This week, College of Nursing faculty, staff, and students received national awards, presented research at major conferences, and led community events recognizing caregivers. Faculty earned honors for excellence in teaching, research, and leadership, while students and alumni were inducted into Sigma and advanced their scholarly and professional achievements.
Awards and Recognition
Dr. Kara Dassel will receive the Distinguished Faculty Award from the Gerontological Society of America and the Academy of Gerontology in Higher Education (AGHE), and will present the AGHE Faculty Award Lecture titled Teaching as a Catalyst: Driving Change Through Education at the Gerontological Society of America Annual Scientific Meeting in Boston. The award recognizes persons whose teaching stands out as exemplary, innovative, of impact, or any combination thereof.
At its annual induction ceremony, the Gamma Rho Chapter of Sigma presented awards to faculty and staff.
- Excellence in Leadership – Dr. Josh Wall
- Excellence in Mentorship – Dr. Carolyn Scheese
- Excellence in Teaching – Dr. Lisa Barry
- Excellence in Research – Dr. Alycia Bristol
- Excellence in Practice – Rachel Sharp
- Early Career Nurse Innovator – Dr. Natasha Ansari
- Excellence in Scholarship – Dr. Sara Hart
Gamma Rho Chapter of Sigma Research Award:
- Implementing a Mental Health Toolkit for School Nurses Award – Alicia Fawson
- Late Preterm "B.A.B.I.E.S" Breast and Bottle Infant-Mother Experiences and Support Award – Marietta Sperry
Baccalaureate students inducted into Sigma included:
- Rakelle Andrews
- Laura Beckstrand
- Jordan Cai
- Isabella Camacho
- Piper Chenoweth
- Keira Crossen
- Jasmine De La Cruz
- Amanda Desjardins
- Sydni Dyer
- Elizabeth Farmer
- Brooke Fernandez
- Brittany Flickinger
- Annika Fox
- Rilee Gibbs
- Haley Gray
- Melody Sanjinez Guzman
- Gabriella Hernandez
- Betsy Hernandez-Herrera
- Lorena Itzayana Zamarron-Jimenez
- Mary Jones
- Alan Korczynski
- Jennie Leo
- Kira Logue
- Grant Moreen
- Jeannette Moreno
- Brooklyn Nelson
- Abby Neukamm
- McCall Parkinson
- Cate Ritzel
- Hannah Schulken
- Addie Shaw
- Elizabeth Shvora
- Sierra Steinvurzel
- Alexandra Tattersall
- Emily Thomas
- Jason Vail
- Renee Villafana
- Ashley Westerheide
- Candice Williams
- Kaitlyn Lauryn Wilson
- Katy Wolgamot
- Annamarie Wood
- Emma Wray
Master of Science in Nursing students inducted into Sigma included:
- Amanda Fox
- Gretchen Wilcox
- Juno Yang
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Nursing student inducted into Sigma include:
- Marietta Sperry
Doctor of Nursing Practice students inducted into Sigma included:
- Hafsa Abdikadir
- Sarah Anderson
- Ayla Chase
- Alicia Fawson
- Beth Ann Friel
- Brooke Green
- Michelle Hauck
- Rebecca Pesaresi
- Maria Rubilar Vasquez
- Tessa Searle
- Dayna Van Cott
- Jeanelle Webb
- Jonica Whitmore-Hales
- Brittnee Zacherson
Nursing Leaders inducted into Sigma included:
- Dr. Emily Barrows
- Lisa Broome
- Anne Harris
- Dr. Jisook Ko
- Candice Williams
During the Sigma 48th Biennial Convention in Indianapolis, the College’s Gamma Rho Chapter of Sigma received a 2023-2025 Chapter Key Award for extraordinary accomplishment.
Events
Dr. Cheryl Armstrong (President), Dr. Natasha Ansari (Vice-President), Dr. Amanda Keddington (Past President), Dr. Lisa Barry, Dr. John Nerges, Dr. Rebekah Perkins, Dr. Anna Alder, Lisa Broome, Dr. Alisha Wursten, Dr. Jesika Chavez-England, Paige Potter, Dr. Emily Barrows, Leslie Crandall, Mykel Winter, Anne Harris, Dr. Sue Chase-Cantarini, Dr. Jenneth Doria, Sofia Flowers, and student interns Renee Villafana and Gabby Hernandez planned and produced the Gamma Rho Chapter of Sigma induction ceremony. Dean Marla De Jong delivered opening remarks. Dr. Teresa Garrett delivered the keynote address.
