMART SET tool implemented in an immigrant and refugee family medicine clinic

• Bridget Zecher (mentor Dr. Amy Boitnott)
  Understanding knowledge deficits in the identification and escalation of disordered eating in adolescent athletes

With the guidance of their advisers and clinical mentors, Doctor of Nursing Practice students identify a clinical problem, gather existing research on it, pursue their own avenues of study, and present their findings and the clinical implications. The following DNP student graduates successfully presented and defended their scholarly practice projects:

• Pamela Byrnes, MSN, RN, PMHNP-BC (DNP ’25)
  Capturing gender identity through documentation: A program evaluation of a rural mental health clinic
  (mentored by Drs. Julie Roebuck and Beth Quatrara)
  
  
• Jennifer Conklin, MSN, APRN, AGACNP-BC, CMSRN (DNP `25)
  A program evaluation of a NP-led metabolic and bariatric surgery clinic 
  (mentored by Drs. Gina DeGennaro, Terri Yost, and Beth Quatrara)
  
  
• Cynthia Dehart, MSN, APRN, ACCNS-AG (DNP `25)
  Integration of barcode medication administration in the emergency department
  (mentored by Drs. Beth Quatrara and Gina DeGennaro)
  
  
• Maureen DeSena, MSN, RN, ACNS-BC, NPD-BC, NE-BC (DNP `25)
  Implementation of an educational guide utilizing the Tiered Skills Acquisition Model (TSAM®) to support the RN preceptor 
  (mentored by Drs. Kathryn Reid, Sarah Craig, and Amanda Golino)
  
  
• Corrine Gogert, MSN, MBA, APRN, AGACNP-BC, ACCNS-AG, CCRN (DNP `25)
  Closing the gap after discharge from rehab: An APRN-led transitional care clinic 
  (mentored by Drs. Beth Quatrara, Sharon Bragg, and Sarah Chadwell)
  
  
• Elizabeth “Liz” Good, MSN, RN, ACNS-BC, ACNP-BC (DNP `25)
  Implementation and evaluation of postoperative telehealth for hepato-pancreato-biliary surgical oncology patients 
  (mentored by Drs. Ishan Williams, Beth Turrentine, Terri Yost, and Richard Ridge)
  
  
• Margie Guillory, MSN, APRN, AGCNS-BC (DNP `25)
  Evaluating nursing guidelines for bi-specific antibody safe step up dosing in an ambulatory setting: A continuous quality improvement approach
  (mentored by Drs. Gina DeGennaro, Melissa Gomes, and Beth Quatrara)
  

• Sherrie Page Guyer, MSN, RN (DNP `25)
  Frontline school-based stakeholders and the mental health literacy needs of adolescents: A program evaluation
  (mentored by Drs. Gina DeGennaro, Richard Westphal, Beth Quatrara, and Catie-Reagan King as well as educator Sarah Jaynes-Gobble)

• Tiffany Griffiths, MSN, FNP-BC (DNP `25)
  Developing and implementing a foundation pathway for airway reconstruction surgery 
  (mentored by Drs. Amy Boitnott, Sarah Craig, and Beth Quatrara)
  
  
• Brooke A. Lathon, MSN, APRN, FNP-BC, PCCN (DNP `25)
  Food pharmacy implementation to reduce cardiovascular risk through nutritional awareness
  (mentored by Drs. Terri Yost, Beth Quatrara, and Priyangka Montagna)

• Josh Moore, MSN, APRN, PNP-AC, CCRN (DNP `25)
  The use of virtual reality to provide stress reduction for healthcare workers: An evidence-based practice project
  (mentored by Drs. Bethany Coyne, Julie Haizlip, MD, and Beth Quatrara)

• Allyson Pennington, MSN, APRN, FNP-BC, CCRN, CBS (DNP `25)
  Perinatal mood disorders: Implementing the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale Screening for antepartum patients with maternal-fetal complications 
  (mentored by Drs. Emily Evans and Beth Quatrara)
  
  
• Edward "E.J." Rauch, MSN, APRN, AGACNP-BC, ACCNS-AG, CCRN  (DNP `25)
  Implementation of extracorporeal cardiopulmonary resuscitation (eCPR) guidelines for the hospitalized adult: A Doctor of Nursing Practice scholarly project 
  (mentored by Drs. Beth Quatrara, Terri Yost, Brian Clouse, and Dustin Money)
  
  
• Ginger Richardson, MSN, RN, CPNP-PC (DNP `25)
  Closing the mental health treatment gap for rural adolescents: an evidence-based collaboration in a public high school 
  (mentored by Drs. Shelly Smith and Terri Yost)
  

• Jared Sangiorgi, MSN, ACNPC-AG, CCRN (DNP `25)
  Impact of trauma response nurse deployment to alpha trauma activations in a level I academic trauma center 
  (mentored by Drs. Beth Quatrara, Kathryn Laughon, and nurse and EMT-1 Valerie Quick)

