xt74b853j590 https://exploreuk.uky.edu/dips/xt74b853j590/data/mets.xml University of Kentucky College of Nursing Kentucky -- Lexington University of Kentucky College of Nursing 2014  newsletters  English University of Kentucky College of Nursing  Contact the Special Collections Research Center for information regarding rights and use of this collection. University of Kentucky College of Nursing publications Nursing Opportunities, Fall 2014 text Opportunities, Fall 2014 2014 2014 2019 true xt74b853j590 section xt74b853j590 Fall 2014

table of

CONTENTS

10

page

Feature

A Conversation With the New Dean

16
20

page

Practice

Doors Wide Open: A New Era at Eastern State Hospital

page

Partnership

Preparing to Lead: It’s a New Day
Norton Healthcare Partners with UK’s DNP Program

26

page

Research
One by One

32

page

Students

Meet the Interns

2	
Grant Productivity
4	Awards
5	
Student Scholarship Showcase Anniversary
6	
Faculty & Staff Appointments & Transitions
36	Events
38	Donors
41	
Donor Profile

Opp2014_interior_FINAL.indd 1

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* grant

PRODUCTIVITY

FUNDED
Grants awarded

RESEARCH

grant

PRODUCTIVITY

april 2013 to present

Electronic Cigarette Use Behaviors,
Prevalence, and Perceptions Among
Women of Childbearing Age In Kentucky
Dr. Kristin Ashford, women’s health nurse practitioner and
associate professor, received a one-year, $19,792 award from the UK
Office of the Vice President for Research that will determine the behaviors,
perceptions, attitudes and beliefs regarding the use of e-cigarettes among
women of childbearing age (including pregnant women).

Prenatal and Postpartum Training
Dr. Kristin Ashford, women’s health nurse practitioner and
associate professor, also received a one-year, $4,500 contract from the
Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services.

A Dietary Antioxidant Intervention
for Secondary Prevention of
Cardiovascular Disease
Dr. Martha Biddle, assistant professor, received $3,000 in
supplemental funding from the Center for Clinical and Translational
Science (CCTS) to fund a full carotenoid panel for HPLC analysis.

Effects of Family Sodium Watchers
Program on Outcomes in Heart Failure
Patient-Family Caregiver Dyads
Dr. Misook Chung, associate professor, received a five-year,
$2,404,267 grant from the National Institute of Nursing Research. Dr.
Chung and her team will administer a family-based intervention that will
improve the health status and quality of life of patients with heart failure
and their family caregivers.

Tobacco Policies in Mental Health
and Substance Abuse Treatment
Dr. Amanda Fallin, assistant research professor, received a
six-month, $5,000 award from the Center for Clinical and Translational
Science Small Grant Program. She will create a database of tobacco
policies and treatment standards of care on Kentucky’s mental health and
substance abuse treatment facilities.

Predictors of Cognitive Function and
Disability in Adult Trauma Patients Who
Receive Blood Transfusions
Dr. Susan Frazier, associate professor, and Allison Roenker
Jones, PhD candidate, received a $6,000 award from the Emergency
Nurses Association Foundation. Their project will evaluate the association
of blood transfusion volume, ratio of components, and age of stored blood
components with cognitive/psychological functioning in trauma patients.

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OPPORTUNITIES / Fall 2014

Opp2014_interior_FINAL.indd 2-3

Smoke-free: Refresh. Replenish.
Re-energize.

Interventions for Nutrition Education
and Skills

Dr. Ellen Hahn, professor and director, Kentucky Center for
Smoke-free Policy and Tobacco Policy Research Program and
Marcia A. Dake Professor of Nursing, received $2,750 from the
Foundation for a Healthy Kentucky to hold the KCSP annual conference.

Dr. Frances Hardin-Fanning, assistant professor, received a
three-year, $368,888 K23 Mentored Patient-Oriented Research Career
Development award from the National Institute for Nursing Research.
It will engender the skills to develop and test novel interventions aimed
at improving eating habits and thereby lowering risk and cost burden of
heart disease in rural Appalachian food deserts.

