School of Nursing happenings
Betty Irene Moore School of Nursing faculty, students and scholars continually participate in lectures, speaker series, symposiums and other special events that reflect the school's vision and mission to transform health care through nursing education and research. This frequently updated list is a sample of the breadth of such activities.
2024 Happenings
June 12 — Associate dean named NBNA Trailblazer
Piri Ackerman-Barger, associate dean for Student Affairs and Health Equity, Diversity and Inclusion at the Betty Irene Moore School of Nursing at UC Davis, was awarded the 2024 Trailblazer Award from the National Black Nurses Association (NBNA). She is recognized for being “an individual who has taken risks.” Piri leads the school’s efforts to create a diverse and welcoming setting in which to learn, work and collaborate. She also designs initiatives, so the school’s learning environments, workforce, programs, services and partnerships are more diverse and inclusive. Awardees lead their community, state and the nation in nursing, business, philanthropy, communications, government, education or the arts.
![Alex Fauer completed the 43rd Escape from Alcatraz Triathlon](/nursing/images/Happenings/alex-alcatraz.jpg)
![First-year Doctor of Philosophy students at the Betty Irene Moore School of Nursing at UC Davis celebrated with an end-of-year poster session showcasing their final research projects.](/nursing/images/Happenings/phd-class-2027.jpg)
June 7 — Assistant professor presents at national dermatology organization
Assistant Professor Elenitsa “Nitsa” Sebat presented “Literature Update: What You Need to Know” at the Society of Dermatology Physician Associates (SDPA) summer conference in San Diego. The session outlined the most clinically relevant peer-reviewed articles published this past year in the top tiered dermatologic journals. Nitsa teaches in the School of Nursing’s physician assistant (P.A.) program. The SDPA is the largest P.A. specialty organization with over 4700 members.
May 31 — Assistant professor presents on mobile health clinicSandra Kamba, an assistant professor at the Betty Irene Moore School of Nursing at UC Davis, presented on the school’s nurse-led mobile clinic at the California Academic Geriatrics Institutions Inaugural Conference. Sandra highlighted the efforts to mitigate barriers to access to care amongst unhoused geriatric populations, how the patient panel has expanded and the significant improvement on health outcomes on patients seen on a consistent basis. The event, held at UC Irvine, brought together leading experts, researchers and practitioners in the field of geriatrics.
May 23 — Assistant professor shares challenges faced by older adults with cancer
Alex Fauer, an assistant professor in the Family Caregiving Institute at the Betty Irene Moore School of Nursing at UC Davis, presented “Navigating Cancer Care for Older Adults,” to ACC Senior Services in Sacramento. The presentation shed light on unique challenges faced by older adults with cancer. He discussed special considerations related to cancer treatment in older patients and introduced the topic of a geriatric assessment. Attendees gained insights about resources to address these special considerations. Alex’s current research Fauer’s study involves adults between the ages of 65 and 90 with cancer. He examines whether a combination of geriatric syndrome assessments, coupled with in-person and virtual coaching from community health workers, can significantly improve physical health and quality of life outcomes for patients and their caregivers.
![Physician assistant faculty presents, leads UC Davis team at national conference](/nursing/images/Happenings/pa-pacus.jpg)
May 20 — Doctoral candidate awarded NIH fellowship
Kurt Anthony David, a Doctor of Philosophy candidate at the Betty Irene Moore School of Nursing at UC Davis, was awarded an F31 fellowship through the National Institutes of Health National Institute of Nursing Research. The National Research Service Award for predoctoral researchers, knows as an F31, supports a mentored research experience for promising predoctoral students. Kurt’s “Examining Health Disparities in the use of Hematopoietic Cell Transplants for HIV-related Lymphoma” seeks to characterize the social determinants of health that influence hematopoietic cell transplants (HCT) utilization in patients with HIV-related lymphoma and determine if supportive measures are needed to address differences in care outcomes based on HIV status.
