THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT EL PASOTHE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT EL PASO

MagazineFALL

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MagazineSON

DR. MARIA AMAYA

BRINGING RECOGNITION AND RESEARCH DOLLARS

TO UTEP

Welcome to the first issue of the University of Texas at El Paso School of Nursing magazine. We are excited to share with you the wide array of opportunities, accomplishments and activities currently underway. As a major Hispanic-serving institution located on the U.S.-Mexico border, UTEP offers leadership in meeting the demand for Hispanic nurses. We are certainly well on our way to becoming the premier Hispanic-serving School of Nursing in the nation.

As we look to the future and the challenges ahead, we are optimistic and confident in our ability to meet the increasingly difficult task of providing educators and nurses to satisfy the demands in this health care field. We are proud of our success, but know the work has only just begun.

In September 2007, the Texas Board of Regents allocated $50 mil-lion to UTEP to commence construction of the new Health Sciences Complex to house the School of Nursing and College of Health Sci-ences. The Regents’ recognition of our growth, along with financial backing, will greatly impact our ability to attract top-notch faculty, thus positively influencing our programs and output of exceptionally prepared nurses.

We hope that you find this first issue of the UTEP SON magazine in-formative and interesting. We welcome your feedback and comments, which can be sent to the UTEP SON Magazine, 1101 North Stanton Street, Suite 409, El Paso, TX 79902 or to mmquintana@utep.edu.

We invite you to join us as faculty, students, alumni and supporters as we move forward in achieving our vision. Our potential is great and the possibilities endless.

Best Health Wishes,

Robert L. Anders, Dr PH, CNAA, CSDean, School of NursingPeter de Wetter Distinguished Professorship in Health SciencesCo-Director of Hispanic Health Disparities Research Center

“We want to continue at the forefront of nursing

education by offering innovative programs

enhanced by simulation technology, rich clinical experiences, Hispanic

health disparities research and

international education opportunities.”

SON MAGAZINE

Dean Robert L. Anders

Contributing Writers Cesar Ayala Letty Paez Melissa Quintana Alumni Association Martin Muñoz Timi Haggerty-Muñoz

Photography Cesar Ayala Kim Goodman

Design & Publishing Kim Goodman

Print Services Pressman Printing Inc.

Cover FeatureDr. Maria Amaya 8

Workforce Diversity Grants at Work 7

Simlab in UG Nursing 10 Fast Track Men in Nursing 11

Center for Aging 12

Nurses in Uniform 13

The University of Texas at El PasoSchool of Nursing1101 North CampbellEl Paso, Texas 79902915.747.8217www.utep.edu/nursing

Our mission is to prepare caring professional nurses to

address multiple complex human needs in a binational and multi-cultural community.

UTEP SCHOOL OF NURSING DEMOGRAPHICS

GRADUATES 2005/06 2006/07Undergraduate Program 129 158 Graduate Program 17 25

ETHNICITY OF ENROLLED UNDERGRAD STUDENTS 2006 2007American Indian 0% 0%Asian/Pacific Islander 2% 3%Black non-Hispanic 3% 4%Hispanic 76% 76%International 4% 3% From Mexico 74% 83% Unknown 1% 1%White non-Hispanic 14% 13%

NCLEX / BNE Test Results 2005/06 2006/07Test 122 75Pass Rate 94.26% 98.68%

ENROLLMENT Fall 06 Fall 07Pre-professional Programs 525 488Undergraduate Programs 413 436Graduate Programs 115 117

Our students’ unparalleled success in the NCLEX-RN exam for first time testers places us in the top 5% of all schools of nursing. We rank No. 2 in Texas for our research and training grants, and are ranked 4th in the nation for number of Hispanic nursing graduates.

- Dean Robert L. Anders

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HISPANIC DOCTORAL FACULTY

Dr. Maria Amaya, a native of El Paso, has dedicated much of her research efforts not only to UTEP SON, but the community as well. The 2007 recipient of the University of Texas at El Paso Faculty Achievement Award for Research, Dr. Amaya has gained national praise for her research on environmental health problems affecting women and children on the border and prevention of lead exposure in children.