Promoting Responsive Smoke- and
Tobacco-free Policy Adoption and
Implementation
Dr. Ellen Hahn, professor and director, Kentucky Center for
Smoke-free policy and Tobacco Policy Research Program and
Marcia A. Dake Professor of Nursing, received $50,000 for year two
of what is anticipated to be a five-year initiative from the Foundation for
a Healthy Kentucky. The study promotes smoke- and tobacco-free policy
adoption and effective implementation.

A Randomized Controlled Trial of
Anesthesia Guided by BIS vs. Standard
Care and Effects on Cognition
Dr. Debra Moser, professor and Linda C. Gill Endowed Chair in
Nursing, and Zohn Centimole, PhD candidate, received a one-year,
$26,700 award from the American Association of Nurse Anesthetists
Foundation. The specific aims are designed to provide a comprehensive
assessment of neurocognitive implication of bispectral index system (BIS)
guided versus standard anesthetic techniques.

Postoperative Symptom Distress of
Laparoscopic Orthopaedic Ambulatory
Surgery Patients: A Qualitative Study
Dr. Janet Odom-Forren, assistant professor, received a one-year
grant of $4,533 from the American Nurses Foundation. Dr. OdomForren and her co-investigator, Dr. Deborah Reed, professor, will conduct
focus groups with key stakeholders. Data gathered will allow for the
development of tailored interventions for management of postoperative
symptoms.

Postoperative Symptom Distress
of Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy
Ambulatory Surgery Patients:
A Qualitative Study
Dr. Janet Odom-Forren, assistant professor, received a one-year
grant of $9,939 from the American Society of PeriAnesthesia Nurses. This
qualitative study will 1) identify all symptoms that cause postoperative
distress; 2) identify symptom management techniques that effectively
reduce the distress of laparoscopic cholecystectomy postoperative
symptoms at home after ambulatory surgery; and 3) identify facilitators
and barriers to self-management of postoperative symptoms.

Nurse Education, Practice, Quality and
Retention—Veterans’ Bachelor of Science
in Nursing Program
Dr. Frances Hardin-Fanning, assistant professor, received a
three-year, $627,041 Health Resources and Services Administration
(HRSA) award that will develop, implement and evaluate a medically
trained veteran to BSN transition initiative in the UK College of Nursing
BSN Program.

Reducing Diabetes Risk for Rural
Appalachian Grandparent-Headed
Households (GHH)
Dr. Jennifer Hatcher, associate professor, received a three-year,
$375,000 grant from the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of
Child Health and Human Development. GHH will holistically examine
the socio-ecological context of the health of GHH in rural Appalachian
Kentucky, in order to implement a culturally and contextually appropriate
family intervention to reduce diabetes risk.

Promoting Colorectal Cancer Screening in
Rural Emergency Departments
Dr. Jennifer Hatcher, associate professor, received a two-year,
$359,528 award from the National Cancer Institute. This work will be
the first to address the disproportionate incidence and mortality from
colorectal cancer in rural Appalachia.

Farm Theater: A Novel Safety Strategy
Approach for Agricultural Communities
Dr. Deborah Reed, Distinguished Service Professor and Good
Samaritan Endowed Chair, received a four-year, $1,231,184 award
from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Institute
for Occupational Safety and Health. Dr. Reed and her team will work
with established farm community organizations in Kentucky, Tennessee
and Mississippi to develop and test a novel intervention: didactic readers
theater, with 450 adult and senior farmers, and their family members, to
positively change farm work culture and safety behavior.

Central Appalachian Regional Education
and Research Center/Occupational and
Environmental Health Nursing (OEHN)
Training Program
Dr. Deborah Reed, Distinguished Service Professor and Good
Samaritan Endowed Chair, received a five-year, $990,000 award from
the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (Principal
Investigator Dr. Wayne Sanderson, UK College of Public Health).
Dr. Reed leads the Occupational and Environmental Health Nursing
Training Core.