May 7 — Assistant professor publishes study on childhood cancer survivors
Alex Fauer, an assistant professor at the Family Caregiving Institute at the Betty Irene More School of Nursing at UC Davis, published "Financial Hardship and Neighborhood Socioeconomic Disadvantage in Long-term Childhood Cancer Survivors" in the JNCI Cancer Spectrum. Alex serves as lead author on the manuscript that builds upon the growing evidence of the complex, long-term outcomes affecting childhood cancer survivors. Authors highlight a multi-level, interdisciplinary investigation on long-term socioeconomic outcomes and levels of neighborhood disadvantage where survivors reside. It also expands calls for pediatric cancer survivorship research studying long-term outcomes and enhanced supportive care.
May 3 — Faculty discusses diverse collaboration at team research celebration
Leigh Ann Simmons, a professor at the Betty Irene More School of Nursing at UC Davis, gave a Ted-talk-inspired presentation at the Convergence Research Celebration, which was presented by the UC Davis School of Medicine’s Office of Research, the UC Davis Clinical and Translational Science Center and the UC Davis Office of Research. She discussed how working collaboratively with a diverse array of scientific colleagues and community stakeholders promotes health equity. This is the first joint event of the three offices to highlight team research. Leigh Ann is co-director of the Perinatal Origins of Disparities Center, which advances research that contributes to preventing health disparities early in life.
![aculty and alumni present at international wound care conference](/nursing/images/Happenings/wound-care.jpg)
April 30 — Nursing faculty publish chapter in nursing simulation book
Faculty from the Betty Irene Moore School of Nursing at UC Davis contributed to the new textbook, Comprehensive Healthcare Simulation: Nursing. Associate Dean for Academics Amy Nichols and Laura Van Auker, an associate professor, wrote “Using Simulation with Master’s Entry to the Profession of Nursing Students (MEPN)” for the publication. Amy and Laura address the unique learning style of MEPN students as adult learners, older, second career and more diverse in gender representation. They argue that these students want learning to be realistically experiential so they can apply their real world decision-making skills so simulation is particularly well-matched to their learning needs. They also identified gaps in the literature which will provide a roadmap for future study.
![Nursing faculty, students and staff present at Western Institute of Nursing (WIN) Conference](/nursing/images/Happenings/mobile-clinic-homeless-fair.jpg)
April 19 — Doctoral candidate wins outstanding abstract award
Valerie Steinmetz, a third-year doctoral student at the Betty Irene Moore School of Nursing at UC Davis, was awarded outstanding abstract that the Western Institute of Nursing (WIN) Conference. "Associations of Caregiver Health and Loneliness Among Older Adults in California" was a standout of the gerontology special interest group. Valerie’s research examines the predictors of loneliness in adults over the age of 65 who are caregivers, testing the associations between caregiver health, caregiver intensity and sociodemographic factors and loneliness in a large population of Californian caregivers. WIN strives to improve the health of the public through visionary leadership in nursing research, practice and education.
![Nursing faculty, students and staff present at Western Institute of Nursing (WIN) Conference](/nursing/news/images/mobile-clinic-win.jpg)
![Alumni panel guides students for post-graduation options](/nursing/news/images/alumni-panel.jpg)
April 9 — Professor awarded for career-long dedication to inclusion
Jann Murray-García, a professor at the Betty Irene Moore School of Nursing at UC Davis, received the 2024 Eleonor Fontes-Fulton Award for Diversity and Principles of Community from UC Davis. Organizers from the Office of Campus and Community Relations and the Vice Chancellor's Office for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion announced the honor. The accolade is a testament to Jann’s exceptional career-long dedication and substantial contributions towards cultivating an inclusive atmosphere within our university community, aligned with UC Davis’ deeply held Principles of Community. Jann founded and directs the Interprofessional Central Valley Road Trip developed and directs the Anti-Racism and Cultural Humility (ARC) Training Program at UC Davis Health. She was honored at the Soaring to New Heights Diversity celebration
![Nursing faculty author new geriatric textbook: Geriatric Medicine: A Person Centered Evidence Based Approach](/nursing/news/images/geriatric-medicine-book-web.jpg)
![Nursing students sew blankets for hospitalized babies](/nursing/news/images/mepn-blankets.jpg)
Students from the Master’s Entry Program in Nursing at the Betty Irene Moore School of Nursing at UC Davis sewed 40 blankets for babies receiving treatment at UC Davis Medical Center. Students say they wanted to continue a tradition started a few years back and the donations coincided with their clinical experiences in maternity and pediatrics. The handmaid goodies were delivered for use by babies in the neonatal intensive care unit, children in the pediatrics and pediatric intensive care unit, those that lacked social support or needed a bit of extra comfort.
