xt72bv79vt5x https://exploreuk.uky.edu/dips/xt72bv79vt5x/data/mets.xml University of Kentucky College of Nursing Kentucky -- Lexington University of Kentucky College of Nursing 2012  newsletters  English University of Kentucky College of Nursing  Contact the Special Collections Research Center for information regarding rights and use of this collection. University of Kentucky College of Nursing publications Nursing Opportunities, Fall 2012 text Opportunities, Fall 2012 2012 2012 2019 true xt72bv79vt5x section xt72bv79vt5x UNIVERSITY OF KENTUCKY
COLLEGE OF NURSING
315 College of Nursing Bldg.
Lexington, KY 40536-0232
Address Service Requested

Nonprofit Org
US Postage
PAID
Lexington KY
Permit 51

Opportunities

UNIVERSITY OF KENTUCKY COLLEGE OF NURSING

OPPORTUNITIES

Opportunities

OPPORTUNITIES/Fall 2012
OPPORTUNITIESOpportunities

Opportun

Intersections

of interprofessional care

* dean’s

2012-2013

Fall 2012

LETTER

Opportunities

Celebrating

our Leadership
One of the outstanding characteristics of the nursing profession is the ability
to elegantly dance while leading and following. Both of these characteristics are
required in today’s health care environment and in nursing education as we
are faced with increased financial pressures and a strong ethic of providing
high-quality, safe care. Throughout our history, leadership has been, and continues to be,
a core value of the University of Kentucky College of Nursing academic programs. Our alumni
understand the importance of collaboration and teamwork and do not shy away from leading to
accomplish the “work” of nursing.
We are very proud to showcase alumni from our MSN Program in this issue of Opportunities.
At our May 2012 Hooding Ceremony the 1,562nd MSN alumni walked across the stage. In
addition, Dr. Ta’Neka Cle’Shae Vaden was hooded as the 50th graduate of our DNP Program
and Dr. Kyoung Suk Lee was hooded as our 100th graduate of our PhD Program. These
milestones were a wonderful way to conclude our celebration of the 10th anniversary of the DNP
Program and 25th anniversary of the PhD Program and to also send out our heartfelt appreciation
to our MSN alumni — thanks to all of you for truly making a difference in health care.
The college’s nursing faculty continually lead in curricular innovation, enhancing evidencebased practice, generating new knowledge, and providing service to the Commonwealth,
nation and profession. The University of Kentucky is in the forefront of the evolving national
movement to assure that all health professions students participate in interprofessional education.
In partnership with the Colleges of Communication and Information, Dentistry, Health
Sciences, Law, Medicine, Pharmacy, Public Health, and Social Work, College of Nursing faculty
and students are engaged in a number of exciting interprofessional initiatives to build their
knowledge and skills in teamwork. Faculty from across the university are engaged in an array of
interprofessional education development activities to further develop their own knowledge and
skills in teamwork, demonstrating the importance of lifelong learning for all health professionals.
So to each of you who dance the dance of leading and following, thank you for all you do.
We are very proud to say that you are an alumnus of the University of Kentucky College of
Nursing. See Blue!

Jane Marie Kirschling, DNS, RN, FAAN
Dean and Professor
President, American Association of Colleges of Nursing

OPPORTUNITIES
OPPORTUNITIESOpportunities
Dean
Jane Kirschling, DNS, RN, FAAN

College of Nursing and other UK alumni
who contributed to this issue:

Editors

James Ballard (MA 1998, College of Education,
Educational Psychology)

M. Claire Baker
Rena Baer

Aaron Cox (BA 2003, College of Arts and Sciences,
Department of Psychology; BSN 2011)

Contributors

Lois A. Davis (MSN 1996)

M. Claire Baker
Ann Blackford, UK Public Relations
Ryan Cleary
Sue Fay
Anne Sabatino Hardy
Jane Kirschling, DNS, RN, FAAN
Rebekah Tilley

