Highlights include major grant funding from the CDC, national and professional awards, completion of leadership development programs, scholarly presentations, publications, and new professional certifications.
Award
The National Advanced Practice Provider (APP) Week Committee selected Dr. Tom Rowley as the winner of the Emerging APP Leader Award. Nominated by the University of Utah Health Advanced Practice Council, Dr. Rowley was chosen from a strong field of advanced practice providers across the University system—a testament to his leadership, contributions, and the impact he has made in his role. Recognizing the significance of the nomination and award, Dr. Jennifer Clifton wrote, “Only nominations originating from committees and organizations registered for APP Week are eligible, making this recognition all the more meaningful. We’re proud to have Tom representing the University of Utah at the national level. Congratulations, Tom—this honor is well deserved and it’s wonderful to see your leadership organized!”
Grant Award
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) awarded $3,979,107 to Multiple Principal Investigators Dr. Elizabeth Sloss, Dr. Paul Estabrooks (Contact), Dr. Andy King, and Dr. J.D. Smith for their project titled Enhanced Visibility, Engagement, and Reach of Lifestyle Change Interventions Project (EVER-LCI) and LCIRN Coordinating Center Special Interest Project (SIP). The project aims to improve the health of all people living in rural communities throughout the United States by improving the reach and engagement of evidence-based lifestyle change interventions. The team will leverage the Mountain West Family Healthy Weight Collaborative and the CDC Prevention Research Center Network to engage community members and organizations across diverse rural regions in the United States. The SIP operates under the Mountain West Prevention Research Center parent award.
Leadership Development
Dr. Katie Davis and Dr. Tom Rowley completed the Health Sciences Leadership Development Program, earning a certificate. Developed and delivered by faculty from the David Eccles School of Business, the 6-month program is designed to help health care professionals drive growth and success in their organizations.
Dr. Moroni Fernandez Cajavilca, Postdoctoral Fellow, was accepted into the 2025-2026 cohort of the Utah Health Equity Leadership and Mentoring (U-HELM) program. U-HELM provides mentoring and leadership development opportunities to junior faculty members, postdoctoral scholars, and fellows who are involved in health equity research, teaching, or clinical practice. U-HELM Fellows move through a yearlong curriculum of monthly seminars and networking events that focus on traditional academic career development as well as topics related to cultural identity, health equity, and various challenges in the health sciences. In addition, Fellows are matched with a senior-level faculty mentor to address issues of leadership and professional development.
Presentations
Dr. Amanda Daily-Hansen, Srinivas Tantravahi, and Ming Lim delivered a podium presentation titled Central Line-associated Bloodstream Infections in Patients with Hematologic Malignancies: A Quality Improvement Initiative at the 2025 National Summit on Hematologic Cancers in Nashville
Dr. Jessie Leavitt delivered a presentation titled Foster Care: Reflections of a Nurse Practitioner to foster parents at Utah Foster Care.
Dr. Schola Matovu was the keynote speaker at the Children’s Service Society of Utah’s Perennial Hope Gala in Salt Lake City.
Psychiatric/Mental Health student, Garrett Schwanke, presented a poster titled Occupational Moral Injury Psychoeducation and Outreach Project at the Huntsman Mental Health Institute’s Mental Health, Brain, and Behavioral Science Research Day in Salt Lake City.
Dr. Zoe Robbins and Conor Duffy presented and Dr. Mollie Cummins moderated a webinar titled Beyond Words: Non-Verbal Communication and Rapport-Building in Telehealth. Hosted by telehealth.org, the session now is available as a continuing education course.
Dr. Jacob Steenblik delivered a presentation titled Risk, Relationships, and Rescue: Naloxone Distribution Insights from the Emergency Department at the Anesthesiology Research Conference in Salt Lake City.
Dr. Julie Valentine delivered a presentation titled Caring for Survivors of Sexual Abuse: Being and Sharing the Light at the AWHONN-UT [Association of Women's Health, Obstetric, and Neonatal Nurses-Utah] 2025 Conference in Salt Lake City.
The Academy of Health Sciences Educators held its 12th Annual Education Symposium at the Eccles Health Science Education Building. The theme of the symposium was Adapting and Thriving: Collaborative Approaches for Educators and Students in Evolving Health Science Education. Dr. Rebecca Wilson, Director of the Academy of Health Science Educators, served on the Planning Committee. Dr. Wilson and Dr. Michael Andreae, Chair of the Education Symposium Committee, welcomed attendees to the symposium and provided opening remarks. Several faculty presented at the conference.
- Dr. Lisa Barry, Dr. Amanda Keddington, and Dr. Heidi Favero delivered a TED Talk titled From Simulation to Synergy: Building Practice Readiness Through Interprofessional Collaboration.
- Dr. Cynthia Benyon and Dr. Anna Alder delivered an e-poster titled Innovative Pathways to Accreditation: Integrating Community-Engaged Learning in Graduate Nursing Education.
- Dr. Cynthia Garbett, Dr. Lisa Barry, Dr. Rebekah Perkins, and Dr. Ann Butt delivered a workshop titled Designing Simulation for Knowing, Doing, and Being: A Framework for Professional Identify Formation.
- Dr. Van Gip-Duran, Dr. Gwen Latendresse, and Dr. Diane Chapman delivered a TED Talk titled Simulation-Based Clinical Preparation for Student-Led Clinics: Empowering Students and Preceptors to Participate in and Lead Patient-centered Care in Underserved Populations.
- Amy Powell-Versteeg and Dr. Rebekah Perkins delivered a TED Talk titled IMPACT: A Learning Model to Build Identity and Break Age Barriers.
Professional Achievement
Dr. Jessie Leavitt achieved certification as a Pediatric Primary Care Mental Health Specialist (PMHS) by meeting eligibility criteria and passing a 150-question exam. The Pediatric Nursing Certification Board offers the PMHS exam, which validates the added knowledge, skills, and expertise of advanced practice registered nurses in the early identification, intervention, and collaboration of care for children and adolescents with mental and behavioral health concerns.
Publications
Rodriguez MJ, Polsinelli A, Baker ZG, Bybee SG, Dowling M, Estrada LV, Jimenez SY, Kittle K, Meyer K, Periyakoil VS, Pinzon MM, Puga F, Quinoñes M, Quiroz YT, Gomez LR, Ramirez M, Samper-Ternent R, Vetter CJ, Perales-Puchalt J. A scoping review of interventions for Hispanic caregivers of persons living with dementia. Alzheimers Dement Behav Socioecon Aging. In press.
Dr. Mary Killela, Dr. Seneca Perri Moore, and Dr. Carolyn Scheese co-authored sections of The AI Leadership Blueprint: A Practical Guide to Responsible Workforce Transformation. The “blueprint” is a collaborative guide created by the Responsible Artificial Intelligence Community Consortium and The Scientific Computing and Imaging Institute as part of the One-U Responsible AI Initiative. The AI Leadership Blueprint educates leaders, workforce development professionals, industry partners, and public sector leaders in integrating generative AI responsibly and effectively. Dr. Moore and Dr. Scheese co-authored Section 2 Readiness Assessment Framework, and Dr. Moore, Dr. Scheese, and Jerome Soller co-authored Section 4 People, Tools, and Technology. Prior to publication, Dr. Killela assisted with final edits and revisions. In a news report titled Group hopes AI 'blueprint' will lead Utah businesses, workers to brighter future, KSL spotlighted The AI Leadership Blueprint.