Seven other faculty and student researchers also set to earn awards at conference in March
The Midwest Nursing Research Society (MNRS) will honor several faculty and student researchers from The Ohio State University College of Nursing with prestigious awards at its virtual conference this month.
At the MNRS Annual Research Conference on March 24-27, Mary Beth Happ, PhD, RN, FGSA, FAAN will receive the organization’s Lifetime Achievement Award, and Celia E. Wills, PhD, RN will receive the Distinguished Service Award.
One nominator said of Happ, who serves as distinguished professor of critical care research and associate dean of research and innovation at the College of Nursing, “Dr. Happ is absolutely one-of-a-kind as a scholar/researcher and a mentor … With more than 24 years of external funding support and 190 publications, Dr. Happ has built a rigorous program of interdisciplinary, practice-based research focused on improving care and communication with communication-impaired patients, families and clinicians during critical illness and at end of life, particularly with patients receiving mechanical ventilation.”
“I am grateful and humbled to receive this wonderful honor, but I am even more grateful for the ability to conduct this research for the benefit of patients and their families,” said Happ. “The COVID-19 pandemic has brought greater focus to the issue of communication impairment, especially for patients on ventilators. My colleagues and I will continue pursuing our work to further develop and perfect tools and training for clinicians to bridge gaps in communication so they can deliver the best-possible care.”
Wills, who serves as associate professor, graduate studies chairperson and college secretary at the College of Nursing, was praised by one of her nominators for “her dedication to MNRS and her passion for celebrating its members’ achievements and for advancing nursing science throughout the MNRS region and beyond. Dr. Wills’ service to MNRS is consistent, sustained and substantive. She embodies all that MNRS stands for as she is a pre-eminent scholar who is service-oriented and innovative, and she is a dedicated mentor and teacher to the next generation of nurse scientists.”
“We believe at our college that research is truly a lifeblood of transformational change, and MNRS is a critical partner in helping support the translation of that science into practice,” said Wills. “This honor is a testament to the dedication of our many nurse scientists with whom I am privileged to collaborate and mentor to improve lives through innovation, and I am energized to continue building those impactful partnerships.”
Seven additional faculty and student researchers will also be honored by MNRS:
- Adolescent Health: New Investigator Award -- Janna D. Stephens, PhD, RN
- Adolescent Health: Graduate Student Award – Emma C. Schlegel, MPA, BSN, RN
- Gerontological Nursing Science: New Investigator Award – Karen O. Moss, PhD, RN, CNL
- Health Promoting Behaviors Across the Lifespan: Senior Investigator Award – Mei-Wei Chang, PhD, RN, FAAN
- Palliative & End-of-Life Care Early Career Award, Pediatric Early Career Investigator Award and Symptom Science Research Publication Award – Susan E. Thrane, PhD, RN, CHPN, FPCN
- Women’s Health and Childbearing: Undergraduate Research Award – Kaitlin Kretz
- Women’s Health and Childbearing: Graduate Research Award – Alexandra L. Nowak, BSN, JD, RN