Prestigous

pcori grant AWARDED

DEBRA MOSER
Debra Moser, DNSc, RN,
FAAN, professor, has been
awarded a prestigious
Patient-Centered Outcomes
Research Institute Grant
(PCORI) to advance
her research in riskreducing interventions for
cardiovascular disease in
Kentucky’s Appalachian
region.
The Patient-Centered
Outcomes Research Institute
is authorized by Congress to
conduct research to provide
information about the best
available evidence to help patients and their health care providers
make more informed decisions. PCORI’s research is intended to give
patients a better understanding of the prevention, treatment and
care options available, and the science that supports those options.
The $2.1 million grant will be distributed over the next three years.
Appalachian Kentucky is in the top 1 percent of the nation in
cardiovascular disease (CVD) morbidity and mortality, placing it
among the worst CVD health disparity areas in the U.S. Individuals
in Appalachian Kentucky have extremely high risks of multiple CVD
risk factors, amplified by the distressed environment. Dr. Moser’s
research will focus on interventions individualized to patients’
specific needs and barriers to success.

University of Kentucky College of Nursing

3

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* 6

awards

& HONORS

AWARDS

Recipient List

CONGRATULATIONS

student

SCHOLARSHIPS

In the Pursuit

of Sharing
2013-2014

College of Nursing
Student Awards
College of Nursing Faculty Award
RECIPIENT: Jessica Anderson
Sebastian-Stanhope Award
RECIPIENT: Lacey Buckler
Delta Psi Senior Nurse Award
RECIPIENTS: Kathryn Campbell
Omicron Delta Kappa
Maurice A. Clay Award
RECIPIENT: Anthony Carney

Best graduate student poster presentation
RECIPIENT: Amber Davis
Best undergraduate student
oral presentation
RECIPIENT: Marissa Hooper
Best graduate student oral presentation
RECIPIENT: Jessica Murray

2014

College of Nursing
Annual Award Recipients
Employee of the Year Award
RECIPIENT: Nancy McDevitt

UK HealthCare Commitment to
Nursing Excellence Award
RECIPIENT: Anthony Carney

Excellence in Undergraduate
Precepting Award
RECIPIENT: Christy Hurst

Taylor Ann Davis Starbucks Award
RECIPIENT: Joy Coles

Excellence in Graduate Precepting Award
RECIPIENT: Kimberly Bennett

2014 Dr. Doris Wilkinson Award for Most
Outstanding African-American Female
RECIPIENT: Kristina Harrison

Excellence in Graduate Teaching Award
RECIPIENT: Karen Stefaniak

First Place, Minority Health Research
Student Poster, 2014 Southern Nursing
Research Society Annual Conference
RECIPIENT: Corinna Hughes
Carolyn A. Williams Award
RECIPIENT: Kathy Isaacs
College of Nursing Alumni Association
Nightingale Award
RECIPIENT: Samantha Keeling
Lyman T. Johnson Torch Bearer Award
RECIPIENT: Joshua Kidd
First Place Student Poster,
2014 Southern Nursing Research Society
Annual Conference
RECIPIENT: Christina Thompson
Baptist Health Lexington Nursing
Leadership Award
RECIPIENT: Hayley Wihlon

2014

College of Nursing
Student Scholarship
Showcase Awards
Best undergraduate student
poster presentation
RECIPIENT: Anthony Carney

4	

OPPORTUNITIES / Fall 2014

Opp2014_interior_FINAL.indd 4-5

Excellence in Part-Time Teaching Award
RECIPIENT: Demetrius Abshire
Excellence in Undergraduate
Unit/Agency Award
RECIPIENT: Trauma Surgical Services
Eighth Floor, UK HealthCare
Gloe L. Bertram Award
RECIPIENT: Tricia MacCallum
Louise J. Zegeer Award
RECIPIENT: Cathy Catlett
Teaching Excellence in Support of
Professional Nursing Award
RECIPIENT: Vicky Turner
Dean’s Award
RECIPIENT: Jeannine Blackwell
Excellence in Service Award
RECIPIENT: Patricia B. Howard