• Jennifer Schach, MSN, ACNPC-AG, RN, CCRN (DNP `25)
  Implementation of a pediatric to adult epilepsy transition clinic
  (mentored by Drs. Terri Yost, Bethany Coyne, and Beth Quatrara)
  
  
• Laura Summerlin, MSN, APRN, PMHNP-BC (DNP `25)
  Efficacy and care continuity of a psychiatric gap care clinic: A program evaluation (mentored by Drs. Regina DeGennaro, Richard Ridge, and Beth Quatrara
  
  
• Jack Weisskohl, MSN, RN, FNP-BC
  Implementation of a continuous glucose monitoring workflow in a complex primary care clinic
  (mentored by Drs. Katheryn Reid, Dawn Bourne, Dana Burns, and Evan Sisson)
  
  
• Aatika Wright, MSN, APRN, CCRN, CSC-CMC, AGACNP-BC (DNP `25)
  Increasing sepsis bundle utilization in the inpatient setting
  (mentored by Drs. Shelly Smith, Beth Quatrara, and Terri Yost)

CNL Class of 2025 Capstone Presentations

• Dana Butterfield, Marie Carr, Khirstyn Waggoner, and Zena Yahaya
  Hospital acquired pressure injuries (HAPI) in the STICU
  
  
• Jason Anderson, Reagan Burton, Justine Kaskel, and Kristine Paulikonis
  Turn team initiative: Reducing MSK pain for TCVICU nurses
  
  
• Keyasha Brown, Kim Friend, Sabrina Munro, and Britney Young
  Education on early pregnancy loss mental health screening tools and compassionate language in outpatient OBGYN setting
  
  
• Lauren Painter, Al Sloane, Preston Sutton, and Ann Cameron Zehmer
  Identification of high fall risk patients in the outpatient dialysis setting
  
  
• Garrett Kile, Olivia McNulty, and Kam Zahory
  Reducing incidences of catheter-associated bloodstream infections by implementing best practice guidelines
  
  
• Olivia Degiorgis, Eva Ellis, Sarah Russell-Hunter, and Danielle Sprouse
  Preventing sacral pressure injuries in at-risk NNICU patients
  
  
• Jennifer Alvarez-Romero, Brynn Backer, Dylan Kitt, and Michelle Moore
  Handoff communication in the MICU: Reducing interruptions and distractions to enhance patient safety
  
  
• Helen Atkins, Raquel Pine, Lama Sadeq, and Jane Scott
  Enhancing medication adherence in h. pylori treatment through a follow-up phone call
  
  
• Christina Green, Michelle Staton, and Therisa Steven
  Streamlining discharge time to improve patient throughput on the thoracic cardiovascular surgery acute and IMU
  
  
• Bisola Olowe, Keli Presley, and Hussein Sabiti
  Optimizing IV therapy on 3 North: Implementing INS protocols to enhance patient safety and reduce HAIs

Closely guided by their faculty mentors, PhD in nursing students spend years doing a deep dive into original research topics before presenting their final projects to a committee. The following individuals successfully created, completed, and defended their dissertations:

• Reynaldo "Ren" Capucao Jr., RN, CNL (PhD `25)
  Pressed into starched whites: Nursing (dis)ability in Filipino-American history
  (mentored by Drs. Dominique Tobbell, Barbra Mann Wall, Lisa Cacho, and Alison Booth)
  
  
• Lauren Catlett, RN, CNL (PhD `25)
  Advancing health equity among transgender and gender-diverse older adults: A participatory approach
  (mentored by Drs. Kimberly Acquaviva, Virginia LeBaron, Ishan Williams, and Tiffany King)
  
  
• Katy Hall, RN (PhD `25)
  Investigating the concept of mattering as a nurse within the context of the healthcare work environment
  (mentored by Drs. Beth Epstein, Emma Mitchell, Ishan Williams, and Ulborat Piamjariyakul)
  
  
• Simone Jaeckl, RN (PhD `25)
  School nurse perspectives and school policy on commercial sexual exploitation of children / domestic minor sex trafficking in Virginia public schools
  (mentored by Drs. Jeanne Alhusen, Katrina Debnam, Nancy Deutsch, and Kathryn Laughon)
  
  
• Juehyun Shin, RN (PhD `25)
  Understanding odor-related challenges for colorectal cancer survivors with ostomies: Effects on anxiety, body image, and emotional well-being
  (mentored by Drs. Katrina Debnam, Randy Jones, Jessie Gibson, Mikel Gray, and Guofan Yan)
  
  
• Lena Vanable, RN (PhD `25)
  Black adults type 2 diabetes spousal / romantic partner support and medication adherence
  (mentored by Drs. Randy Jones, Katrina Debnam, Ishan Williams, and Jennifer Lobo)