Dr. Josefi na Lujan began her nursing career after earning her ADN in 1980, and followed with her BSN from UTEP SON in 1983. Completing her MSN in 1988, she obtained her PhD in Nursing at the UT-Health Science Center Houston School of Nursing in 2006, and currently serves as an Assistant Professor. Dr. Lujan completed the intervention study “Effectiveness of a Promotora-Led Intervention for Mexican Americans with Diabetes” in 2005, with funding from the Center for Border Health Research, and published it in 2007. She is currently involved in several studies including “Family Caregiving for Mexican-American Older Adults,” “Belief in Divine Intervention” and “Development and Testing of Communication Card for Emergency and Disaster Preparedness for Monolingual Spanish-speaking Individuals with Limited Literacy.” The communication card study is funded by the National Library of Medicine’s Environmental Health Information Outreach Program.

Dr. Nelda Martinez earned both her BSN and MSN from Wright State University in Dayton, Ohio, and her PhD in Nursing from Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio. Funded by the NIH at the University of Iowa, she completed her Postdoctoral Research Fellowship in Clinical Genetics in the College of Nursing, and Graduate Training Program in Clinical Investigation in the College of Medicine. She is currently an Associate Professor at the UTEP-SON and Senior Fellow at the Hispanic Health Disparities Research Center. Martinez’s past and current research projects include several that focus on the prevention and management of diabetes among Mexican Americans.

Dr. Gloria Lopez-McKee, a native El Pasoan, received both her BSN and MSN from UTEP SON and her PhD from UT-Houston Health Science Center School of Nursing. Her research interests include behavioral factors impacting cancer screening and instrument translation for health-related research. Her latest efforts, funded by a Hispanic Health Disparities Research Center grant, concentrate on low-income Mexican-American women and how their fatalistic attitudes and other socio-cognitive behavioral factors affect their mammography screening practices. Dr. McKee is currently serving as an Assistant Professor at the UTEP School of Nursing.

Doctoral Faculty

Dr. Josefi na Lujan, Dr. Nelda Martinez, Dr. Maria Amaya, Dr. Gloria Lopez-McKee

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This summer, nursing students Jeannette Ulloa and Veronica

Caro, along with UTEP clinical nurs-ing instructor Jose Blanco, teamed up with nine other medical profes-sionals from the United States and Mexico as part of an international surgical team. The team traveled four hundred miles south of El Paso to the remote Copper Canyon region to provide free medical care to the underdeveloped Indian community of Sierra Tarahumara.

“It was a really great experience,” said the 20-year-old Ulloa. “We went into a small town that doesn’t even exist on maps in the middle of nowhere.”

Assisting in over 20 reconstructive surgeries, Ulloa and Caro served as instrument technicians as they immersed themselves in the Tarahu-mara language and devout Christian culture.

“We would pray before each surgery that the operation would be success-ful,” Ulloa said. “The people of that community really appreciate what they have. It made me realize how much I have and how lucky I am.”

STUDENT ACTIVITIES

SON IN JAPAN

This summer, four students from the School of Nursing partici-

pated in a cultural exchange with the Itabashi Chuo Nursing School of Tokyo, Japan. Joi Ballard, Omar Lopez, Edna Rodriguez and Jesus Reyes spent six days network-ing with 120 students from Japan, Taiwan, Thailand, Colorado and Hawaii.

The experience made them real-ize how important it is to clarify a patient’s cultural background so that they can attend to their needs. Diane Rankin, clinical instructor and coordinator of SON in Japan, said the students also gave a Power Point presentation describing the University of Texas at El Paso and our community’s rich heritage.

Joi Ballard said the trip to Japan helped them understand how caring, kindness and respect are virtues that people around the world have in common.