2013-2014

Other Faculty Awards
100 Inspiring Nursing Professors to
Watch, Onlinelpntorn.org
RECIPIENTS: Demetrius Abshire and
Stephanie Fugate
Outstanding Alumni Award,
University of Louisville
RECIPIENTS: Kristin Ashford and
Patricia B. Howard

Golden Apple Award, The Learning Center,
Fayette County Public Schools Community
Partners Leadership Team
RECIPIENTS: Leslie Beebe, Joanne
Matthews, Courtney Reeves and
Stephanie Steele
Inducted as Fellows,
American Heart Association
RECIPIENTS: Martha Biddle and
Misook Chung
Inducted as Fellow,
American Academy of Nursing
RECIPIENT: Misook Chung

Scholarship

College Celebrates the 10th Anniversary of the Student Scholarship Showcase
Although the word “scholarship” may call to mind college
applications and financial aid, it also can mean the pursuit of
knowledge through formal study or research. That pursuit is
partially played out with the College of Nursing’s annual Student
Scholarship Showcase.
In April 2014, the College hosted its 10th showcase. Much like a
scientific conference, students present posters and oral presentations
selected and then judged by college faculty. Winners, chosen in
both categories at the undergraduate and graduate levels, receive a
plaque and a $100 award.

2014 State Award for Excellence, American
Association of Nurse Practitioners
RECIPIENT: Audrey Darville

2013 Junior Investigator Award,
American Public Health Association
RECIPIENT: Francis Hardin-Fanning

2014 Hall of Fame Award,
UK College of Public Health
RECIPIENT: Carolyn Williams

2014

Other Awards
2013 Chapter Spirit of Philanthropy Award,
Sigma Theta Tau International
RECIPIENT: UK College of Nursing Delta
Psi Chapter
2013 Presidential Award,
Sigma Theta Tau International
RECIPIENT: UK College of Nursing
Delta Psi Chapter
Gold Award, 2013 Opportunities magazine,
Lexington Chapter of the American
Advertising Federation
RECIPIENTS: Claire Sale and
The Williams McBride Group
2014 “The Healing Presence of Art”
Employee Gallery, Photography,
UK Arts in HealthCare
RECIPIENT: Claire Sale

Digital posters, created on a computer and presented on-screen,
were an idea Dr. Dekker received from faculty. She worked with UK
Chandler Hospital’s A/V department, which had high-definition
monitors available for complimentary use. Eleven students presented
digital posters. “That is really moving forward. I haven’t been to any
conferences where that technology was used,” says Holmes.
The practice sessions for oral presentations helped students be better
prepared and confident.

History of the
Student Scholarship Showcase
Mary DeLetter, PhD, RN, an alumna of the college’s PhD
Program, was instrumental in establishing the showcase. Dr.
DeLetter, who at the time was an assistant professor in the College,
was inspired by a one-time event of student presentations in the
early 1990s. “It prompted me to think that it was a good venue for
students at all levels to be able to present to a friendly audience and
to gain some experience in recognizing scholarship,” she says. In
2003, she got full support from then-Dean Carolyn Williams, and
the Student Scholarship Showcase was born.

