4 Pitt people won Sigma International Awards for Nursing Excellence

Three faculty members and an emeritus dean from the University of Pittsburgh School of Nursing received with Sigma International Awards for Nursing Excellence.

Each year, the international nursing honors society recognizes superior achievement in developing nurse leaders anywhere to improve healthcare everywhere. The winners will be honored during Sigma’s 47th Biennial Convention on Nov. 11-15 in San Antonio, Texas.

“Our winners have exemplified the spirit of excellence, innovation, and dedication to mentorship, service, research, and leadership that we strive to cultivate at Pitt Nursing,” said Christine E. Kasper, dean of the School of Nursing. “Their accomplishments not only elevate Pitt Nursing’s reputation, but also inspire and motivate us all to reach new heights in our own pursuits. We are immensely proud of their accomplishments.”

Here are this year’s recipients from Pitt:

Jacqueline Dunbar-Jacob, a dean emeritus and distinguished service professor of nursing, has been awarded the Mary Tolle Wright Award, which recognizes extraordinary excellence in leadership, visionary and innovative approaches and the development of nursing leaders and leadership. Dunbar-Jacob served as dean of Pitt Nursing for more than 20 years and, under her leadership, it became one of the first schools in the nation to offer the Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) degree. Throughout her career, Dunbar-Jacob has been a sought-after presenter, mentor, advocate, researcher and educator. Because of her leadership and visionary approach to nursing, Nazarbayev University in Kazakhstan selected Pitt to establish the undergraduate nursing curriculum for its newly established medical school. Dunbar-Jacob also received the Friends of the National Institute of Nursing Research Pathfinder Distinguished Research Award and was a member of the inaugural class of Sigma’s International Nurse Researcher Hall of Fame.

Professor Richard Henker has been awarded the Dorothy Garrigus Adams Award for extraordinary excellence in service. The award celebrates voluntary service projects that address global health disparities, health care, the nursing profession and Sigma.  This prestigious accolade acknowledges Dr. Henker’s exceptional contributions and positive impact on a global health disparity of a targeted population, specifically in Laos and Cambodia. Henker was recognized for exceptional contributions and positive impact on a global health disparity, particularly for active projects guiding policy changes with the ministries of health in Laos and Cambodia.

Young Ji Lee, associate professor of nursing and medicine and Pitt Nursing’s vice chair of administration, has been awarded the prestigious Virginia K. Saba Nursing Informatics Leadership Award. This award honors an individual for innovative and cutting-edge work that results in significant development, contributes to advancing nursing informatics and achieves a recognizable and momentous public benefit. In 2018, Lee contributed to the revision of the American Nurses Association’s Core Principals on Telehealth, a guide for health care professionals who use connected health technologies. The results electronically connected clinicians to clinicians, patients to clinicians and even patients to other patients and is considered a breakthrough in the field of informatics.

John O’Donnell, professor and chair of the Department of Nurse Anesthesia and director of the Nurse Anesthesia Program, has been awarded the Lucie S. Kelly Mentor Award. A powerhouse in the field of nurse anesthesia and simulation, O’Donnell has gained a national and international reputation for excellence, making him a sought-after mentor and collaborator. In 1994, he accepted a faculty position teaching within the nurse anesthesia program at the School of Nursing. Just one year later, he assumed the role of associate director of the program. Today, 1057 CRNA graduates from Pitt Nursing account for approximately 2% of the nations’ nurse anesthetist workforce. 

— Katelyn Kocis, photography by Aimee Obidzinski