Activiities

TCaro, along with UTEP clinical nurs-ing instructor Jose Blanco, teamed up with nine other medical profes-sionals from the United States and Mexico as part of an international surgical team. The team traveled four hundred miles south of El Paso to the remote Copper Canyon region

Assisting in over 20 reconstructive

RURAL NURSING

Students who signed up for a three-hour elective course in

rural health nursing had the exciting opportunity to study in the Big Bend Region including the Presidio, Jeff Davis and Brewster counties. While in Brewster, the students focused on completing a community assess-ment followed by determining how to best utilize the information in order to affectively provide care to those residing there.

“During their visit to Big Bend, students participated in activities such as the identifi cation of com-munity strengths and weaknesses, population and culture-based health planning”, said Velma Edmonds, DNS, RN, coordinator of Rural Nurs-ing. The method of teaching during this summer course was storytelling, discussion, observation and evi-dence-based practice.

The group of students attending the summer session also got the oppor-tunity to have some fun while visiting the McDonald Observatory, Big Bend National Park, Marfa Lights and Sul Ross University.

University of Texas at El Paso and our community’s rich heritage.

Joi Ballard said the trip to Japan helped them understand how caring, kindness and respect are virtues that people around the world have in common.

MEXICO

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NIH RESEARCH ACTIVITIES

Nelda Martinez, PhD, RN, has fi ve current and two pending projects that focus on the prevention and management of diabetes among Mexican Americans. Her NIH project titled, “Adapting Instruments for Hispanic Diabetes Outcomes” focuses on Spanish language and literacy for Mexican Americans. With diabetes education aimed for optimal patient self-care, reliable and valid Spanish- language measures are critically important for those who only, or primarily, speak Spanish. Dr. Martinez said, “I am exploring the risk of Alzheimer’s disease along with vascular dementia as they may affect the cognitive functional status of Mexican-Americans. If there is an association, then the question is how to optimize patient learning in diabetes education.”

Dr. Tom Olson’s two currently funded projects examine issues involving the cultural identifi cation, symptomatology, health concerns, coping mechanisms and quality of life of Mexican-origin adults in the border region with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). He and his research team, which includes Ms. Oriana Perez and Ms. Karla Horton, have enrolled 76 participants to date. This research is laying the groundwork for a subsequent study of a community-based, nurse-led intervention to decrease health disparities for Mexican-origin persons with OCD. Persons interested in taking part in the current projects can call 915-747-8317 or 915-747-8570.

Since 2004, Dr. Carolyn Adams has worked diligently to help

prevent diabetes in El Paso’s pre-dominantly Hispanic youth popu-lation. The study, funded by the Paso del Norte Health Foundation, is creating, implementing and evaluating a community-based program designed to reduce the risk of development of the disease in economically disadvantaged Mexican-American middle school students. According to Dr. Adams, “middle school (preteens) is a time of physiological, psychosocial and cognitive change and openness in youth. Middle school is an ideal time for youth to learn healthy lifestyle behaviors to take into ad-olescence and adulthood.”

Research/Awardees

PASO DEL NORTE AWARDEES

Carolyn Adams, EdD, MS, RN, CNAA,BC Robert Hoy III Distinguished Professor

Through another project fund-ed by the Center for Border

Health Research, Paso del Norte Health Foundation, Dr. Leticia Lantican is striving to improve the lives of Mexican-American elders living with diabetes. The project, Self Empowering and Support Network Enhancement Program, or SESNEP, entails the develop-ment of a structured support group format focusing on self-empow-erment, social support and stress management strategies. “By em-powering these individuals through participation in the SESNEP, the participants are expected to take a more active role in their diabe-tes self-management and increase their feelings of well-being,” said Dr. Lantican.

Leticia Lantican, PhD, R.N.Associate Dean of Academic Affairs

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Workforce Diversity Grants at Work

“The Recruitment and Retention of Hispanic Nursing Students,” a grant from the Health Resourc-es and Services Administration (HRSA), has changed the lives of at least 42 nursing students at the UTEP School of Nursing dur-ing the past three years. Thus far, 23 students have graduated, and as of the spring ‘07 semester, all of them have passed the NCLEX on their fi rst attempt. In addition to scholarships and stipends, the grant provided personal and edu-cational guidance, workshops re-lated to study skills, library skills, writing, time management, and tutoring. Dr. Velma Edmonds said, “It was a pleasure to assist students and watch them be suc-cessful. All of them will be great nurses.”