April 1 — Professor teaches new course on climate change and resiliency
Philippe Goldin, a professor at the Betty Irene Moore School of Nursing, serves as co-director of the new University of California course, Transforming Climate Distress to Action. The class starts spring quarter 2024 and aims to fill a critical gap in climate education and well-being, building on the science of personal and social resilience and climate change action, building a sense of belonging and motivating empowerment and self-efficacy via actionable projects. Philippe is an expert in mindfulness and meditative practice and research as well as sustainability education. Jyoti Mishra of UCSD and Elissa Epel of UCSF, two leaders at the intersection of climate change and mental health, also serve as lecturers and facilitators.
![PA Program with Easter Baskets created](/nursing/news/images/easter-baskets.jpg)
March 20 — Associate dean awarded for positive change in health care
Deb Bakerjian, associate dean for practice at the Betty Irene Moore School of Nursing at UC Davis, was awarded the 2024 Bridging Health Care Needs Award from the California Association for Nurse Practitioners (CANP). The prestigious award is presented to a nurse practitioner who is an active catalyst for positive change in the health care system and who demonstrates the value of the care that nurse practitioners provide to their patients. Deb leads the School of Nursing’s leads the school’s clinical enterprise, including community strategic partnerships and advocacy. She currently serves as director of the nurse-led mobile clinic and several workforce enhancement grants funded by the Health Resources and Services Administration. Deb received the award on March 20 during CANP’s 46th Annual Educational Conference. CANP is solely dedicated to advocating for nurse practitioners (N.P.s) in California and works to protect and expand the critical roles filled by N.P.s.
Elenitsa “Nitsa” Sebat, a physician assistant (P.A.) and assistant clinical professor at the Betty Irene Moore School of Nursing at UC Davis, presented “Exploring Dermatology's Latest Insights: Unveiling Key Findings from JAAD's November 2023-January 2024 Editions” at a recent webinar hosted by the Society of Dermatology Physician Assistants (SDPA). Nitsa discussed the findings on surgical excision approaches, margin status in melanoma prediction and how the findings can be applied to enhance daily practice in the field. SDPA composed primarily of P.A. members who provide dermatologic care or have an interest in the medical specialty of dermatology.
![Sandra Calderon is named to the Brain Health Equity Nurse Fellowship Class of 2024.](/nursing/news/images/sandra.jpeg)
Feb. 1 — Alumni and students join black nurses on Capitol HillSeveral alumni and current students of the Betty Irene Moore School of Nursing at UC Davis joined the 36th Annual Black Nurses Day on Capitol Hill. Aron King, master’s-degree leadership graduate and current Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) student, along with master’s-degree leadership alumna Sheree Criner and Ph.D. student Calene Roseman, joined hundreds of others in the yearly event dedicated to congressional health issues and policy. They are members of the Capitol City Black Nurses Association, a local chapter of the National Black Nurses Association (NBNA) founded by School of Nursing alumni.
Jan. 1 — Professor emerita reappointed to diversity board
Professor Emerita Mary Lou de Leon Siantz has been reappointed to the National Advisory Committee to the American Nurses Association Minority Fellowship Program. The program was in response to the lack of mental health and substance abuse nurse professionals who could provide culturally competent care to an increasingly diverse population. Members address the needs for mental health and substance abuse disorders services, research, advocacy and policy development. She will serve a two-year term.
Past Betty Irene Moore School of Nursing Happenings