This week, the College of Nursing honored thirteen faculty and staff with 2024–2025 Excellence Awards for their leadership in teaching, research, service, and mentorship. Faculty secured competitive grant funding to explore the financial impact of caregiving and presented at major conferences on adolescent pregnancy, digital harm, and clinical education. We also celebrated new research publications, recognition for interprofessional education facilitation, and the arrival of baby Juliette Margaret.
Staff and Faculty Excellence Awards
Thirteen staff and faculty received a College of Nursing 2024-2025 Excellence Award! These individuals continually go above and beyond, contributing to the College’s reputation for excellence.
Staff Service Excellence Awards:
- Mikayla Dalley
- Dr. Valois Feneziani
- Anna Fetzer
- Dr. Mindy Robert
- Jacqueline Telonidis
- Helen Yang
Faculty Excellence Awards:
- Dr. Cheryl Armstrong – Faculty Excellence in Teaching Award
- Dr. Rebekah Perkins – Faculty Excellence in Mentoring Award
- Dr. Lynn Reinke – Faculty Excellence in Service Award
- Dr. Shawna Sisler – Faculty Excellence in Scholarship Award
- Dr. Echo Warner – Faculty Excellence in Research Award
- Dr. Sara Webb – Faculty Excellence in Practice Award
- Dr. Rebecca Wilson – Faculty Excellence in University of Health Partnership Award
Grant Awards
The Utah Center for the Promotion of Work Equity Research (U-POWER) awarded a $14,950 pilot award to Co-Investigators Dr. Catherine Elmore, Dr. Megan Hebdon, and Dr. Sarah Small for their project titled Financial Status of Women Family Caregivers: The Case for Paid Family Leave. The award period is 2025-2026.
The University of Utah Vice President for Research and the College of Nursing Research Incentive Seed Grant Program awarded a $25,262 pilot award to Co-Investigators Dr. Catherine Elmore, Dr. Megan Hebdon, and Dr. Sarah Small for their project titled Financial & Health Status of Women Family Caregivers: The Case for Paid Family Leave. The award period is 2025-2026.
The overall purpose of these studies, which have distinct specific aims, is to integrate secondary data analyses, using two national datasets and one state dataset, with autoethnography and a structured literature review on paid family leave to understand the impact of family caregiving, work, and care policies on the financial and physical well-being of women caregivers. Work products will include two policy briefs (Utah- and US-focused) that address the individual and societal impact of paid family leave for family caregivers who are women.
Professional Recognition
Faculty were recognized for their exceptional service as facilitators during academic year 2024-2025 for University of Utah Health’s Interprofessional Education (IPE) Program. Director Dr. Justin Rigby and Associate Director Sarah Canham wrote, “…Your dedication and expertise have significantly enhanced the educational experiences of our students and have had a profound impact on our institution's commitment to collaborative learning. The professions that have been impacted by your facilitation represent a diverse array of expertise, reflecting the multifaceted nature of modern healthcare delivery. Your ability to create an inclusive learning environment where students can learn from one another's perspectives is truly remarkable. The University of Utah Health IPE Program is deeply grateful for your ongoing dedication to advancing interprofessional education. Your contributions are invaluable to our mission of preparing future healthcare professionals for the challenges they will face in their careers…” The aim of the IPE Program is to equip health professions students with the essential interprofessional competencies needed to lead transformation of health care in the United States.
- Dr. Natalie Allen
- Dr. Cheryl Armstrong
- Dr. Lisa Barry
- Dr. Cynthia Beynon
- Dr. Sara Bybee
- Dr. Sue Chase-Cantarini
- Leslie Crandall
- Dr. Amanda Dailey-Hansen
- Dr. Sheila Deyette
- Dr. Catherine Elmore
- Kristy Gauthier
- Dr. Liz Greene
- Esther Kang
- Mari Kimoto
- Melissa Lawrence
- Dr. Christopher Macintosh
- Dr. Erica Nelson
- Dr. John Nerges
- Danielle Puri
- Dr. Emily Winn
Presentations
Dr. Jessica Leavitt gave a presentation titled Listening Beyond Prevention: Communicating, Counseling, and Caring for Adolescents Desiring Pregnancy at the statewide Utah Chapter of the National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners (NAPNAP) Utah Conference at Primary Children’s Hospital in Lehi.
Dr. Julie Valentine, Dr. Leslie Miles, and Ms. Kathryn Kosmides, dating app technology expert and founder and CEO of Garbo, Inc., delivered a presentation titled Harm in the Digital Age: Exploration of Sexual Assault and Exploitation Facilitated by Dating Apps at the national, multidisciplinary Conference on Crimes Against Women in Dallas.
Faculty will offer a Preceptor Education and Appreciation Event at three Intermountain Health facilities for advanced practice provider preceptors. For the first event, held at McKay-Dee Hospital, faculty delivered four presentations, and participants received 3.5 hours of free continuing education. Preceptors who received positive feedback from College of Nursing students received an Exceptional Preceptor plaque.
- Meeting Unique Student Needs in Clinical Settings. Dr. Cynthia Beynon, Dr. Rebecca Wilson
- Providing Effective Feedback. Dr. Heidi Favero
- Problem Solving Difficult Cases in Precepting. Dr. Heidi Vawdrey, Dr. Natalie Allen
- Effective Teaching of Clinical Students. Dr. Emily Winn
Publications
Aderibigbe T, Adeleye K, Simonsen SE, Latendresse G. A narrative review of culturally informed breastfeeding interventions for African American women. J Perinat Neonatal Nurs. 2025;39(2):137-149. DOI: 10.1097/JPN.0000000000000912
Luther BL, Bybee SG, Elmore CE, Grigorian E, Wang C-Y, Butler JM, Wallace AS. From screening to support: Exploring patient engagement with health-related social needs services. AJPM Focus. 2025;4(4):100346. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.focus.2025.100346
Williams M, Iacob E, Kausler R, Simonsen SE, Aderibigbe T, Latendresse G. Number of significant life events and perinatal depression in a diverse rural population: A brief report of a cross-sectional study. Women’s Health. 2025;21. https://doi.org/10.1177/174550572513383
In Other News
Dr. Liz Sloss and her husband welcomed baby Juliette Margaret on May 21. Liz and Juliette are doing well.