University of Virginia School of Nursing: Awards

Through its awards programs, the Nursing Alumni Association is honored to publicly recognize U.Va. nursing alumni and faculty who are making extraordinary contributions to the profession, to the University and the School, and to our communities. In addition, the Association hopes to enrich nursing education by promoting innovation in the classroom or through research.

Alumni Awards

Our graduates continue to distinguish themselves beyond the University's Grounds. Many have become leaders in education, research, clinical settings, government, and industry. Each year the Nursing Alumni Association recognizes the achievements of some of these outstanding alumni.

All alumni, students, and friends of the School of Nursing may nominate a deserving alum for recognition with an award. The deadline for nominations to be considered in 2012 is Thursday, March 15, 2012. However, nominations will be accepted throughout the year. For details, please see the individual award guidelines and instructions.

Distinguished Alumni Award

The Distinguished Alumni Award is the Alumni Association’s highest recognition for an alumna or alumnus. It is awarded annually to a graduate who has demonstrated outstanding contributions in one or more of the following areas: teaching and scholarship, leadership, research, clinical practice, and/or contributions to the Nursing Alumni Association.

Cynthia Massie Mara received her BSN from the University of Virginia in 1967, MS in Education from Radford University in 1971, and PhD in Public Administration and Public Affairs from Virginia Tech in 1993. She is Associate Professor of Health Care Administration and Policy at Penn State University, Capital College where she has coordinated the Master of Health Administration Program and developed and coordinated the Graduate Certificate Program in Long-Term Care Administration and Policy. She is Director of the Center for Aging Research and Evaluation (CARE). At Penn State College of Medicine she has served as Adjunct Associate Professor of Management and Health Care Systems.

Cynthia’s research focuses on long-term care systems, policy, and administration. Studies she has conducted include the development of a predictive computer model to aid decision makers in formulating state Medicaid long-term care policy. Her research sponsors include state and federal government agencies. As Fulbright Distinguished Research Chair, she studied long-term care policy and systems in Canada. As a result of her research on long-term care in corrections, she was appointed to the Pennsylvania General Assembly Joint State Government Commission Advisory Committee on Geriatric and Seriously Ill Inmates.

She is coeditor and author of The Handbook of Long-Term Care Administration and Policy and has published numbers of articles in journals such as the Journal of Aging and Social Policy and American Journal of Medical Quality. She has made more than 60 presentations at state, national, and international conferences and governmental meetings.

Earlier, Cynthia served as legislative fellow in the U.S. Senate Labor and Human Resources Committee Subcommittee on Aging, writing health and long-term care legislation. She was Senior Long-Term Care Policy Analyst for the New York City Department for the Aging. She founded and served as Executive Director of New River Valley Hospice, now part of the Carilion Health Care System. She was one of three founding faculty members of the School of Nursing at Radford University. Her career began in hospital and industrial nursing.

Decade Award (formerly known as the Young Alumni Award)

The Decade Award, newly renamed and modified in 2010, recognizes outstanding efforts early in a graduate's nursing career. To be considered for this award, nominees must have received their entry level nursing degree (BSN or MSN-CNL program) from the University of Virginia School of Nursing less than 10 years ago; still be engaged in the practice of nursing; and have been practicing nursing for less than 10 years. Nominees should show distinction in the areas of scholarship,leadership, teaching, research, nursing practice, and/or volunteer efforts, perhaps beyond what might be expected early in one’s career; to some extent, this award recognizes promise for the future and an expectation of sustained excellence.

Guidelines for Decade Award

2011 DECADE AWARD RECIPIENT: Reagan Holland Thompson (BSN '03, MSN '06, FNP '06)

Reagan Thompson (BSN ‘03, MSN ‘06, FNP ‘06) was quite sure that she wanted to be a nurse practitioner when she entered the school of nursing in 1999. Reagan began her nursing career at the University of Virginia children’s hospital in acute care pediatrics. It was not until she became a family nurse practitioner that she realized that she finds satisfaction and happiness through working in community health care. She worked for several years in community health centers in rural New York and California.

It was her job in California that helped her to recognize that she also enjoyed working with Latino migrant workers.
When Reagan returned home to Virginia in 2009, she chose to accept a position in the community health center near her childhood home in rural Nelson County. She has become involved in growing the Latino patient population and reaching out to the migrant workers. She often visits the camps using the mobile clinic van for the purpose of screenings and physical exams. She leads a monthly diabetes group in Spanish and is involved in the training for the Latino community health promoters. This position has allowed her to merge her two passions- community healthcare and Latino migrant health.

Reagan has also chosen to further her education at UVA’s school of nursing and completed her first year of the Doctor of Nursing Practice program in May. In an effort to promote culturally competent nurses, Reagan works with the Guatemala initiative as the school of nursing’s liaison. She also precepts FNP and CNL students at the Blue Ridge Medical Center.

