Jane Dimmitt Champion, Ph.D., R.N., and Norma Martinez Rogers, Ph.D., R.N., both associate professors of family nursing at the Health Science Center, recently were selected for membership of the American Academy of Nursing (AAN). They will officially be inducted as fellows at a ceremony later this year.
The AAN, comprised of approximately 1,500 nursing leaders, is nursing’s highest honorific society. The Health Science Center’s fellows of the AAN now total 11, exceeding any other University of Texas nursing school.
“Given the size and young age of our School of Nursing, we are truly fortunate to have the degree of recognition of our faculty expertise acknowledged by fellowship status,” said Robin Froman, Ph.D., R.N., F.A.A.N., dean and the Dr. Patty L. Hawken Endowed Professor of the Health Science Center. “I could not possibly be prouder of our faculty and their significant recognition by this honor.”
Dr. Champion’s most outstanding contributions to nursing are in improving the health of at-risk minority women. She was one of the first nurses to study the relationship of sexually transmitted infections, sexual risk behaviors, unintended pregnancy and abuse among minority women. And, through her program of interdisciplinary clinical research, she developed evidence-based community interventions for urban and rural populations of African- and Mexican-American women. These findings have been translated into community health programs nationally and internationally.
Dr. Champion has served as principal or co-principal investigator of 22 research projects, 19 funded by federal agencies, including the National Institute of Nursing Research, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease and the National Institute of Drug Abuse.
"It is a pleasure and an honor to be accepted as a fellow in the American Academy of Nursing," Dr. Champion said. Before becoming a faculty member in the Health Science Center’s School of Nursing in 1997, she trained for three years as a National Institutes of Health and Center for Disease Control post-doctoral fellow in the department of microbiology. "The mentorship I received here through these fellowships in conjunction with the departments of microbiology, obstetrics and gynecology and nursing have made possible the achievements on which this award is based. Among many others I wish to thank Dr. Joel Baseman, Dr. Rochelle Shain, Dr. Kay Avant and Dr. Robin Froman for their support."
Dr. Martinez Rogers is a nursing activist who co-founded a non-profit organization, Martínez Street Women’s Center, which provides support and educational services to women. She partnered with the U.S. Western District Court (WDC) Probation Office, providing a female-specific program for convicted federal felons and other women under community supervision. The program prevents relapse and recidivism, and is the only female specific group in the WDC.
As a nurse educator, Dr. Martinez Rogers developed a nursing mentorship program, “Juntos Podemos” (Together We Can), which has established nursing electives focusing on being a research scholar, teaching assistant, or interning with a nurse practitioner.
“Throughout my professional career I have made it a commitment to lead in eliminating racial and ethnic health disparities,” Dr. Martinez Rogers said. “I am humbled by the experience of being selected to be a fellow in the American Academy of Nursing. It gives me a feeling of pride and a sense of accomplishment. I plan to become actively involved in two of the Academy’s committees: the Workforce Commission, since its major goal is to address the nursing shortage, and the Expert Panel on Cultural Competence. I hope my expertise in these areas will contribute to the mission of the Academy and in improving the nursing field as a whole.”
The mission of the AAN is to serve the public and nursing profession by advancing health policy and practice through the generation, syntheses and dissemination of nursing knowledge. The selection of fellows requires rigorous reviews and the ability to meet specific criteria. Fellows must also demonstrate evidence of potential to continue contributions to nursing and the Academy, and must be sponsored by two fellows in good standing with the Academy.
Contact:
Jacquelyn SprucePhone: (210) 567-0414
E-mail:
sprucej@uthscsa.edu