Dr. Sharifa Al-Qaaydeh, Dr. Melody Krahulec and Dr. Amanda Keddington hosted a retreat for the undergraduate program. More than 30 undergraduate faculty and Student Affairs and Academic Operations staff attended. Kristan Tunks delivered a presentation titled Modern Students. Dr. Al-Qaaydeh, Lynn Dixon, Dr. Keddington, Dr. Krahulec, and Jane Price also spoke. The planning group expresses special thanks to Dr. Natasha Ansari and Lisa Broome for helping with set-up, and to CON leadership for their support.
Presentations
Faculty and students presented at the National Commission on Correctional Health Care National Conference on Correctional Health Care in Baltimore.
- Training Juvenile Justice Health Care Staff in DBT. Dr. Valois Feniziani, Alexandra McHugh, and Melissa Johnson.
- Using Motivational Interviewing to Enhance Diet and Health in Youth. Dr. Valois Feniziani, Dr. Tom Rowley, and Makaeli Hopkin.
Faculty and an alumna and student who participated in the Rising Stars of Research and Scholarship program presented at the Sigma 48th Biennial Convention in Indianapolis.
- Sustainable Learning Spaces: Nurse-Led Intervention Supporting Education and Well-Being in a ‘Last Mile.’ Dr. Jenneth Doria.
- The Parent Caregiving Experience of School-Aged Children with Cancer. Sofia Flowers (BSN, 2025).
- Moral Injury in Helping Professions Psychoeducation Group, Website, and Outreach Campaign. Garrett Schwanke (student in the Psychiatric-Mental Health track in the Doctor of Nursing Practice program).
Dr. Gail Towsley, Scott Mortenson, and Ray Metcalf were panelists for a discussion titled Impact of Long-Term/Post Acute Care on Value Based Care at a Master in Healthcare Administration event at the Garff Auditorium. Solomon Lin moderated the discussion. Dr. Katarina Felsted tabled and spoke with healthcare administration students about the College’s Gerontology Programs.
Gerontologic Society of America Annual Scientific Meeting
Numerous faculty, staff, pre- and post-doctoral fellows, and students will present at the Gerontological Society of America Annual Scientific Meeting on November 12-15 in Boston. This year’s theme is “Innovative Horizons in Gerontology.” Participants will learn about and discuss cutting-edge scholarship and research, and network with leaders and peers in the fields of aging and gerontology.
Poster Presentations
Co-designing Aliviado Caregiving: An AI-Powered Mobile App for Supporting Care Partners in Managing BPSD. Dr. Moroni Fernandez Cajavilca, Dr. Shih-Yin Lin, Benedict Guzman, Kimberly Cheng, Denise Lawson, Dr. Narges Razavian, and Dr. Abraham Brody.
“It seems to have drawn us closer:” Participant Reflections on Digital Advance Care Planning. Dr. Sharon Bigger, Jordana Clayton, Dr. Sara Bybee, Nancy Aruscavage, Dr. Eli Iacob, Dr. Rebecca Utz, and Dr. Kara Dassel.
Financial Hardship in Dementia: Community Focus Group Findings on Measure Development. Jacqueline Telonidis, Nicole Fleming, Dr. Kara Dassel, Dr. Jace Flatt, Hanna Hedges, Dr. Jia-Wen Guo, Dr. Eli Iacob, and Dr. Sara Bybee.
Development of the BAJJAJJA Intervention Designed to Meet Grandmother-Caregivers' Needs in Uganda. Dr. Schola Matovu, Dr. Jacqueline Eaton, and Dr. Lee Ellington.
Patterns of Dementia and Serious Mental Illness Co-occurrence among Nursing Home Residents: A Latent Class Analysis. Dr. Laura Block, Dr. Roger Brown, Dr. Donovan Maust, Dr. Megan Zuelsdorff, Dr. Andrea Gilmore-Bykovskyi, and Dr. Tonya Roberts.
Managing Medications for Older Adults: Conceptualizing Primary and Secondary Caregiver Collaboration. Te-Lien Ku, Dr. Laura Block, Dr. James Ford, Shu-Ying Wu, and Dr. Yen-Ming Huang.
Involuntary Hospitalization of People Living with Dementia: A Comparative Policy Analysis. Clark Benson, Dr. Lea Gardiner, Dr. Laura Block, and Dr. Andrea Gilmore-Bykovskyi.