Alumni Achievement Award

The Alumni Achievement Award was established in 2010. It honors an alumna or alumnus who has shown superior achievement in a field other than nursing since graduating from the University of Virginia School of Nursing. It recognizes distinction in one’s field and/or contributions to another profession, business or industry, government or public service, education, science or technology, or service to humanity.

Faculty Recognition Awards

Each year the School of Nursing Alumni Association sponsors awards to recognize faculty for superior accomplishments in teaching, research, and/or service. Nominations are reviewed by an awards committee composed of nursing alumni with input from nursing faculty. Award winners are given a $1,500 cash award and are recognized at the Fall Recognition Ceremony during Family Weekend. Funding for these awards comes from the School of Nursing Centennial Faculty Award fund.

Any alum, student, faculty member, or friend of the School of Nursing may initiate a nomination; supporting documentation is required. Nominations are accepted throughout the year; however, for consideration during the spring 2012 awards cycle, they must be submitted no later than May 1. For details on how to nominate, please see the individual award guidelines.

Distinguished Professor Award

Recognizes tenured or tenure-track faculty for superior accomplishments in teaching,research, and/or service with emphasis on outstanding teaching and contributions to the School of Nursing and the University of Virginia.

2011 DISTINGUISHED PROFESSOR AWARD: Pamela A. Kulbok, DNSc, RN, FAAN

Dr. Kulbok was nominated for her outstanding contributions to the nursing profession, particularly in the area of public health nursing and health promotion. She was described as an "excellent teacher; quiet in her approach to student advocacy, yet eminently successful in her teaching abilities. Pam has received over $800,000 in funding in the area of health promotion research and is currently testing youth substance abuse prevention programs.

Since joining the faculty in 1992, Dr. Kulbok has served on faculty senate, chairing Academic Affairs, and is currently serving as Department Chair within the School of Nursing. Read more about Dr. Kulbok on her faculty web page.

Back To Top

Excellence in Teaching Award

Recognizes faculty members with teaching responsibilities in the first professional degree programs, and/or in clinical teaching at any level, for excellence in teaching. Candidates must hold at least a 50% appointment in the School of Nursing.

2011 EXCELLENCE IN TEACHING AWARD: Rebecca Harmon, PhD, RN, PMHCSN-BC

Dr. Harmon was recognized for her passion for both teaching and psychiatric nursing. According to her nominators, she not only taught the basic principles of psychiatric nursing, but also demonstrated what it meant to be a passionate and caring nurse.

Dr. Harmon was described as a "devoted and excellent teacher [who] helped students find an interest in an area of nursing that we never thought they would." While she is quite humble about her teaching abilities, Rebecca is described as a "master teacher" who captivates her students with grace, style, and wisdom. Read more about Dr. Harmon on her faculty web page.

Back To Top

Faculty Leadership Award

Recognizes and supports School of Nursing faculty who have distinguished themselves as leaders in the nursing profession. Recipients should demonstrate outstanding leadership qualities as nursing professionals, as evidenced by outstanding contributions to the profession through research, leadership positions, legislative influence, clinical service, or scholarly work.

2011 FACULTY LEADERSHIP AWARD: Doris F. Glick, PhD, RN

Dr. Glick has been a dedicated faculty member since 1989 and has served as the Director of the MSN-Post-Master's Program for the past 10 years. During her tenure in this role, Dr. Glick successfully led the initiative to establish a new Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) degree at the School of Nursing. Dr. Glick was recognized for taking this program from curriculum development to final approval by the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia. Prior to her leadership of the MSN-DNP program, Dr. Glick was an active member and chair of several School of Nursing and University committees. She has published more than 40 scholarly papers and presented at more than 50 international or national meetings.

Dr. Glick retired from the School of Nursing in May 2011 and her nominators felt that this award would honor her exemplary leadership at this juncture in her distinguished career. Dr. Glick received the Nursing Alumni Association Distinguished Professor Award in 2006. Read more about Dr. Glick on her faculty web page.

Back To Top

Innovative Teaching Awards

These awards offer faculty the opportunity to apply for funding to support projects or course development activities that result in excellent, innovative and cost-effective teaching methods. Proposals are reviewed first by a team of academic administrators within the School who then forward them to a committee of alumni who make final recommendations.

Beginning in 2010, these awards wll be funded by the Margaret G. Tyson Innovative Teaching Endowment Fund. The BSN Class of 1960 initiated fundraising to endow the awards in the name of former Dean Tyson; they celebrated the achievement of fully endowing the fund at their 50th class reunion in May, 2009. For more information on this fund, please contact the Alumni & Development office, nursing-dev@virginia.edu.

Details on the Innovative Teaching Awards process, a list of past recipients, and application information may be found on the separate Innovative Teaching Awards page.

Research Awards for Faculty

The Nursing Alumni Association allots annual fund monies for several faculty research awards. The Center for Nursing Research coordinates applications and selection of these awards:

For more information on these awards, please contact the Center for Nursing Research directly, (434) 924-2744.