Kris Robinson, PhD, FNP, RN, has her hands full with two graduate-level programs working to meet the needs of the underserved, predominantly Hispanic populations

of West Texas. The Nurse Clinician Educator Program began in 2004 and is now present-ed completely online, offering the fl exibility many are looking for when considering gradu-ate-level work. The number of graduates has grown each year and four of the 13 who’ve graduated since May 2006 are currently teaching at UTEP, evidence that the program has and will continue to have a positive impact on educating future nurses.

In addition to the NCE program, Dr. Robinson is helping to prepare Family Nurse Practitioners with the help of the SUCCESS (Serving the Underserved: Cultural Competence Enhancing Success) Program. The grant provides funding for necessities such as faculty, consultants, and clerical and technical support staff. SUCCESS seminars provide students with requisite knowledge and skills to make complex decisions and provide safe, quality care to individuals across the lifespan in a variety of settings.

Workforce Diversity/Grants

Kof West Texas. The Nurse Clinician Educator Program began in 2004 and is now present-ed completely online, offering the fl exibility many are looking for when considering gradu-ate-level work. The number of graduates has grown each year and four of the 13 who’ve graduated since May 2006 are currently teaching at UTEP, evidence that the program has and will continue to have a positive impact on educating future nurses.

NCE and FNP: Grant Funded Programs

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Dr. Maria AmayaDr. Maria Amaya, a native El Pasoan, joined the School of Nursing and the University of Texas at El Paso in 1986.

A Nurse Practitioner, Dr. Amaya earned a Ph.D. from New Mexico State University in Educational Management. Dr. Amaya is a Professor of Nursing and the C.W. “Wake” and Betty Ruth Wakefield Professor of Health Sciences. Dr. Amaya also works part-time as a nurse in the Student Health Center at UTEP.

Amaya is one of four Hispanic doctoral faculty members at UTEP and the first to receive the National Institutes of Health’s Research Project Grant, R01, for her ongoing research with the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS). The R01 is the original and historically oldest grant mechanism used by NIH to support health-related research.

Dr. Maria Amaya

“Life is very exciting for me because of all the research that I do for the School of Nursing.”

By Cesar Ayala

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Dr. Amaya has been working on her R01 project titled

“Encuentros” since 2001. The major goal of this binational proj-ect is to study environmental lead exposure in children living in El Paso and Juárez. This project an-alyzes the concentration of lead in the soil in areas of El Paso and Juárez.

“We sampled over 900 houses, and we had a 70 percent response rate,” Amaya said about her R01. Her interdisciplinary team also tested homes for household dust, water sam-ples and took soil samples from their yards, and 200 children were selected at random for blood lead test-ing.

“We are in our second year of a no-cost extension because we are not done analyzing the results,” Dr. Amaya added. This exten-sion, granted by NIEHS, speaks very highly of her research.

“The Encuentros project, working in conjunction with the Stanford Synchrotron Radiation Labora-tory (SSRL) and the Department of Energy, helps us closely iden-tify the components that are part of the lead we have found in the houses we selected for our study,” said Dr. Amaya. The results of the study are of great value to society and will highly impact areas such as health and education.

In 1998, Dr. Amaya produced a video called “Border Com-munities Declare War Against

Lead” which is a bilingual dra-matic photo-novel used to teach low-income, Mexican-American parents of at-risk children how to prevent lead exposure in the home. “Poorly educated people on our border need to realize that

lead exposure for young children can cause learning disabilities and that may be why children are having such a hard time learning English,” she said.

Amaya also participates with UTEP professor and geochemist Dr. Nicholas Pingitore in a proj-ect called “Childhood Asthma and Respiratory Health in Latino Children in the El Paso Airshed”. The study is one of six projects investigating the various aspects of the relationship of asthma in children to air and soil quality, under the UTEP-UNM ARCH Program on Border Asthma.

