Student and Alumni Accolades

Published on Tuesday, August 11, 2020

The SON has some impressive students and alumni who continue to demonstrate their excellence in the classroom and beyond. Here are some updates showcasing just a few.

MNF car tag recipients

Congratulations to all of the 2020-2021 Mississippi Nurses Foundation Car Tag Stipend recipients including our own Abbie Kate Frazier, Miranda Hutchins, Morgan McPhail, Marion Sapen, Shakeria Smith and Caylee Yelverton.

Also a one-time COVID relief $500 stipend was also setup to help nursing students during this time. Kudos to Susan Mitchell, Abbey Parks, Kenyatta Rogers and Chandler Russ for receiving stipends from the car tag funds. Thank you to MNF and all car tag purchasers for making these student funds possible!

Sigma Theta Beta chapter inductions

The Sigma Honor Society for Nursing's Theta Beta Chapter inducted 70 graduates for the Spring and Summer 2020 classes! We are so proud of this amazing group of nurses. Congratulations also to Carson Luke, Kaitlyn Powell and Marquisia Walls as recipients of the Sigma Outstanding Academic Performance Awards from Honors Day 2020! Lauren Knuckles was also awarded with the Sonja R. Fuqua, PhD, RN Sigma Endowed Scholarship.

Oxford Accelerated BSN students

Thank you to our Oxford faculty and Accelerated BSN student volunteers who helped to get Ole Miss Athletics game-ready! It was great to work alongside the Mississippi Center for Emergency Services, University of Mississippi Medical Center and the athletic training staff at Ole Miss.

Commencement Awards

Congratulations to Lauren Hope Nuckles recipient of the Christine L. Oglevee Memorial Award for the Traditional BSN Class of 2020, and to Kristen Blair who was selected as the RN-BSN Class of 2020 recipient of the Richard Graves Award at Commencement!

Traditional BSN DAISY Award winner

Class of 2020 graduate Anna Jordan Butts was selected as the Traditional BSN recipient of the DAISY Award for Extraordinary Nursing Students! Kudos to her and other nominees Janna Suzann Odom and Katelyn Nicole Sanders.

Oxford Accelerated BSN DAISY Award winner

Logan Christian, Class of 2020 graduate, was selected as the Oxford Accelerated BSN recipient of the DAISY Award for Extraordinary Nursing Students! Compliments to Logan and Monica Leigh Erwin who was also nominated.

PhD Alumna named dean of College of Nursing

Congratulations to PhD graduate Dr. Lachel Story who was named dean of the College of Nursing and Health Sciences at the University of Southern Mississippi!

Stacee Naylor Jones scholar spotlight

Jonas Scholar Stacee Naylor, was recognized by the Jonas organization earlier this year for her work to generate awareness for African Heritage & Health Week.

Naylor's research interest as a current PhD in Nursing student center on cultural diversity in research recruitment; and methodology and cultural views on aging and cognition. She is currently the Director of Clinical Research Operations at the Memory Impairment and Neurodegenerative Disease (MIND) Center, at UMMC, holds membership in the Society of Clinical Research Associates (SOCRA) and is a Certified Clinical Research Professional.

AANP State Representative and Dean of Radford Univ. SON

Congratulations to Dr. Johnnie Sue Wijewardane, alumna and former professor of nursing, for being elected to serve as the American Association of Nurse Practitioners (AANP) State Representative for Mississippi! She was recently named the inaugural dean of the School of Nursing at Radford University.

DAISY Award Winner Jacob Crouch

BSN-PhD student Jacob Crouch received a DAISY Award earlier this year based on his nomination from a patient who had been admitted for an accidental overdose. His nomination stated that Jacob went above the call of duty providing his patient with a Bible and holding daily bible studies together. The patient stated, “Jacob looks at me like a person”, and commented that he had never been treated with more kindness. Jacob made a difference in this patient’s life, and in turn made UMMC a better place.

Dr. Alisia Hankins published in JBI Evidence Synthesis

Congratulations to DNP graduate and UMMC NICU NP Dr. Alisia Hankins for her recent publication in JBI Evidence Synthesis entitled Advanced practice nurse professional advancement programs: A scoping review protocol. Thanks for leading the way, Dr. Hankins! Full text article

Grace Worth published in JBI Evidence Synthesis

Current DNP student Grace Worth was also recently published in JBI Evidence Synthesis for her article titled Free clinic oversight and outcomes in the United States: a scoping review protocol. Kudos to Grace! Full text article

Inaugural Williamson Scholar

PhD Student Jennifer Brumfield was the recipient of the Harriet G. Williamson, R.N., B.S., Chair of Population Health Nursing for 2020. This new endowment provides $15,000 per year for up to five years in pursuit of her doctoral degree in nursing with an emphasis on population health. A life-long MS resident, she earned a BSN and Master of Health Sciences from UMMC. Brumfield continues her full-time position as clinical research manager with the SOM's infectious diseases division, where she works directly with Leandro Mena, MD, MPH, Professor and Chair of Population Health Sciences in the Bower School of Population Health. Throughout her interview process, Brumfield received high accolades with strong recommendations to support her in the PhD program.