Jane Hammons (BSN 2011)
Patricia B. Howard (MSN 1980, PhD 1992)
Lynne Jensen (PhD 2007)
Jeffery Scott Johnson (MSN 2001)
Ramona Johnson (MSN 1980)
Donald D. Kautz (MSN 1985)

Design & Production

Gina Lowry (MSN 1999, PhD 2007)

The Williams McBride Group, Melissa Weber

Elizabeth Martin (BA 1991, College of Communication
and Information; BSN 2011)

Photography

Andrea Pfeifle (EdD 2007, College of Education)

MC3 (SW) Anna Arndt (p.26)
M. Claire Baker
Michael Brohm (p.25, 27)
Dark Horse Studios (p.24)
SN Nina Howard (p.26)
Lee P. Thomas Photography
Richie Wireman

Kevin Pinto (MS 2009, Medical Sciences, UK Graduate
School, Department of Microbiology; BSN 2012)
Deborah Reed (BSN 1974, MSN 1992; MSPH 1993, College
of Public Health; PhD 1996)
Colleen Swartz (BSN 1987, MBA 2002, DNP 2011)
Marilyn Swinford (BSN 1983)

Printing

Darlene Welsh (BSN 1987, MSN 1989; PhD 2006,
College of Education, Educational Psychology)

Wendling Printing Company

Jane Younger (MSN 1973)

OPPORTUNITIES is published annually by the
University of Kentucky College of Nursing
University of Kentucky
College of Nursing
315 College of Nursing Building
Lexington, KY 40536-0232
Visit us online at
www.uknursing.uky.edu
The University of Kentucky is committed to a policy of
providing opportunities to people regardless of economic
or social status and will not discriminate on the basis of
race, color, ethnic origin, national origin, creed, religion,
political belief, sex, sexual orientation, marital status,
age, veteran status, or physical or mental disability.

credits

* Health Sciences

NUR SING

SOCIAL WORK
SOCIAL WORK

0

Fall 2012

table of

CONTENTS

DENTISTRY

Health Sciences

NUR SING

L AW
L AW

s

DENTISTRY

L AW

S BY:

MEDICINE
MEDICINE

C OM M U N IC AT ION

Y:

Hardy

10

page

MEDICINE

Feature

C OM M U N IC AT ION

SOCIAL WORK

Intersections of Interprofessional Care

SOCIAL

N U R SI

Health Scienc

22
INTER SECTIONS
Practice 18
MEDICINE

page

practice

of Interprofessional

Care

WRITTEN BY:

The Changing Face of Nursing

Ryan Cleary

“Interprofessional education is critically important, and

PHOTOGRAPHS BY:

the most important reason is higher quality of patient

C OM M U N IC AT ION

Lee Thomas

Michael Brohm

Dark Horse Studios
SN Nina Howard

MC3 (SW) Anna Arndt

SOCIAL WORK

W

page

NUR SING

Health Sciences

TISTRY

care,” says Patricia Burkhart, PhD, RN, associate dean
for undergraduate studies and associate professor in
the College of Nursing. “When we learn with, from and
about each other, we can have a synergistic effect in
terms of the contribution to the health care enterprise.
If there is a contribution from medicine, social work,

22

page

Practice

Doing So Much for So Many

nursing and others, there is a collaborative approach

28

to patient care for improving outcomes. Rather than
fragmented patient care, it’s team-based care.”

page

Research

Nursing Research at UK—Real Problems. Real Solutions.

DOING SO MUCH
FOR SO MANY
MSN graduates have big impact
in the Commonwealth and beyond.

3
4
6
8
34
36
40

Grant Productivity
Awards
Faculty & Staff Appointments & Transitions
Letter from University of Kentucky President
Events
Donors
Donor Profile

* Nursing ad_Layout 1 6/27/12 4:18 PM Page 1

uk

H E A LT H C A R E

2

OPPORTUNITIES / Fall 2012
2011

* FUNDED

RESEARCH
Cognitive Therapy for Depressive
Symptoms in Hospitalized Patients
with Heart Failure
Rebecca Dekker, assistant professor, received a $355,552
grant from the National Institute of Nursing Research. As part of
this grant, Dr. Dekker will complete a randomized, controlled pilot
study, which will test the feasibility and efficacy of nurse-delivered
cognitive therapy for depressive symptoms in patients who are
hospitalized with heart failure. The intervention is an innovative,
streamlined approach to cognitive therapy consisting of one brief
30-minute session initiated in-person during hospitalization and
four 30-minute sessions delivered via phone after discharge.