Ambassador status, National Institute
of Nursing Research
RECIPIENT: Ellen Hahn

2014-2015 University Research
Professorship, UK Office of the
Vice President for Research
RECIPIENT: Debra Moser

WRITTEN BY:
Jennifer S. Newton

The 10th Anniversary
To honor the 10th anniversary, the showcase committee made
some changes to enhance the event. First, Sherry Holmes, MSN,
RN, coordinator of assessment and special projects, who was chair
for three years, turned facilitating duties over to co-chairs Rebecca
Dekker, PhD, RN, APRN, assistant professor, and Debra Moser,
DNSc, RN, FAAN, professor and director of the Center for
Biobehavioral Research in Self-Management of Cardiopulmonary
Disease. “We felt like we would get better student participation if
faculty members were more actively involved,” says Holmes.
Having been a participant who won two showcase awards herself,
Dr. Dekker has a unique perspective and passion for the event. Her
first priority was to seek faculty input, ask them to include the event
in their spring syllabi and encourage students to submit abstracts.
The strategy worked; the committee received 21 submissions and
saw an increase in attendance from 2013.
Other changes included adding a “must be present to win” raffle,
staggering the order of undergraduate and graduate speakers,
introducing digital posters and requiring students with oral
presentations to attend a practice session.

Although it began with a research focus, this year honored the
original intent to add other exceptional work, such as clinical
papers, literature reviews, evidence-based projects and practice
guideline implementation.
Fostering faculty-to-student mentorship and giving students an
opportunity to present scholarly work are important, according to
Professor and then-Interim Dean Patricia B. Howard, PhD, RN,
FAAN. The showcase offers a broader opportunity, at little to no
cost, in a supportive and energetic environment. “It’s practice for
state, regional or national presentations,” she says.
Unlike anything students experience in the classroom or in clinic,
the showcase instills confidence and increases awareness of the value
of scholarly endeavors. “It’s celebrating students impacting patients,
patient outcomes and the research world. They’re doing important
things no matter where they are in the progress of an academic
career,” says Dr. DeLetter.
“It really gives (students) positive strokes and encourages them to
continue scholarly productivity,” says Holmes.
True to its roots, the showcase benefited not only the participants
but also those who attended. Dr. Dekker says both she and the
students were inspired to want to change nursing practice for the
better—what a testament to the College’s mission: “to support
excellence in nursing education, research, practice and service.”

2013 Lyman T. Johnson Torch of
Excellence Award
RECIPIENT: Sophia Weathers
University of Kentucky College of Nursing

5

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* faculty
& S TA F F

TRANSITIONS
Faculty Appointments

Faculty Appointments
Amanda Fallin,
PhD, RN, Assistant
Research Professor

Dr. Fallin is an
active early-career
tobacco control
scientist with a
focus on tobacco
policy and disparate
populations. As a faculty associate in the
Tobacco Policy Research Program, she is
currently developing a program of research
focused on tobacco use and tobacco-related
policies in mental health and substance
abuse treatment facilities.
In June 2014, she completed a three-year
postdoctoral fellowship with Dr. Stanton
Glantz at the University of California San
Francisco’s Center for Tobacco Control
Research and Education. While there
she led projects related to tobacco use,
policy and prevention for vulnerable
populations: in tobacco-growing states;
and among lesbian, gay, bisexual and
transgender adults, college students and
bar-going young adults. Fallin has led
two multi-site capacity-building projects
funded by California’s Tobacco-Related
Disease Research Program to evaluate
smoke- and tobacco-free college campus
policies in California as an extension of
her dissertation research. Her article, “To
Quarterback Behind the Scenes, Third
Party Efforts: The Tobacco Industry and
the Tea Party,” was the most downloaded
article in Tobacco Control in 2013.
As a predoctoral student, she served as a
community adviser on an NHLBI-funded
project to promote smoke-free policies in
rural Kentucky communities. Dr. Fallin
earned her BSN, MSN and PhD from the
University of Kentucky College of Nursing.

