Accreditation Visit
A 3-member evaluation team from the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE) completed a 2.5-day onsite visit of the College’s Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) and Post-Graduate Advanced Practice Registered Nurse (APRN) Certificate programs. The evaluation team determined that the College meets the four accreditation standards, and expressed high praise for the programs. Those who contributed included the following:
University Leaders:
- Mitzi Montoya: Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs
- Darryl Butt: Dean, Graduate School
- Kelly Tappenden: Dean, College of Health
- Lori McDonald: Vice President, Student Affairs
- Lynn Dixon: Senior Director, Budget and Financial Planning
- Catherine Soehner: Associate Dean and Executive Director, Spencer S. Eccles Health Sciences Library
- Erin Buttars: Embedded Psychologist, Health Sciences
- Erin Mason: University Registrar
College and DNP and Post-Graduate APRN Certificate Program Leaders:
- Dean Marla De Jong
- Dr. Julie Gee
- Dr. Cynthia Beynon
- Dr. Emily Winn
- Dr. Linda Hofmann
Directors of DNP Specialty Tracks:
- Dr. Amanda Al-Khudairi
- Dr. Erin Johnson Cole
- Dr. Sheila Deyette
- Dr. Jessica Ellis
- Dr. Heidi Favero
- Dr. Kim Friddle
- Dr. Erica Nelson
- Dr. Emily Winn
Faculty and Staff:
- Rebwar Baesmat
- Heather Clarkson
- Dr. Katie Davis
- Jesse Diener
- Don Durazo
- Sonja Jensen
- Lauren Kelly
- Shelley Kern
- Miriam Lovin
- Kelly Marosok
- Faraaz Mohammed
- Dr. Amy Pasmann
- Dr. Zoe Robbins
- Dr. Tom Rowley
- Dylan Russel
- Steven Seal
- Megan Whittaker
- Dr. Rikki Worthen
Clinical Partners and Alumni:
- Rita Aguilar
- Amy Christensen
- Tracey Nixon
- Ann Reed
- Dr. Heidi Vawdrey
- Heidi White
DNP and Post-graduate APRN Certificate Students:
- Hafsa Abdikadir
- Amanda Chamberlain
- Erin Checketts
- Jeana Escobar
- Laurel Fetz
- Beth Ann Friel
- Aaron Hill
- Katie Huie
- Kait Otero
- Danielle Puri
- Devin Sullivan
- Reygan Tawney
Students at Clinical Sites:
- Ann Nguyen
- Daina Swamy
- Melani Thelin
Grant Awards
The University of Utah One-U Responsible Artificial Intelligence Initiative (One-U RAI) awarded its first round of seed grants to nine teams, including two with nursing faculty. Funded projects represent a balanced mix of disciplines and align with core themes in environment, health and wellness, and education; and will empower patients and their families, clarify how AI contributes to classroom learning, and help communities better understand harmful environmental exposures. Emphasizing projects with strong potential for real‑world impact, the seed grant program supports proposals with budgets up to $50,000. Each team includes at least one of the 49 campus members affiliated with One‑U RAI as a committee member, faculty fellow, or postdoctoral fellow mentor. Teams will complete their projects within one to two years.
- Co-Designing a Responsible AI Framework for Equitable Diabetes Self-Care in Low-Income Older Adults. Principal Investigator Dr. Jisook Ko and Co-PI Vineet Pandey will create a responsible AI framework to support type 2 diabetes self-management among low-income older adults through a 12-month community co-design process.
- Extending NBSchat with Responsible AI: A Hybrid Scripted-Generative Chatbot to Support Parents Receiving Sickle Cell Trait Newborn Screening Results. Principal Investigator Karen Eilbeck and Co-PI’s Guilherme Del Fio, Kimberly Kaphingst, and Dr. Kathy Sward will expand NBSchat, a scripted chatbot to support parents whose newborns screen positive for sickle cell trait. The updated system will allow parents to ask their own questions – rather than limiting them to predefined questions – while ensuring information remains safe and accurate.
Professional Recognition
The University of Utah Health Academy of Health Science Educators Advancing Excellence in Education Committee selected Dr. Carolyn Scheese to receive the 2026 Outstanding Educator Award of Health Sciences Professional Students. Dr. Scheese will be formally recognized at the Academy of Health Science Educators Induction Ceremony in April.
Student Recognition
Heather Brown successfully defended her dissertation titled Exploring Spirituality and Emotional Well-being Among Intimate Partner Violence Survivors Who Identify as She/Her. Committee members were Dr. Sara Simonsen (Chair), Dr. Lisa Taylor-Swanson, Dr. Julie Valentine, Dr. Anu Asnaani, and Dr. LeAnn Putney.
Publications
Alnajar M, Kim N, Roark E, Park MJ, Rose M, Ansari N, Perkins R, Keddington A, Ellington L, Tay DL. Palliative care perceptions and needs among total cancer care patients undergoing immunotherapy: A mixed methods study. J Hosp Palliat Nurs. 2026;28(2):E83-E95. DOI: 10.1097/NJH.0000000000001108
Doyon K, Bigger SE, Snopkowski K, Martinez MT, Rosa WE, Oluwatoba-Adeyemi A, Masarik A. Healing with humility: Palliative care for refugee communities. Am J Nurs. 2026;126(3):31-35. DOI: 10.1097/AJN.0000000000000258
Jeffery AD, Clark-Cutaia M, Bounds DT, O'Connor MR, Gilbertson-White S, Moret JD, Avorgbedor F, Randolph SD, Edward J, Fessele KL, Gray TF, Matovu S, Nguyen TH, Nilsen M, Alexander KA. Voices of change: Perspectives from nurse scientists on dismantling systemic racism. Nurs Outlook. 2026;73(6S):102678. DOI: 10.1016/j.outlook.2026.102678