Grant Award
The Center on Aging awarded a $50,000 Innovations Grant to principal investigator (PI) Jorrie Butler, and co-investigators Dr. Kara Dassel, Dr. Eli Jacob, and Dr. Caroline Stephens for their project titled Age-Friendly Learning Health System: Understanding Outcomes Related to 4Ms Care Adherence for Inpatients. The team will generate preliminary data and build the collaborative infrastructure needed to compete for multi-PI extramural funding, with a focus on linking the 4Ms – What Matters, Medication, Mentation, and Mobility – to inpatient outcomes and sustaining an age-friendly learning health system at the University of Utah.
Award
Co-Principal Investigators Drs. Liz Sloss, Paul Estabrooks, Andy King, and J.D. Smith received the 2026 Huntsman Cancer Institute (HCI) Excellence in Collaboration Award for their $4M project, funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, titled Enhanced Visibility, Engagement, and Reach of Lifestyle Change Interventions (EVER-LCI). The award recognizes HCI Cancer Center Members for their leadership in securing a major collaborative grant and their significant contributions to advancing cancer research through interdisciplinary partnership.
Summer Camp
Aaron Enz planned and held the 5th Annual Future Nurses Summer Camp for 30 middle school and junior high school youth who are interested in becoming registered nurses or pursuing careers in health care.
The purpose of the camp is to inspire campers to consider a career in nursing, inform them about the wide-ranging and impactful roles of nurses, and introduce them to the student experience at the University of Utah. Campers toured the AirMed helipad, met the flight crew, and explored a helicopter; connected daily with nursing students who served as camp counselors; met with College of Nursing faculty to learn about the profession of nursing; learned and practiced basic wilderness first aid skills; met with nursing advisors from the University of Utah College of Admissions; actively participated in six hands-on activities in the College of Nursing Simulation Center; and toured the College of Nursing building, Kahlert Village, Carolyn and Kem Gardner Commons, A. Ray Olpin Student Union, Spencer S. Eccles Health Sciences Library, J. Willard Marriott Library, and other areas of campus. Parents and guardians attended a dinner, toured the College of Nursing Simulation Center, and learned about nursing pathways, college preparation, admissions, financial aid, and the student experience.
Aaron expresses deep appreciation for those whose support made the camp possible.
College of Nursing Simulation Center – the highlight of the camp!
- Yvonne Bass
- Debbie Boulter
- Dr. Ann Butt
- Bobby Cody
- Dr. Jesika Chavez-England
- Kristy Gauthier
- Anne Harris
- Luke Jensen
- Dr. Gabriella Moore
- Henri Sasa
Panelists
- Kaitlyn Brown (alum)
- Dean Marla De Jong
- Logan Hall
- Geovanna Inguanzo (alum)
- Jyoti Tambhar (alum)
- Jennie Wilson (alum)
Faculty Volunteers
- Dr. Natasha Ansari
- Dr. Sandra Johnson
- Alyssa Pham
Staff Volunteers
- Camille Becker
- Denay Collins
- Kristan Tunks
Administrative Support
- Mike Brammer
- Sarah Brown
- Sarah Christensen
- Denay Collins
- Mindy Francis
- Logan Hall
- Dani Hartin
- Amber Howell
- Sonja Jensen
- Lauren King
- Miriam Lovin
- Gabriel Mayberry
- Steve Seckinger
- Megan Whittaker
Student Volunteers and Counselors
- Emma Ampudia (camp counselor)
- Ayla Chase (camp counselor)
- Brittany Houtris (camp counselor)
- Naomi Jenkins
- Jocelyn Meneses
- Aaron Navarro
- Jules Pan
- Sam Roberts
- Natalie Vickers (camp counselor)
The following University of Utah entities supported the camp:
- AirMed
- Campus Tours
- Commuter Services
- Custodial Services / Facilities
- Housing & Residential Education
- J. Willard Marriott Library
- Office of Admissions
- Spencer S. Eccles Health Sciences Library
- Youth Education
Special appreciation to our four camp counselors who authentically connected with all campers and kept camp in motion each day!
