Celebrating the 2016 Achievements of UR Nursing Faculty

The school has concluded another successful semester and calendar year, complete with numerous faculty accomplishments. Take a look back at some of the year’s significant honors and promotions in this video highlight reel, and browse through the full list of accomplishments below.

Honors

• Feng (Vankee) Lin, PhD, RN, assistant professor, was presented with the Brilliant New Investigator Award from the Council for the Advancement of Nursing Science in September. The award recognizes the contributions of scientists early in their research careers who show extraordinary potential. Lin received the University of Rochester Furth Fund Award in May. The award promotes the research activities of promising scientists in the natural and biological sciences by supporting postdoctoral or graduate students or funding new equipment purchases. 

• LaRon Nelson, PhD, RN, FNP, assistant professor, was named the Ontario HIV Treatment Network’s inaugural research chair in HIV program science for African, Caribbean, and Black (ACB) communities this fall. He will lead research in Ontario focused on reducing HIV disparities in ACB communities. Nelson was also a panelist at a symposium focused on reducing the stigma surrounding HIV/AIDS, and he received the Association of Nurses in AIDS Care (ANAC) Excellence in HIV Prevention Award in November.

• Hyekyun Rhee, PhD, RN, PNP, was inducted as an American Academy of Nursing fellow this fall. Fellows are recognized for making significant contributions to nursing or health care. Rhee was also named endowed chair of nursing science at the school in March.

• Dean Kathy Rideout, EdD, PPCNP-BC, FNAP received the 2016 University of Rochester Presidential Diversity Award in January for her commitment to recruiting racial and ethnic minority faculty and to providing scholarships to students from diverse racial and ethnic backgrounds.

New Leadership Appointments

• Kathy Rideout, EdD, PPCNP-BC, FNAP was reappointed to a five-year term as dean of the School of Nursing in May.

• Kim Arcoleo, PhD, MPH, returned to the school as the associate dean for research in July. 

• Lydia Rotondo, DNP, RN, CNS was appointed the associate dean for education and student affairs in May.

Promotions

• Hyekyun Rhee, PhD, RN, PNP, who has been a faculty member at the school since 2007, was promoted to professor in November.

• Mary Wilde, PhD, RN was also promoted to professor, and later, professor emerita upon her retirement at the close of the 2016 academic year.

• Ying Xue, DNSc, RN, associate professor, was granted tenure.

New Faculty

Despite a nationwide shortage of nursing faculty, the school has been able to keep its faculty roster strong and stable, and this year’s new additions will help fill the growing need for nurses and nursing educators. This fall, the school welcomed:

• Kathi Heffner, PhD, who joined the school as an associate professor after eight years as a faculty member in the Department of Psychiatry.

• Jennifer Mammen, PhD, NP-C, a 2016 graduate of the UR PhD program, who joined the school as a postdoctoral fellow.

• Natalie Leblanc, RN, MPH, PhD, who earned her PhD from the University of Miami, also joined the school as a postdoctoral fellow.

External Appointments

• Kathy Rideout, EdD, PPCNP-BC, FNAP was invited to serve on the American Academy of Colleges of Nursing Government Affairs Committee.

• Patrick Hopkins, DNP, APRN, C-PNP, NNP, assistant professor of clinical nursing, was elected to serve as secretary of the Rochester Academy of Medicine.

• Sally Norton, PhD, RN, FNAP, FPCN, FAAN, associate professor, was named a member of the Partnerships and Collaboration Working Group of the National Quality Measure Incubator Program.

• Ying Xue, DNSc, RN, associate professor, was named a senior fellow of the Center for Health Outcomes and Policy Research at the University of Pennsylvania.

• Tobie Olsan, PhD, RN, CNL, FNAP, professor of clinical nursing, was appointed to serve on the Commission of Nurse Certification, Board of Commissioners, which manages the clinical nurse leader certification program.