Grants awarded

grant

PRODUCTIVITY

student scholarship showcase:

Best Graduate Poster

Presentation

KYOUNG SUK LEE

Nutrition Intervention to Reduce
Symptoms in Patients with Advanced
Heart Failure
Terry Lennie, professor and associate dean for PhD
Studies, received a $1,596,473 grant from the National Institute
of Nursing Research aimed at improving symptoms and quality
of life in patients with advanced heart failure through a low-cost,
easily administered intervention of dietary sodium restriction
coupled with lycopene and omega-3 fatty acid supplementation.
The knowledge to be gained by defining the role of dietary
interventions in heart failure is invaluable and will pave the way
for future research in this area.

Southeast Center for Agricultural Health
and Injury Prevention: Nurses Utilizing
Research, Service and Education in
Applied Practice (NURSE-AP)
As part of the University of Kentucky’s Southeast Center
for Agricultural Health and Injury Prevention, Professor
Deborah Reed received $500,133 from the National Institute of
Occupational Safety and Health. This funding will support the
development and electronic distribution of the latest agricultural
health and safety research to clinically based nurses and support
new nurse-led research initiatives.

Effects of Family Sodium Watcher
Program on Outcomes in Heart Failure
Patient-Family Caregiver Dyads
Associate Professor Misook Chung received a $20,000
University of Kentucky Research Support Grant to test the effect
of an intervention for self-management of a sodium-restricted
diet (Family Sodium Watcher Program) on adherence and quality
of life in patients with heart failure and their family caregivers.

Left to right: Dean Jane Kirschling, Associate Dean for
PhD Studies Terry Lennie, Kyoung Suk Lee, Professor
Debra Moser and Mrs. Barbara Teague, a college donor
who supports the Student Scholarship Showcase.

Central Appalachian Regional Education
Research Center
Deborah Reed, professor, is collaborating with Wayne
Sanderson (PI), professor and chair of the Epidemiology
Department in the College of Public Health, on a grant,
“Central Appalachian Regional Education Research Center,”
funded for $600,000 by the National Institute for Occupational
Safety and Health (NIOSH). Dr. Reed directs the Occupational
and Environmental Health Nurse PhD training program for the
center. This training will prepare new nurse researchers and faculty
to address the needs of workers in all occupations, with specific
focus on occupations common in Appalachia — such as mining,
rural health care providers, agriculture and forestry. Working with
faculty in the College of Nursing, PhD nursing students will be
immersed in cutting-edge research that will position them to make
outstanding contributions to the health and safety of workers in
Appalachia and beyond.

University of Kentucky College of Nursing

3

* awards

& HONORS

AWARDS
Recipient List

2011-2012

College of Nursing
Student Awards

CONGRATULATIONS
2012

SCHOLARSHIP FUNDING

College of Nursing
Annual Award Recipients

Scholarship

Employee of the Year Award

Professional Development

RECIPIENT: Tony Liquori-Grace

RECIPIENT: Demetrius Abshire

Excellence in Undergraduate
Precepting Award

Research

Carolyn A. Williams Award
RECIPIENT: Kyoung Suk Lee

RECIPIENT: Micah Douglas

Sebastian-Stanhope Award

Excellence in Graduate
Clinical Precepting Award

College of Nursing Alumni
Association Presidential Award
RECIPIENT: Rebecca Moore