Professional Achievement
Dr. Amanda Keddington completed the American Association of Colleges of Nursing’s Access, Connection, and Engagement (ACE) Leadership Institute, a six-month fellowship focused on enhancing access, strengthening connection, and facilitating meaningful engagement within the context of higher education and academic nursing.
Presentation
Dr. Keddington gave a podium presentation titled Access Through Design: Improving the RN-BS Enrollment and Admission at the American Association of Colleges of Nursing’s Access, Connection, and Engagement Symposium in Charlotte. Dr. Keddington’s poster titled Advancing Access, Connection, and Engagement in the RN-BS Pathway was displayed during the symposium.
Event
The National Hartford Center of Gerontological Nursing Excellence hosted a fireside chat titled From Cellular Energy to Human Resilience: Communicating the Science of Aging featuring Dr. Cathy Maxwell on June 17, 2026. Dr. Maxwell explored emerging perspectives on aging, resilience, and the importance of communicating complex science in meaningful and accessible ways.
In the Media
Provost Dr. Mitzi Montoya’s project on Dialogue, Dignity and Civic Engagement highlights teaching and learning across the University of Utah that help students develop the skills needed to engage thoughtfully across difference. Featuring stories and perspectives, the project highlighted the College’s The VIBES [Valuing Inclusion, Belonging, Engagement, and Success] Research Engagement Series, a monthly event that brings together diverse participants to explore healthcare, research, and inclusive nursing through presentations and discussions on timely topics, and fosters dialogue and interdisciplinary learning to help participants reflect on equity, patient experiences, and the role of nurses in delivering compassionate, culturally responsive care. Dr. Natasha Ansari is quoted in the article.
The University of Utah Health Research Communications team recently posted the fourth Pioneering the Future story of 2026 – Finding Health Insights with a Big-Picture View – which celebrates important innovations and discoveries. The article describes Dr. Mollie Cummins’ research examining the relationship between telemedicine and carbon emissions, and incorporates her insights.
University of Utah Health’s GOOD NOTES released the third article that features faculty who are advancing understanding of women’s health. In Bridging Gaps in Women’s Health: Preventing Perinatal Depression, Dr. Lauren Gimbel, Brenda Gulliver, Dr. Ryoko Kausler, and Dr. Gwen Latendresse describe a perinatal depression program that they offer across the University of Utah Health system and six rural health districts.
Student Recognition
Kimberly Munoz successfully passed her oral and written exams and defended her dissertation proposal titled Beyond the Cure: Long-Term Symptom Burden in Car-T-Cell Therapy Survivorship. Committee members are Dr. Djin Tay (Chair), Dr. Lee Ellington, Dr. Paula Meek, Dr. May San-Rozano, and Dr. Maija Rebin.
Professional Development
Course coordinators invited Dr. Moroni Fernandez Cajavilca, Postdoctoral Fellow, to participate in the Secondary Data Analysis Training Workshop at the 4th Biennial Conference on Caregiving Research – Reaching New Heights: Elevating Caregiving Research, Policy, and Practice – in Salt Lake City.
Publications
Asnaani A, Leroy T, Mukundente V, Webb Hunter J, Kent-Marvick J, Simonsen SE. Taking a community-partnered approach to developing culturally-responsive mental health screening materials for African-born individuals in the United States. Behav Sci. 2026;16(6):993. https://doi.org/10.3390/bs16060993
Stephens CE, Block L, Alexander R, Chou LN, Tay D, Utz R, Towsley G, Hollingshaus M, Iacob E. Family structure and location shape end-of-life acute care use in nursing homes. J Am Med Dir Assoc. In press.
In other News
Emily Bailey and her husband, Jonathan Batzer, welcomed baby Violet June. Emily and Violet are doing well.