In April 2007, UTEP President Dr. Diana Natalicio, awarded Amaya the University of Texas at El Paso

Faculty Achievement Award for Research. Amaya said she feels extremely proud of being the first person from the School of Nurs-ing to receive this award.

“One feels happy to have accom-plished a lot,” Amaya said. “I enjoy my colleagues. We have a great relationship and I believe it has to do with our success as a team. In addition, Dr. Robert An-ders is a great dean.”

She has served as a mem-ber of the NIH Community in the Health Promotion Study Section and is cur-rently serving as a review-er for the NIH, Center for Scientific Review Special Emphasis Panels. In 2006, Amaya received the Nurse

Researcher of the Year Award from the Philippine Nurses Asso-ciation and in 2005 she received the NIH Center for Scientific Re-view Director’s Award.

Dr. Maria Amaya

Dr. Amaya examines a patient

Dr. Pingitore and Dr. Amaya in the lab

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UPPER RIO GRANDE AT WORK

PARTNERS WITH UTEP’S

SCHOOL OF NURSINGBy Letty Paez

Many of the students completing their BSN each semester worry about coming up with the $339 needed to sit for the NCLEX. These students have dedicated four solid years of hard work and studies to complete their nursing degree. Be-ing in the helping professions and making a difference in the lives of others is but an NCLEX exam and state registration away .

Through a partnership between Upper Rio Grande @ Work and the UTEP School of Nursing, graduat-ing students receive $339 for their NCLEX and BNE fees to complete the homestretch. One hundred and eight students have received this support. With only $36,612, this creative partnership has made an outstanding impact in address-ing the critical nursing shortage in this area while placing exceptional, well-trained nurses to work!

Laboratory experiences are designed to assist in the theory and mastery of nursing procedures and skills. Students may receive tutoring assis-

tance with all nursing skills and procedures during the semester.

Specialized laboratories available to faculty and students include intensive care, physical assessment, geriatric care, transfer and ambulation lab. Students can also take advantage of the surgical scrub lab, orthopedic lab, intravenous therapy, obstetrics and mediation lab. All labs are set up with the necessary equipment to practice a specific skill.

The intensive care room has a mannequin which has interchangeable parts for suction, cauterization, injections, IV therapy, wound care and ostomy care. There is also a premature infant model on which simulated arterial blood gases can be drawn. There is an assortment of hemodynamic and respiratory items to include a portable ventilator, and advanced IV therapy equipment.

Our four basic nursing rooms are equipped with hospital beds, linens, morning care supplies and vital signs equipment. There is a fully equipped medication cart in each room for a student’s practical use. The physical as-sessment labs each have six exam tables, anatomy and physiology charts, linens, gowns, pillows and equipment for a head to toe assessment.

The Simulation Laboratory (Simlab) is located in Room 200 on the east wing of the College of Health Sciences Building, 1101 N. Campbell.

Rio Grande / Sim Lab

Simlab in Undergrad Nursing

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UTEP’s Accelerated Fast Track Bachelor of Science

in Nursing Program began its third cohort in May of 2007 and according to program director Dr. Karen Lyon, it is a huge suc-cess. College graduates looking for a career change can make the transition to nursing in just 15 months. Applicants come from around the country and various educational backgrounds includ-ing business, education, biol-ogy and even medicine. “So far we’ve had three foreign medical doctors in the program,” Lyon said.

Lyon notes that the accelerated program, which is funded by a grant from the Department of Health and Human Services, def-initely attracts more males to the nursing profession. In the first

two cohorts 50 percent of the class was made up of men and the third has 43 percent. Clinical instructor and program coordina-tor Lisa Hennessy added that the percent of male nursing students continues to rise each year as does the overall success of all of the Fast Track students.

“Our first class’ 100 percent pass rate on the NCLEX validates the effectiveness of this creative approach to educating registered nurses,” Lyon said. “This pro-gram works, and it will rapidly contribute to filling nursing va-cancies in El Paso and through-out the country.”

