Two faculty members from The Ohio State University College of Nursing have earned one of the highest honors in their field.
Sonia A. Duffy, PhD, RN, FAAN, and Rita H. Pickler, PhD, RN, FAAN, were recently inducted into the International Nurse Researcher Hall of Fame by the Honor Society of Nursing, Sigma Theta Tau International (STTI). The two were honored alongside 17 other nurse researchers at STTI’s 27th International Nursing Research Congress in Cape Town, South Africa. Created in 2010, the International Nurse Researcher Hall of Fame recognizes nurse researchers who have achieved significant and sustained national or international recognition and whose research has improved the profession and the people it serves.
Duffy is the Mildred E. Newton Professor of Nursing and Pickler is the FloAnn Sours Easton Professor of Child and Adolescent Health, as well as director of the PhD and MS in nursing science programs.
Duffy's research interests have focused on health-behavior change among cancer patients, veterans and blue-collar workers. For 16 years, Duffy has tested and refined the Tobacco Tactics intervention across a variety of populations. Recently, she designed and tested the Sun Solutions intervention among blue-collar workers. She is also an expert in implementation and dissemination research.
Pickler’s research on the care of preterm infants spans over 35 years. Her research has improved care provided to preterm infants in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU), particularly feeding care. Building on her research, she is now advancing knowledge and care provision to improve short- and long-term neurodevelopmental outcomes in infants who are born preterm.
“This prestigious award is a testimony to the outstanding contributions Drs. Duffy and Pickler have made in their respective areas of research,” said Bernadette Melnyk, PhD, RN, CPNP/PMHNP, FAANP, FNAP, FAAN, Ohio State’s associate vice president for health promotion, university chief wellness officer and dean of the College of Nursing. “Both are so deserving of this esteemed honor.”
The honorees’ research projects will be shared through STTI’s electronic repository, enabling nurses around the globe to benefit from their discoveries and insights.