RECIPIENT: Joanne Brown
College of Nursing Alumni
Association Nightingale Award

RECIPIENT: Martha Biddle
Excellence in Graduate Teaching Award

RECIPIENT: Kevin Pinto

RECIPIENT: Kittye Roberts

College of Nursing Faculty Award

Excellence in Part-Time Teaching Award

RECIPIENT: Kristyn Mickley

RECIPIENT: Cheryl Witt

Central Baptist Hospital Nursing
Leadership Award

Excellence in Undergraduate
Unit/Agency Award

RECIPIENT: Jennifer Graehler Parker

RECIPIENT: Albert B. Chandler Hospital,
Fifth Floor

Helene Fuld Health Trust Scholarship
for Baccalaureate Nursing Students,
Foundation of the National Student
Nurses’ Association (2012)
RECIPIENT: Whitney Jones
Student Poster, Southern Nursing
Research Society, Second Place (2012)
RECIPIENT: Viktoria Melnyk
Robert A. Clay Resident Advisor
Scholarship, Office of Residence Life,
University of Kentucky Honors and
Recognition (2012)

RECIPIENT: Tiffany Kelly

RECIPIENT: Roxanne Bowman

2011-2012

Other College of Nursing
Special Distinctions
Jane Kirschling, dean, began serving
a two-year term as president of the
American Association of Colleges of
Nursing (AACN) in March 2012.

2011-2012

Other Faculty
and Staff Awards

Gloe L. Bertram Award

Cardiovascular Disease Prevention
Graduation Award, Preventive
Cardiovascular Nurses Association (2012)

RECIPIENT: Margaret “Peggy” Hickman

RECIPIENT: Martha Biddle

Louise J. Zegeer Award

Distinguished Researcher Award,
Southern Nursing Research Society (2012)

RECIPIENT: Jessica Wilson
Teaching Excellence in Support
of Professional Nursing
RECIPIENT: Tammy Stephenson
Excellence in Service Award
RECIPIENT: Suzanne Prevost

RECIPIENT: Debra Moser
Exemplary Project Award to the Clean
Indoor Air Initiative, Association of Public
and Land-Grant Universities (2011)
RECIPIENT: Ellen Hahn

Dean’s Award

Great Teacher Award, University of
Kentucky Alumni Association (2012)

RECIPIENT: Provost Kumble Subbaswamy

RECIPIENT: Kristin Ashford

College of Nursing
Student Scholarship
Showcase Awards

2012

Inducted as a Fellow in the American
Academy of Nursing (2011)

Best Undergraduate Student Oral
Presentation

SPRING ACHIEVEMENT AWARDS

RECIPIENT: Alison Southworth

2012

RECIPIENT: Viktoria Melnyk
Best Graduate Student Oral Presentation
RECIPIENT: Jennifer Miller
Best Undergraduate Poster Presentation
RECIPIENT: Stephanie Kehler
Best Graduate Poster Presentation
RECIPIENT: Kyoung Suk Lee

4

OPPORTUNITIES / Fall 2012

Delta Psi
Award Recipients
Beatrice Hood Award for
Excellence in Nursing Practice
RECIPIENT: Leslie Scott
Carolyn A. Williams Award
for Excellence in Nursing Research
RECIPIENT: Jenna Hatcher-Keller

RECIPIENT: Ellen Hahn
Pearl McIver Award, American Nurses
Association (2012)
RECIPIENT: Marcia Stanhope
Provost’s Public Scholar Award, University
of Kentucky (2012)
RECIPIENT: Ellen Hahn

* awards

Recipient List

& HONORS

Award
gallery

Recipient
1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

1/ Distinguished Researcher Award, Southern Nursing Research Society: Debra Moser; 2/ Pearl McIver Award, American Nurses Association:
Marcia Stanhope; 3/ Great Teacher Award, UK Alumni Association: Kristin Ashford; 4/ Employee of the Year Award: Tony Liquori-Grace, with Dean
Jane Kirschling; 5/ 30 Years of Service: Karen Minton and Joanne Davis; 6/ Excellence in Undergraduate Unit/Agency Award: Albert B. Chandler
Hospital Fifth Floor, with Senior Nurse Administrator Kathleen Kopser (center) and Chief Nurse Executive Colleen Swartz (third from right);
7/ Dean’s Award: Provost Kumble Subbaswamy, with Associate Dean for Undergraduate Studies Patricia Burkhart (third from left) and May 2012
Class President Kristyn Mickley (last on right); 8/ Exemplary Project Award to the Clean Indoor Air Initiative, Association of Public and Land-Grant
Universities: Ellen Hahn, with Associate Provost for University Engagement Philip Greasley.