A graduate of the first Fast Track cohort, William Kiefer is a great example for others consider-ing the program. He obtained a microbiology degree and was considering medical school when he opted for the Fast Track program. One year after graduat-ing, Kiefer is a cardiovascular services clinical coordinator. “Was going through the fifteen months of the rigorous fast track program worth it?” he asked. “One hundred percent of it was worth it for me. I now have a career that I am very proud of and enjoy the work that I do on a daily basis. I look ahead and see many opportunities for advance-ment both personally and profes-sionally. The field of nursing has provided these opportunities.”

Fast Track Program / Grant Funded Programs

FAST TRACK

Dr. Karen Lyon, PhD, APRN, CNS, CNAA, CNOR, BC

By Melissa Quintana

Opportunites in Nursing

UTEP’s online RN-BSN program is a popular way for nurses from around the world to earn their BSN degree. Information is available at http://academics.utep.edu

Many of our current master’s level courses are also moving to an online format. Please see the graduate program information on the School of Nursing website for specific programs and advisor contact information.

A leading education magazine ranked UTEP’s School of Nurs-ing among the top in the nation in graduating Hispanics, demonstrat-ing the key role the University plays in boosting the number of quality, professional minorities entering the high-demand field of health care.

UTEP continues to make great strides in enrolling and graduat-ing professionals in high-demand areas, including health care fields. Graduates of UTEP’s health-relat-ed programs are readily placed in facilities in the El Paso region and across the nation.

DISTANCEEDUCATION

“This program works, and it will rapidly contribute to filling nursing vacancies in El Paso and throughout the country.”

UTEP Health and Nursing Programs Ranked Top in the Nation

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Cadet Ernest C. Delacruz

Cadet Ernest C. Delacruz, 23, enlist-ed in the U.S. Army after graduation from high school. He spent one year in Bagdad with the 31st Combat Support Hospital as a medic on the emergency medical team. His desire to pursue a military career in nursing arose from his experience in the Middle East.

Delacruz describes his time in Iraq as emotionally and physically exhausting. However, “I enjoyed meeting the challenge of more responsibility and a larger scope of practice than I would have in a civil-ian medical environment.”

He describes the program as “team-work and an extended family.”

Cadet Delacruz’s goal is to obtain a doctorate degree in nursing and become a flight nurse.

Cadet Miguel Vergura

Cadet Miguel Vergura, 21, joined the University of Texas at El Paso’s ROTC program more than two years ago with a goal to complete gradu-ate school. For Vergura the military is a family tradition. His father and his grandfather both served in the U.S. Army as officers.

When asked for three words to describe his experience in the program, Vergura said, “leadership, teamwork and fitness.” “It is chal-lenging but doable. I appreciate the extended family, the encourage-ment and the motivation you receive here,” Cadet Vergura said of the ROTC program.

Vergura hopes to eventually serve in the San Antonio area as a nurse practitioner or anesthesia nurse.

NURSES IN UNIFORMMilitary Nursing

2nd Lt. Marissa Bernadette

2nd Lt. Marissa Bernadette enrolled in the U.S. Army ROTC during her junior year of college after gradu-ating from the Leader’s Training course at Fort Knox, Kentucky. “I really had no idea what ROTC was going to be like,” Bernadette said.

Bernadette acquired leadership and communication skills through her involvement in ROTC while balanc-ing studies and lab work at the UTEP nursing school. “In nursing, you have to be a leader,” Berna-dette said. “You’re interacting with patients and making decisions spur of the moment.”

Bernadette is confident her experi-ences in ROTC and education at UTEP have prepared her for a suc-cessful career in nursing.

Bernadette is currently in training at Fort Sam Houston in San Antonio.

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Originally from Connecticut, Dr. Charon Pierson came to El Paso in 2006 from Hawaii, where she worked for the Schools of Medi-

cine and Nursing for more than 15 years.

Dr. Pierson quickly took over the Center for Aging that was originally established in May 2000 within the School of Nursing. “The Center has a mission to provide training in gerontology to students and work-ing health professionals in the community and serve as a resource for research and education to faculty and students,” Pierson said.