6	

OPPORTUNITIES / Fall 2014

Opp2014_interior_FINAL.indd 6-7

Dianna Inman, DNP,
RN, APRN, CPNP,
PMHS, Assistant
Professor

Dr. Inman is a
pediatric nurse
practitioner,
primary care mental
health specialist
and an assistant professor of nursing at the
University of Kentucky in the graduate
program.
Dedicated to serving children and
adolescents, her work has focused on
assessing and treating students in schools
in underserved areas with primary care
and developmental and behavioral health
services. She is an active member in the
National Association of Pediatric Nurse
Practitioners, has presented at national
conferences and is a member of special
interest groups related to school health and
mental health. She has written articles for
Ready Set Grow Health Information for
Kids and Parents magazine sponsored by
the National Association of Pediatric Nurse
Practitioners.
Dr. Inman received the Outstanding
Faculty Member Award from the
Medical University of South Carolina
and the distinguished Palmetto Gold
Nurse Recognition Award by the South
Carolina Nurses Foundation. She has
received funding as co-PI from the Duke
Endowment and Health Resources and
Services Administration for implementing
evidence-based programs to decrease
aggressive behaviors in elementary school
students.
As an advocate for children and adolescents,
Dr. Inman has served on the First Steps
Board to improve school readiness for
children in Charleston County, South
Carolina. She is passionate about improving
health outcomes of children and adolescents
through increasing nursing students’,
nurses’ and practitioners’ knowledge and
practice related to evidence-based care.

Shelia Melander, PhD,
ACNP-BC, FCCM,
FAANP, Professor

Dr. Melander is a
nationally known
adult-gerontological
acute care nurse
practitioner (ACNP)
leader. She is currently
serving a two-year term as president of the
National Organization of Nurse Practitioner
Faculties. She was involved in the revision
of the Acute Care Nurse Practitioner Scope
and Standards document in 2006 and
was a member of the work committee that
established the 2012 Adult-Gerontological
Acute Care Nurse Practitioner Competencies.
She also led the development of the Statement
on Acute Care and Primary Care Certified
Nurse Practitioners. Additionally she
facilitated the development of a second
multiorganizational white paper addressing
nurse practitioner employment, which is being
used across the U.S. in both primary and acute
care settings.
Funded with a grant from the University of
Southern Indiana College of Nursing and
Health Professions, Dr. Melander started
and taught in one of the earliest master’slevel ACNP tracks in the U.S. In 2003 she
was recruited to the University of Tennessee
College of Nursing to teach in the ACNP
Track, where she taught at both the master’s
and doctoral levels. Since 2003 she has
been involved in high-fidelity simulation to
maximize student learning.
Dr. Melander has practiced for more than
12 years as a cardiovascular ACNP specialist
in both hospital and office settings. She was
the first certified ACNP to practice in the
Owensboro/Daviess County, Kentucky,
area. While practicing at Sandra Fallon
Cardiology in Santa Monica, California.,
she was one of the first practitioners to be
involved with advanced genetic counseling
for cardiovascular disease treatment and
prevention.

TRANSITIONS
Faculty Transitions

Carol Thompson,
PhD, DNP, ACNP,
CCRN, FCCM,
FAANP, FAAN,
Professor

Dr. Thompson is
nationally known
for her acute and
critical care nursing
leadership. She was the first acute care nurse
practitioner (ACNP) and the second nurse
to be president of the Society of Critical
Care Medicine; the first ACNP on the
national board of directors of the American
Association of Critical Care Nurses; the
first ACNP to serve on the Tennessee Board
of Nursing; and was among the first 100
nurses to be certified as an ACNP.
During her 27-year academic career she
developed one of the early ACNP programs
at the MSN and then DNP level. As
she embraced technological advances in
education she became a founding member
of the Society of Medical Simulation and
developed expertise in online learning.
Her scholarship interests have included
dyspnea, pain, agitation, delirium and
mobility in critically ill adults. Since
2013 she has delivered more than 30
international presentations.
Dr. Thompson received her BSN from
Florida State University, an MS in nursing
from the University of Maryland, a PhD
in nursing from Case Western Reserve
University, and a DNP from the University
of Tennessee Health Science Center. She
has achieved Fellow status in the American
College of Critical Care Medicine, the
American Association of Nurse Practitioners
and the American Academy of Nursing.