University of Kentucky College of Nursing

5

* faculty

PROFILES

Faculty & Staff Appointments & Transitions

Administrative
Appointment
Thomas Kelly

Thomas Kelly, PhD,
has been appointed
as associate dean
for research for the
college. Dr. Kelly
joined the UK
faculty in 1992
after completing his PhD in experimental
psychology/behavioral pharmacology at
the University of Minnesota and a postdoctoral fellowship in human behavioral
pharmacology.
He is a professor in the College of
Medicine, Department of Behavioral
Science and has joint appointments in
Psychology and Psychiatry. He is an
associate in the Multidisciplinary Graduate
Program in Nutritional Science and the
Multidisciplinary Research Center on Drug
and Alcohol Abuse.
Dr. Kelly serves as a grant reviewer for the
Veterans Administration and National
Institutes of Health, as well as director
of Education, Training and Career
Development for UK’s Center for Clinical
and Translational Science.
His clinical research, which focuses on
drug abuse vulnerability, treatment and
prevention, has been funded by the NIH
National Institute for Drug Abuse. He has
extensive peer-reviewed publications and
presentations.

Faculty Appointments
Jennifer Dent

Jennifer Dent,
MSN, RN, received
her BSN from UK
and her MSN from
Eastern Kentucky
University, with a
specialty in rural
public health nursing education. She joined

6

OPPORTUNITIES / Fall 2012

the college in the fall of 2012 as a lecturer
specializing in patient simulation education.
She was previously an instructor at
Maysville Community and Technical
College. She practices as a labor, delivery
and ante-partum unit nurse at Central
Baptist Hospital in Lexington.
Paula Halcomb

Paula Halcomb,
MSN, RN, joined
the college in the
fall of 2012 as a
lecturer in the
undergraduate
program. She earned
both her BSN and MSN degrees from UK,
where her master’s specialty concentrated
on nursing education in critical care areas
and management in critical care settings.
She is currently a student in the DNP
Program, focusing on organizational and
systems management.
Previously, she was a patient care
manager in radiology at UK’s Albert B.
Chandler Hospital and has also served as a
performance improvement coordinator at
Central Baptist Hospital in Lexington.
Laura Schrader

Laura Schrader,
MSN, RN, APRN,
joined the college
in the fall of 2012
as a lecturer for
the undergraduate
program. Her
extensive advanced practice experience
includes working for two hand care specialty
practices and in a UK pre-operative clinic.
She also worked for several years as a staff
nurse in the Level I Trauma ICU at UK’s
Albert B. Chandler Hospital. She earned
both her BSN and MSN degrees at UK.

Faculty Transitions
Jenna Hatcher-Keller

Jenna Hatcher-Keller,
PhD, MPH, RN, has
been promoted to
associate professor with
tenure. She received
her PhD from the
College of Nursing in
2006 and was awarded a master’s degree from
the College of Public Health in May 2012.
Dr. Hatcher-Keller’s research focuses on
cancer health disparities. She is currently the
principal investigator of a National Cancer
Institute-funded career development award
titled, “Promoting Mammography in AfricanAmerican Women Visiting the Emergency
Department.”
She also collaborates with a team of cancer
control and prevention scientists to conduct
research with Appalachian populations.
Dr. Hatcher-Keller teaches philosophy of
science to doctoral students in the College
of Nursing and advises and serves on the
doctoral committees of several students. She
is a founding member and corresponding
secretary of the Lexington Chapter of the
National Black Nurses Association.
Nancy Kloha

Nancy Kloha, DNP,
RN, APRN, FNP-BC,
has been promoted
to assistant clinical
professor. Since 1996,
Dr. Kloha has had a
clinical teaching role
for the college’s Family Nurse Practitioner
Track. Her current clinical practice is with the
Lawrence County Health Department, where
she does family planning services and provides
a school-based clinic at Lawrence County High
School. She was awarded her DNP from UK
in 2011.