Under Pierson’s new leadership, the center hopes to develop a Certifi-cate in Aging Studies to prepare undergraduates for job opportunities where they will be interacting with the elderly. Students who earn this certification will be even more competitive in the marketplace, what-ever their field of study. This certification will provide students the opportunity to gain academic knowledge and, through service learning opportunities, gain some experience in working effectively with older adults. “People who take the certification will graduate with an un-derstanding of the processes of aging and an appreciation for service delivery to the entire aging population,” Dr. Pierson said.

Pierson said our community is in desperate need of people who under-stand the needs of the elderly. The Federal Interagency Forum on Age-Related Statistics reports that as of January 1, 2006, a “baby boomer” turns 60 every 7.7 seconds, and by the year 2030, nearly 20 percent of America’s population will be over the age of 65. The U.S. Census re-port indicates that in El Paso the population over age 65 increased by 10.7 percent from 1990 to 2000. Furthermore, of those over 65, 47.8 percent report at least one disability.

“Our society needs to be prepared to accommodate a population with increasing social and medical needs and that is why this Certificate in Aging Studies is so important,” Pierson said.

For more information on the Center for Aging, email Dr. Pierson at capierson@utep.edu.

Centerfor

Aging

“Our society needs to be prepared to

accommodate a population

with increasing social and

medical needs...” - Dr. Charon Pierson

Center for Aging

by Cesar Ayala

Dr. Pierson speaks with student

“The elderly are the fastest growing segment of our population.”

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For 25-year-old UTEP nursing student Stephen Samoei fi nish-

ing his education is not just a dream, it’s a requirement. “No giving up. Fight,” said the Africa native, “I will stay focused until the end. I want to go back (to Kenya) proud of what all I have accomplished.”

Samoei is in his fi fth semester at UTEP’s School of Nursing and is cur-rently a double all-American in cross country and an all-American in the 10,000 meter. He is the 2005 and 2006 Confer-ence USA Ath-lete of the year and the best among National Collegiate Ath-letic Association Division 1 athletes.

Samoei arrived in El Paso about four years ago after being dis-covered by 1988 Olympic champion Paul Ereng. Ereng, who is originally from Kenya, is the assis-tant coach for the UTEP track team.

“El Paso is awesome. I love its peo-ple. I love the weather,” Samoei said. “Paul Ereng and Bob Kitchen (head coach for the track team) are not only my coaches but they have been like parents to me. They have given me moral support. They helped me when I fi rst came to the United States and I

am very grateful for that.”

Samoei, who is one of seven children, said after he fi nishes his education at

UTEP he hopes to return to his family in Kenya to help and inspire others, including his family members. His brother, Ken, is currently a student and a track star at St. Augustine Uni-versity in North Carolina.

“I have always had the desire to help people,” Samoei said. “I want to fi n-ish my education as a nurse and go back to Kenya and help my people.”

Christine Kane-Urrabazo, (BSN 1999, MSN 2003) is a doctoral candidate at Texas Wom-an’s Uni-versity and Postmasters

Family Nurse Practitioner student at UTEP. She has recently pub-lished articles in Nursing, Nursing Forum and the Journal of Nursing Management. With assistance from a UTEP-funded grant, she is currently conducting a research project titled “Anxiety, Coping and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder in Nurses who Cared for Victims of Hurricane Katrina.”

Bert Corbell, RN, LP, a cur-rent UTEP student, has been pro-moted to Di-rector for Del Sol Medical C e n t e r ’ s Emergency

Department. Corbell brings 28 years of progressive nursing ex-perience to her position, having served as administrative nursing supervisor for Del Sol prior to her promotion. Corbell, who is also a licensed paramedic, received her nursing degree from Illinois East-ern College in Olney, Illinois. She is currently working on a Master of Science degree in Nursing from UTEP.

STUDENT HIGHLIGHTS

Student Highlights

champion Paul Ereng. Ereng, who

am very grateful for that.”

