RECENT STUDENT AWARDS

La Grande OCNE student, Laura Ferguson, has received a $1000.00 Mayo Clinic Breakthrough to Nursing scholarship from the National Student Nurses' Association in memory of Frances Tompkins. Click here to read more...

Laura Larsson, an OHSU School of Nursing master's of public health program student and regional Ph.D. program student in Montana, is the recipient of the Oregon Public Health Association nursing section, Promising Graduate Student Award. The OPHA nursing section wished to honor and support a nursing graduate student, with a primary interest in public health, through this award. Darlene McKenzie, R.N., Ph.D., OHSU professor of nursing, nominated Larsson for the award. The nominating committee was impressed with her contributions to public heath nursing, particularly in the area of environmental health. Jan Wallinder from Multnomah County presented the award at the Awards Banquet last night, which is part of the OPHA Fall Annual Conference.

Other Recent Awards

Cindy Perry, MSN, FNP received the University Club Graduate Fellowship Award. Perry is a doctoral student in the School of Nursing and is highly deserving of this award.

Perry is a student with great potential to make significant contributions to the health of Oregonians. Her research focuses on exercise programs to prevent heart disease in women living in rural areas. Perry has practiced as a family nurse practitioner in rural Oregon for several years. Perry’s goals are to remain in Oregon and to teach and conduct research.

She was selected for a 2-year predoctoral traineeship by the doctoral faculty based on her academic excellence and strong potential. The Foundation Fellowship Award will assist her to continue her studies full time.

Susan J. Tofte, RN, BSN, received the $2500 Career Mobility scholarship from the Dermatology Nurses Association. Qualified applicants are members of the National DNA who are pursuing advanced nursing degrees. Tofte is a part-time OHSU School of Nursing family nurse practitioner student who will graduate next year. She received this scholarship on March 21 at the DNA's annual convention in San Francisco.

Students and Faculty Recognized at First Annual Oregon Student Nurses Association Conference

The theme of the first annual state conference in March was Sustaining Excellence: Meeting the Challenges of Modern Nursing. The board recognized students and faculty that exemplified excellence in leadership or creating excitement for the future of nursing. Three students and two faculty from OHSU were recognized. They are:

Jennifer Quipotla, senior nursing student
Victoria Douglass, senior nursing student
Brent James, junior nursing student

Priscilla Jester, nursing faculty
Ruth Tadesse, nursing faculty

According to Karla Benson, senior nursing student and membership recruitment director for the OSNA, the three students showed excellence by their leadership roles. Each of them went above and beyond to expand students' horizons beyond the scope of class work and clinicals. They provided excellent leadership in addition to greatly improving the morale of both the junior and senior classes.

Priscilla Jester and Ruth Tadesse were recognized as being an excellent example of leadership. Like the students mentioned above, they both go out of their way to encourage students to get out of their comfort zone and really stretch themselves, both as students and as human beings.

Last updated October 25, 2007 by OHSU School of Nursing Web Managers.
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