* PROMOTIONS
Staff Appointments

Wanda Lovitz

Wanda Lovitz,
MSN, RN, APRN,
has been promoted
to senior lecturer
with the college. She
is a certified family
nurse practitioner
and clinical specialist in medical-surgical
nursing. Mrs. Lovitz is a lecturer and
clinical instructor in the undergraduate
program and also assists with the graduate
advanced health assessment course.
Margaret “Peggy”
Hickman

Margaret “Peggy”
Hickman, EdD,
RN, CCD,
associate professor,
community health
nurse specialist
and certified community development
specialist, retired from the University of
Kentucky College of Nursing in June 2012
after 22 years of service. She taught in both
the undergraduate and graduate programs
and served on several DNP capstone, PhD
dissertation and master’s thesis committees.
Dr. Hickman is a member of the Kentucky
Public Health Association, the Kentucky
Rural Health Association, and the
American Public Health Association,
among numerous other organizations.
Hickman has published, presented and
consulted heavily over the course of her
career on community health issues.
Marcia Stanhope

Marcia Stanhope,
DSN, RN, FAAN,
professor and
Good Samaritan
Endowed Chair in
Community Health,
retired from UK
in June 2012 after 30 years of service. Over
the course of her career at UK, she served
in several roles, including director of the
DNP Program, associate dean, director
of the Good Samaritan Nurse-Managed
Center, and division director of community
health nursing.

Dr. Stanhope’s areas of research included
community health and administration,
nurse-managed care, home health and
nurse productivity. She was involved in the
expansion of services for the homeless in
Lexington, and along with colleagues, was
awarded a contract by the Department for
Health and Human Services Division of
Nursing to develop a nurse-managed clinic
that continues to serve homeless men today.
She was also involved in the development
of clinic services for homeless women. Her
involvement in public health policy led to an
appointment to the Governor’s Task Force
for Health Care Reform in 1992.
Kathleen Wagner

Kathleen Wagner,
EdD, RN, lecturer,
retired in June
2012 after nearly
23 years of service.
She earned her BSN,
MSN and EdD
degrees from UK.
The general focus of her doctorate was
case method instruction to enhance
cognitive flexibility and learning transfer in
undergraduate nursing students, which led
to her role as an education consultant for
the undergraduate program at the college.
She was course coordinator and a classroom
instructor for the undergraduate high-acuity
course and pathopharmacology.
Dr. Wagner is lead author and a major
contributor to a nursing textbook, HighAcuity Nursing, now in its fifth edition,
which was selected as the American Journal
of Nursing Book of the Year in 1998 and
again in 2010.

faculty

Staff Appointments
Tricia MacCallum

Tricia MacCallum
joined the college
in December
2011 as the
continuing
education
coordinator. Prior
to this position, she was a nursing CE
coordinator for employee education for
Deaconess Health System in Evansville,
Ind., and also served as a principal trainer
for health information management in
clinical informatics for the organization’s
conversion to electronic medical records.
She has a BA in economics from Western
Kentucky University.
Allison Hehemann

Allison Hehemann,
who joined the
college in August
2011, is the
administrative
support associate
for Dr. Suzanne
Prevost, associate dean for practice and
engagement, and Aimeé Baston, director
of alumni affairs and development. Prior
to this position, she was with the College
of Engineering’s Institute of Research for
Technology Development. She has a BS in
computer science, specializing in software
programming and website development.
She’s been at the university since 2005.
Jason Harris

Jason Harris joined
the college in April
2012 as the new
IT director. Before
coming to UK, he
was senior operations
manager for Netgain
Technologies in Lexington. Prior to his work
with Netgain he was an information systems
specialist with Toyota Motor Manufacturing
in Georgetown, Ky., where he supported
server and network infrastructure.
University of Kentucky College of Nursing

7

* Unleashing the Full Potential

of Our Kentucky Promise
Kristyn Mickley and
Kevin Pinto, graduating
seniors; Jenna Buchanan,
graduating BSN-DNP
student; and Joy Coles,
second-semester
sophomore Second
Degree Option student,
met with UK President
Eli Capilouto near his
office recently.

