Awards and Accolades Summer 2021

Awards, Accolades and Accomplishments

STUDENTS

• DNP FNP student Kun Huang was selected as the recipient of The Bob and Eadie Churchill Scholarship for International Study.
• BSN student Tyree Hyman and PMHNP student Grace Falcone were named recipients of the 2021 Daisy Award for Extraordinary Nursing Students.
• Senior nursing student and junior ECU pole vaulter Sommer Knight placed third in the NCAA Division I Track and Field Championships on June 10 in Eugene, Ore. Knight smashed her own school record in the event, clearing a lifetime-best 4.35 meters to secure First-Team All-America accolades.
• RN/BSN student Brionna Smith, and BSN students Katie Harris and Elissa Rhynders were named scholarship recipients by the Pitt County Golden K Kiwanis club and The Community Foundation of NC East.

FACULTY

• Dr. Alex Hodges, Clinical Associate Professor in the Doctor of Nursing Practice Program, will be featured in the podcast “Nurse Educator Tips for Teaching.” The episode featuring Hodges is scheduled for release on Apple Podcasts and on Google Podcasts on August 11 and will be available for listening at both of the above links.
• Dr. Amy Jnah, Clinical Associate Professor and Director of the Neonatal Nurse Practitioner Program, directed and launched a series of interprofessional morale and resiliency luncheons and training sessions for over 600 soldiers at Fort Bragg, many of whom are struggling with post-deployment PTSD. She was honored with the Patriotic Service Award for her work by Major General Christopher Donahue, Commanding General of the 82^nd Airborne Division.
• Dr. Deborah Tyndall was selected as the 2020-21 Scholar-Teacher Award winner for the College of Nursing. Dr. Tyndall was selected by her peers for the honor for demonstrating excellence in the classroom as well as having an outstanding record of scholarly accomplishments.
• Dr. Holly Wei, assistant professor in Nursing Leadership, was invited by the Health Policy Collaborative at Wake Forest School of Medicine, to speak to medical students as part of a virtual panel on the COVID-19 pandemic’s impact on mental and behavioral health on Monday, May 3. During the event, she spoke on the ways in which the COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated behavioral health issues for frontline health care workers.
• Dr. Nancy Dias, Jeanne Martin, Lynne Modlin and Dr. Deborah Tyndall were named recipients of the 2021 Daisy Faculty Award.
• Dr. Mitzi Pestaner, assistant professor in the Department of Baccalaureate Education, was featured as the key speaker for the Southern Nursing Research Society’s Mental Health Awareness Live Interview/Question and Answer Session at on July 29.

ALUMNI

• CNS alumni and preceptors at Atrium Health in Charlotte recently had their scholarly work, “Clinical nurse specialist practice supporting preparedness in the spheres of impact,” published in Clinical Nurse Specialist. Latasia Belin (’13), Kiersten Brelewski (’19), Kayla Fuller (’16), Charles Gold (’19), Sarah Rutledge (’18), Lacey Spangler (’18), Kelley Weaver (’16) are the alumni who helped to author the article.
• Krystin Boland (’15) authored the book “Nurse Mommy,” a children’s book designed to help kids understand what the nurse they love is doing when they go to work.
• Amalia Divittorio, (ECU MBA, MSN ’09) was recently promoted to Colonel in the U.S. Air Force. She will serve at Mountain Home USAF Base and will be the Medical Group Commander responsible for all community health services from Family Practice, Mental Health, Environmental Health (food, childcare services, housing safety), Workforce Health, Health Promotion, Deployment Health and Dental Health.
• Rebecca Greene, (BSN ’10, MSN ’14), was named one of the top 30 nurses in Central Texas.
• Kim Pate (’14) was recognized by National Association of Clinical Nurse Specialists as “2021 Mentor of the Year”