Faculty Transitions
Patricia B. Howard,
PhD, RN, NEA-BC,
FAAN

Dr. Howard has
been promoted to
executive associate
dean for academic
operations and
partnerships and has
been appointed as the Marion E. McKenna
Professor of Nursing. Dr. Howard is
recognized nationally and internationally
for her expertise and program of research
in mental health service evaluation that
focused on improved access and quality of
care for those with serious and persistent
mental disorders. Her innovative approach
to expand the multidisciplinary research
team to include the voice of consumers of
mental health services has enhanced the
validity of her translational research on
quality, patient satisfaction, and treatment
outcomes. She has published in highly
recognized nursing and health services
journals and presented at numerous
national and international forums.
Sharon Lock, PhD,
RN, APRN

Dr. Lock has
been promoted to
professor. She is
the primary care
track coordinator in
the College’s DNP
Program. From
fall 2012 to the summer of 2014, Dr. Lock
served as interim dean for MSN and DNP
Studies. Her research interests include
teen pregnancy prevention and sexual risk
reduction among adolescents, and she
maintains a faculty practice at the
UK Center for the Advancement of
Women’s Health.

faculty
& S TA F F

Joanne Matthews,
DNP, RN, APRN-CS

Joanne Matthews
has been promoted
to clinical assistant
professor. She holds
a dual position as
course coordinator
for the psychiatric/mental health nursing
courses in the undergraduate program and
psychiatric clinical liaison nurse for UK
HealthCare. Prior to her current roles, she
managed the inpatient psychiatric unit at
UK Albert B. Chandler Hospital for 10
years and an acute care unit for two years.
Gia Mudd-Martin,
PhD, MPH, RN

Dr. MuddMartin is now an
associate professor
with tenure. She
teaches public
health nursing in
the undergraduate program. Her areas of
research include the application of genetic
and genomic advances in the prevention of
Type II diabetes and cardiovascular disease;
the public health impact of genetic/genomic
advances on vulnerable populations; and
translational research in genomics.

She is a fellow in the Society of Critical Care
Medicine, as well as the American Association
of Nurse Practitioners.
University of Kentucky College of Nursing

7

11/16/14 12:05 PM

* faculty
& S TA F F

TRANSITIONS
Staff Appointments & Transitions

TRANSITIONS
In Memory

a
Staff Appointments &
Transitions
Clair Abney

Clair has worked
for the College
of Nursing since
2008 and has
transitioned into
working with the
Grant Development
Team to provide support and assistance in
the preparation and submission of grant
proposals. She has an associate degree
from Bluegrass Community and Technical
College and a Bachelor of Arts in English
from UK. She is currently working toward
a Master’s of Public Administration from
Murray State University.
Shannon Ferguson

Shannon joined
the College in
August 2014 as
part of the business
office. Prior to this
position, she served
as an academic
administration-payroll coordinator.
Kevin Garland

Kevin joined the
College in August
of 2014 as part of
the business office,
after transitioning
from UK’s Health
Profession Colleges
Integrated Business Unit (IBU), where he
served as the travel coordinator. Prior to the
IBU, he worked in the travel area of UK’s
Athletics Department for 12 years. Kevin has
been a UK employee since 1997.

8	

OPPORTUNITIES / Fall 2014

Opp2014_interior_FINAL.indd 8-9

James Hayhurst

James came to the
College in 2013
and has a BA in
Journalism from UK.
He has worked in the
newspaper industry,
where he used
skills such as writing, editing, photography
and desktop publishing. Currently James
assists faculty with various projects ranging
from exam preparation, poster design, word
processing, maintaining the faculty and staff
directory, and literature searches.
Mary Jane
Lasshafft

Mary Jane has a
master’s degree
in mental health
counseling from
Western Kentucky
University. She has
worked in post-secondary education for more
than 20 years. Her prior work experience
includes academic advising, extended
campus coordination, program evaluation,
continuous quality improvement, and
curricular development and implementation.
Kelly McQueen

Kelly is a financial
analyst and joined
the College in
August 2104. She
has worked in a
financial role at
UK since 2011,
previously in the College of Agriculture,
Food & Environment. Before coming to
UK, she had 20 years of experience in a
variety of settings including manufacturing,
building and service-based industries,
in financial operations and clerical roles
from beginner to management level. She
has an associate degree and is currently
pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Business
Administration here at UK.