Over the past 14 months, I have had the privilege of working alongside many of the brightest minds who are among
our faculty, researchers and clinicians; an enthusiastic student body poised for greatness beyond graduation; and a
supportive cadre of staff who represent our university with distinction.
Chief among them is the dean of the College of Nursing, Dr. Jane Kirschling. Because of her unparalleled leadership
and recognition from her peers, Dean Kirschling is currently serving a two-year term as president of the American
Association of Colleges of Nursing. She is among the best examples of the high-caliber leadership represented at the
University of Kentucky, and we are fortunate to count her among the UK family.
Since I arrived on campus, I’ve had the great fortune of traveling across the Commonwealth of Kentucky meeting
with interested friends and supporters of the university; across campus, I’ve engaged in conversations with faculty,
staff and students; and I’ve been fortunate enough to meet members of the UK family throughout the country.
At each encounter, I’ve been warmly embraced by the grace of the Big Blue Nation and have been emboldened by
their vigor for our shared “Kentucky Promise.” An idea forged nearly 150 years ago, we know that a public flagship
and land-grant, research university can be a catalyst, through education, research and service, for building a bright
future for our state. Each day, we find new ways to fulfill that promise.
The University of Kentucky’s student population is larger, more diverse and more academically prepared than ever
before. We have received a record number of high-quality applicants, yielding our highest enrollment to date. This,
coupled with high retention rates, strong participation in undergraduate research, and robust graduation rates, make
for a rich academic environment.
Our research enterprise continues to grow with more than $350 million in research expenditures targeting
Kentucky’s pervasive problems: cancer, diabetes and heart disease, to name a few. Last year, UK was awarded the

8

OPPORTUNITIES / Fall 2012

* prestigious Clinical Translational Sciences Award (CTSA) from
the National Institutes of Health to support the practical application
of research conducted in our labs. With this award, UK joins a
distinguished group of 60 institutions nationwide and stands as the
only CTSA in the Commonwealth of Kentucky.
Our land-grant mission is the cornerstone of our institution’s identity.
The College of Agriculture’s Cooperative Extension Service continues
to provide valuable resources and education to communities in
each of Kentucky’s 120 counties. Departments and colleges across
the university have taken note and are finding new ways to serve
constituents across the state, country and world.
Under the leadership of Dr. Ellen Hahn, the Kentucky Center
for Smoke-Free Policy continues to thrive in its effort to promote
comprehensive smoking cessation and tobacco health policies on
campus and across the state. The recent Smoke-Free State Conference
was a resounding success, and I was proud to see so many of our
unsung heroes honored.
At the end of the spring semester, the College of Nursing, in
collaboration with the College of Pharmacy, Student Health Advisory
Council and University Health Service, held the second annual UK
Kicks Butts, an event to bring awareness to the impact of tobacco
on the lives of Kentuckians. Organizers and volunteers distributed
2,600 Tobacco-Free Campus Reminder Cards in three hours and
had a wonderful response from students.
Nursing faculty and students are involved in UK’s Center for
Interprofessional Healthcare Education, Research and Practice with
the goal of preparing future health care professionals to provide
high-quality, team-based care. Health professions students
enrolled in the Deans’ Interprofessional Honors Colloquium
immerse themselves in a focused topic area and develop team-based
recommendations for improving the care that is provided.
These stories exemplify the soul of the University and our
commitment to this institution’s promise to Kentucky. They
challenge us to meet the demands of the present and build a bright
beacon for Kentucky’s future. They underscore the sense of urgency
with which we must undertake these considerable measures.
We have incredible talent at the University of Kentucky, and we
must build upon past success to enhance the value of our work,
recruit the best and brightest students and lead the Commonwealth
into a 21st century economy. With these goals as our guide, we
have set forth on an ambitious plan to renew our Kentucky Promise.
We have crafted a “students first” agenda that enhances our
undergraduate programs and prepares students to compete and
contribute in a 21st century global marketplace of ideas, commerce
and culture. We are enhancing programs that build upon our
innovative UKCore curriculum and expose our students to multiple
disciplines and areas of study, so that they leave our university
prepared to lead lives of leadership, meaning and purpose.