Transitions Between Self and Proxy Completion of Nursing Home Resident Care and Activity Preferences. Dr. Laura Block, and Dr. Tonya Roberts.
Safety and Dignity in Older Adult Mental Healthcare: Embedding Gerontological Innovation in Practice. Kristine Lee and Dr. Katarina Friberg-Felsted.
Podium Presentation
Journaling as a Tool for Care Partners to Process and Stay Engaged Between Intervention Sessions. Dr. Jacqueline Eaton, Dr. Sarah Neller, Dr. Moroni Fernandez Cajavilca,Dr. Julene Johnson, and Dr. Lee Ellington.
Workshop
AGHE Program of Merit: Technical and Practical Application Information and Assistance Session. Dr. Katarina Friberg-Felsted.
Symposia
Characterizing End-of-Life Care Among Older Adults Experiencing Heightened Vulnerability. Dr. Caroline Stephens (Chair)and Dr. Laura Block (Co-Chair).
- Unrepresented and Vulnerable: A Rural/Urban Comparison of Nursing Home Decedents Without Family. Dr. Caroline Stephens, Rachael Alexander, Dr. Eli Iacob, Dr. Rebecca Utz, Dr. Laurent Hunt, Dr. Sei Lee, Dr. Laura Block, and Dr. Katherine Ornstein.
- Cause of Death Predicting Place of Death, by Rurality: Evidence From the Utah Population Database. Attrayee Bandyopadhyay, Dr. Rebecca Utz, Dr. Caroline Stephens, and Dr. Michael Hollingshaus.
- Place of Death Among Decedents With Serious Mental Illness: The Role of Dementia and Family Availability. Malek Alnajar, Dr. Caroline Stephens, Dr. Eli Iacob, Dr. Djin Tay, Dr. Katherine Ornstein, and Dr. Laura Block.
- End-of-Life Utilization Among Decedents With Fragility Fractures: The Role of Dementia and Family Availability. Dr. Amy Cizik, Dr. Eli Iacob, Dr. Djin Tay, Dr. Katherine Ornstein, and Dr. Caroline Stephens.
Long-Term Services and Supports Workforce: Policy and Practice. Dr. Moroni Fernandez Cajavilca (Chair).
- Policy Initiatives Regarding the Long-Term Care Immigrant Workforce and Worker Outcomes: A Scoping Review. Dr. Moroni Fernandez Cajavilca, Dr. Lei Chen, and Dr. Joanne Spetz.
Innovation Approaches to Healthcare Access, Communication, and Culturally Respectful Care for LGBTQ+ Older Adults. Korijna Valenti (Chair).
- Mini-Plays: An Innovative Method to Improve Clinician Confidence in Advance Directive Discussions. Dr. Sara Bybee, Jacqueline Telonidis, Dr. Jacqueline Eaton, Nicole Fleming, and Dr. Katherine Supiano.
Social Engagement, Isolation, and Loneliness Among Diverse Caregiving Populations: Insights from National Data. Yiqing Qian (Chair).
- Residential proximity and symptoms of depression and anxiety among adult children caring for aging parents. Dr. Catherine Elmore, Dr. Soojung Ahn, Malek Alnajar, Dr. Megan Thomas Hebdon, Dr. Sarah Small, Greg Stoddard, and Dr. Katherine Ornstein.
- Global Paths to AFU Designation: Examples from the Asian and North American Regions. Dr. Katarina Friberg-Felsted (Chair) and Dr. Jacqueline Eaton (Co-Chair).
- Innovations in Promoting and Advancing Age-Friendly Principles After Achieving AFU Designation. Dr. Katarina Friberg-Felsted (Chair) and Dr. Jacqueline Eaton (Co-Chair).
Age Inclusivity in Higher Education: Ensuring Excellence for Students, Faculty, and Staff. Dr. Jacqueline Eaton (Chair) and Dr. Rebekah Perkins (Co-Chair).
- Exploring the Congruence Between Age Friendly Practice and Perceptions in a College of Nursing. Dr. Jacqueline Eaton, Dr. Katarina Friberg-Felsted, Dr. Rebekah Perkins, Joshua Seabury, Dr. Kara Dassel, and Dr. Sara Hart.
- Insights from Staff and Faculty Focus Groups to Advance Age-Inclusive Professional Development. Dr. Rebekah Perkins, Joshua Seabury, Dr. Katarina Friberg-Felsted, Dr. Kara Dassel, Dr. Sara Hart, and Dr. Jacqueline Eaton.