Samoei, who is one of seven children, said after he fi nishes his education at

UTEP he hopes to return to his family

From Kenya to El PasoBy: Cesar Ayala (BSN 1999,

MSN 2003) is a doctoral candidate at Texas Wom-an’s Uni-versity and Postmasters

Family Nurse Practitioner student

Department. Corbell brings 28

Y Yes, I support the School of Nursing

Name _________________________________________________________________

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Is this gift to be credited to both you and your spouse? Yes NoIs this gift anonymous? Yes No

I/we would like to be included as members of the: Sister Aluisis Club $500+ Deans Circle $250 -$499 Benefactors Club $100 - $249 $25 Other I qualify for matching gift funds and will obtain and send the necessary forms to the SON Gift Fund. Company Name____________________________________

International NewsDr. Marjaneh M. Fooladi, WHNP, FNP, Associate Nursing Professor, was invited to present her work, “The Application of Nursing Theory in Research and Practice” at the University of Mashhad, and the University of Shiraz in Iran in May 2007. In June 2007, Dr. Fooladi traveled to Seoul, South Korea to present her research titled “The Endocrinology of Postpartum Blues” at an International Qualita-tive Health Research Conference, which included participants from 140 countries.

Alumni News

Sally Hurt-Steffan, (BSN 1990, MSN 1994) the 2003 recipient of the prestigious Gold Nugget Award, was recently named the CEO for the new Sierra Providence Eastside Hospital scheduled to open in spring 2008.

Kathy Degenstein-Gartman (NCE 2007) has accepted the position of Chief Nursing Offi cer Training Program with Community Health Systems. Upon completion of the one year program, she will be placed as a Chief Nurse within the company.

Kathleen M. (née Frank) Cox (B.S.N. Nursing Generic 1991) completed a master of science degree in the Trauma/Critical Care/Acute Care Nurse Practitioner program at the University of Maryland, Baltimore, and has matriculated into the Ph.D. program there. She is currently the Advanced Practice Nurse for Acute Care Services at Sinai Hospital in Baltimore, Md.

Taffy J. Arias R.N., B.S.N., M.B.A. (B.S.N. Nursing Generic 1984)is the Chief Nurse Offi cer of Doctors Hospital of Laredo (a Universal Healthcare System acute care facility). Although she resides in Laredo, Texas, she still considers El Paso home.

FACULTY SPOTLIGHT

Faculty Spotlight / Alumni News

Sally Hurt-Steffan, recipient of the prestigious Gold Nugget Award, was recently named the CEO for the new Sierra Providence Eastside Hospital scheduled to open in spring 2008.

UTEP SCHOOL OF NURSING GIFT FUND

A gift of $__________ is enclosed to be used toward:

Building Fund Student Scholarships SON Gift Fund

Thank you for making a gift to the School of Nursing.

Mail this form with your gift to: The University of Texas at El Paso, 1100 N. Stanton, Suite 201 El Paso, TX 79902-4151or visit us online to make a gift at https://givingto.utep.edu/makeagift.php

DV-SON FY-07-08

The University of Texas at El PasoSchool of Nursing1101 North CampbellEl Paso, Texas 79902

Thanks to Our Donors...

Every student at UTEP’s School of Nursing has in one

way or another been touched by the generosity of our

donors. Whether through the endowing of a scholarship,

equipping a laboratory or supporting the Gift Fund, you

have helped shape the future of countless students. Your

support has enabled the School of Nursing to continue to

provide a high-quality educational experience for our future

nurses. And your gifts help support research that has and

will continue to change the world we live in.

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NON PROFIT ORG

U.S. POSTAGEEL PASO, TX

PERMIT NO 77

PROGRAMS OFFERED

Bachelor of Science in Nursing Accelerated “Fast Track” Option Generic Option RN- BSN Option

Masters of Science in Nursing Family Nurse Practitioner Family Nurse Practitioner Postmasters Nurse Clinician Educator Nursing Administration Women’s Health Nurse Practitioner MSN Program for Graduates of UT Southwestern Medical Center Nurse Education On-Line Series- Graduate Certifi cate