Kerry Powell

Kerry has served in
an academic adviser
role for several years.
Shortly after receiving
her master’s degree at
Asbury Theological
Seminary, she joined
the registrar staff as an academic adviser. Kerry
worked with nearly 400 graduate students in
multiple degree programs. In 2013, she had
the opportunity to transition to UK’s College
of Nursing, where she advises pre-nursing
and undergraduate nursing students and also
works with students in academic difficulty as
the student success coordinator. She also works
with the graduate program answering program
inquiries and coordinating teaching assistants.
Dan Rios

Dan joined the
College in 2013 and
is an information
systems technical
support specialist.
Before coming to
UK he served as a
project manager for Saint Joseph Hospital,
transitioning the hospital from paper to
electronic medical records (EMR). He has also
served as international IT support for Ethan
Allen furniture and studied at the Culinary
Institute of America.

DR. MARCIA DAKE

We are sorry to announce that Dr. Marcia Dake,
founding dean of the UK College of Nursing, has
passed away.
Dr. Dake served in the Army Nurse Corps during
WWII and used her GI Bill to complete her master’s
and doctoral degrees. She was one of the first 10
doctorally prepared nurses in the country and in
1958, at age 35, was the youngest dean to serve at a
college of nursing in the U.S.
The first baccalaureate class was admitted in
the fall of 1960, and at that time nursing was the
only undergraduate program at UK to have a
selective admissions process. UK’s BSN Program
was one of only two baccalaureate nursing
programs in Kentucky; the others were hospital
diploma programs. Under Dr. Dake’s leadership
the College received full accreditation in 1965
and the master’s program was approved by the
faculty senate in 1969.
Dr. Dake served as dean until 1971 and leaves a
legacy that will forever be remembered not only
in the College of Nursing but throughout UK’s
Chandler Medical Center, and by pioneering
nursing students who withstood a rigorous, yet
excellent, nursing program.

COURTNEY MYERS
Condolences go out
to the family, friends,
classmates, faculty and
staff who knew
Courtney Myers.
Courtney, of Holland,
Ohio, was tragically killed
in an auto accident on
Aug. 14. She would have
been a second-semester sophomore in the BSN
Program for fall 2014. Outside of school she had
a deep love for animals, the outdoors, playing
volleyball and was a huge fan of country music.
Dean Janie Heath spoke to Courtney’s mother,
who spoke highly of our faculty and staff and
expressed her appreciation for all.
Her clinical instructor, Lauren Smith, remembers
that Courtney was particularly interested in
becoming a surgical nurse. She also set a critical
goal that she would use throughout her academic
and practice career … to learn how to “think like
a nurse.”
She was a member of St. Joan of Arc Catholic
Church in Toledo, Ohio.
The College of Nursing held a memorial
service on Oct.2 to remember and celebrate
Courtney’s life.

faculty
& S TA F F

Tribute

KAREN TUFTS
The College of Nursing and
the nursing community
lost an inspiring graduate
and practitioner on April
6, 2014. Karen Tufts taught
us much about holding
onto dreams and having
the courage to pursue
them.
Karen began her nursing career midlife and earned
her ADN at Lexington Community College and her
BSN and MSN degrees at UK. Choosing psychiatric/
mental health nursing as her passion, she practiced
at Charter Ridge Hospital, Eastern State Hospital
and the VA Medical Center (VMAC