- Excellence Across the Lifespan Champions: A Partnership with the National Center to Reframe Aging. Dr. Sara Hart, Dr. Rebekah Perkins, Patricia D’Antonio, Dr. Katarina Friberg-Felsted, Dr. Kara Dassel, and Dr. Jacqueline Eaton.
- Expanding our Horizons: The Process of Seeking Accreditation from AGEC. Dr. Katarina Friberg-Felsted, Dr. Jacqueline Eaton, Dr. Kara Dassel, Dr. Sara Hart, Dr. Rebekah Perkins, Dr. Gail Towsley, and Dr. Marla De Jong.
Take the NEXT STEP: Practical Tools and Strategies for Clinical Trials Work in Nursing Homes
- NEXT STEPs: Evidence-Based Recruitment and Retention for Nursing Home Clinical Trials. Sheryl Zimmerman, Johanna Hickey, Lea Efird-Green, Jennifer L. Carnahan, MD, Dr. Gail Towsley, Alice Bonner, and Jasmine Travers.
- Engaging Key Players in Partner Workgroups: A Collaborative Approach to Explanatory Trials in NHs. Jasmine Travers, Alice Bonner, Shih-Yin Lin, Sonya Jha, Dr. Gail Towsley, Jennifer Carnahan, and Sheryl Zimmerman.
Interprofessional Collaboration for Implementing Evidence-Based Practices in Nursing Homes
- Engaging a Community Advisory Board to Integrate Family Caregivers in Hospital-to-SNF Transitions. Dr. Alycia Bristol, Dr. Shinduk Lee, Dr. Brenda Luther, and Dr. Gail Towsley.
Partnering with Caregivers to Optimize Hospital-Based Geriatric Care – The Time is Now.
- Identifying Family Caregivers in Hospitals: Overcoming Challenges. Dr. Alycia Bristol, Dr. Catherine Elmore, Dr. Sumin Park, Mackenzie Elliot, Christopher Hernandez, and Dr. Andrea Wallace.
Community Event
The Caregiving Collaborative partnered with PBS Utah, AARP Utah, Larkin Mortuary, and the College of Social and Behavioral Science to host Caregiving in Action – a community event to recognize National Family Caregivers Month. The event included a virtual message from Governor Spencer Cox recognizing November as Family Caregivers Month in Utah, a screening of the PBS documentary titled Caregiving, and a panel discussion with panelists from the Utah Parent Center, Community Nursing Services and Hospice and Home Care of Utah, the Alzheimer’s Association, and AARP Utah. The event also included a film preview of Utah caregivers that Dr. Echo Warner and Dr. Megan Thomas Hebdon produced. Dr. Jackie Eaton served as the master of ceremonies. Nearly 90 people attended, many of whom were or are caregivers as well as representatives from various community organizations, the Department of Veteran Affairs, the University of Utah, and the office of Senator John Curtis.
Student Recognition
Rachel Buchleiter successfully passed oral and written exams and defended her dissertation proposal titled New Concepts and Factors Influence Clinician Adoption of Artificial Intelligence Based on Clinical Decision Support. Committee members are Dr. Kathy Sward (Chair), Dr. Jorie Butler, Dr. Jia-Wen Guo, Dr. Seneca Perri Moore, and Dr. Elizabeth Sloss.
Professional Development
The Vice President’s Clinical & Translational (VPCAT) Research Scholars Program accepted Dr. Jacquelin Kent-Marvick as VPCAT Scholar for January 1, 2026-December 31, 2027. Dr. Sara Simonsen and Dr. Michael Andreae will serve as Dr. Kent-Marvick’s VPCAT scientific mentor and senior mentor, respectively. A key objective of the program is to provide a cohesive learning experience that will expand scholars’ research knowledge and skills and prepare them for transition to independence. The VPCAT curriculum, delivered in multiple formats, offers training that aligns with three key mission themes – scientific career development, grant writing and management, and leadership.
Research Student Mentorship
Dr. Lauri Linder was selected as a faculty mentor for students who will participate in the 2026 Summer Program for Undergraduate Research (SPUR). A student will work with Dr. Linder on research titled Digital Health Interventions to Support Symptom Management for Children and Adolescents with Cancer. SPUR is a nationally competitive, intensive 10-week educational opportunity that provides undergraduate research students training and mentorship in a variety of disciplines under the leadership of a faculty mentor. Selected students must meet educational requirements and be a matriculated, degree-seeking undergraduate student in Fall Semester 2025. The program is offered through the Office of Undergraduate Research.