We are in the process of expanding and developing a larger honors
program for students from Kentucky and beyond — creating a closeknit academic community with the resources of a modern research
university. To bolster our efforts, we must increase our merit-based
scholarships: the Singletary Scholarship, the President’s Scholarship
and the Provost’s Scholarship.
Additionally, we recently broke ground on a new residence hall for
our undergraduate students. In nearly a year’s time, the new facility
will come online with 600 modern beds, cutting-edge technology
and the amenities students need to succeed.
The new facility is the first phase of a multi-year process to revitalize
our campus core. We have partnered with EdR, a national operator
and developer of collegiate housing, to construct up to 9,000 modern
beds on campus over the next several years. The new residence
facilities will house communities where students can live and learn
collaboratively, sharing their college experiences in ways that spark
creativity and stir the soul.
The structure of our innovative public/private partnership will allow
us to devote university resources toward rebuilding our academic core
and research facilities. We have 21st century faculty and researchers
who work, too often, in 19th century facilities. Over the next several
years, we will focus on remedying this, so that they can work more
effectively and efficiently in making the next great discovery.
We’ve engaged in this agenda because these facilities transform the
way we educate and prepare students to succeed in life beyond college.
Our partnership will yield a model campus for our students, faculty
and staff as part of our university-wide effort to restore our physical
plant to the standards expected of a flagship university — the standards
required to meet the needs of our constituents and our state.
Additionally, we are examining our operations systems and
administrative structure. We’re undertaking an effort to build new
reward processes and create a new financial system of accountability.
Over the next year, we will also examine our research portfolio
and prepare an agenda for increasing high-quality research at the
University of Kentucky.
It is an ambitious effort, but we must do what is necessary so that
we can achieve what is great and what is expected of us as the
Commonwealth’s beacon. The university community is deeply engaged
in the effort and committed to our path. Together, we are writing the
next great chapter in the history of Kentucky’s flagship university.
Sincerely,

Eli Capilouto
President

University of Kentucky College of Nursing

9

* DENTISTRY

Lee Thomas

Health Sciences
SOCIAL WORK
N U R SIN G

DENTISTRY

NUR SING

DENTISTRY

L AW

PHOTOGRAPHS BY:

MEDICINE

C OM M U N IC AT ION

WRITTEN BY:
Anne Sabatino Hardy

L AW

feature

Health Sciences

MEDICINE

C OM M U N IC AT ION

SOCIAL WORK

INTER SECTIONS
of Interprofessional

SOCIAL WORK

C OM M U N IC AT ION

MEDICIN

L AW

MEDICINE

COM M U N IC AT IONS

L AW

Health Sciences

NUR SING

CIAL WORK

10

page

NUR SING

Health Sciences

DENTISTRY

Care

“Interprofessional education is critically important, and
the most important reason is higher quality of patient
care,” says Patricia Burkhart, PhD, RN, associate dean
for undergraduate studies and associate professor in
the College of Nursing. “When we learn with, from and
about each other, we can have a synergistic effect in
terms of the contribution to the health care enterprise.
If there is a contribution from medicine, social work,
nursing and others, there is a collaborative approach
to patient care for improving outcomes. Rather than
fragmented patient care, it’s team-based care.”

* “To function as a team, you have