Professor wins two national nursing awards

Lisa Plowfield, associate professor of nursing at UD, recently won two national awards. She has been selected as a Hartford Institute Geriatric Nursing Research Scholar for the summer of 2002, and also, Plowfield has been chosen as a fellow in the American Association of Colleges of Nursing's (AACN) Leadership for Academic Nursing Program.

The John A. Hartford Foundation Inc., located in New York City, helps nurse researchers interested in geriatric health concerns develop networks with their colleagues by focusing on their selected research topics.

Plowfield's research deals with the examination of caregiving issues for families with frail elders.

"I am hopeful that by participating as a scholar in this program, I will be able to move my gerontological research to a higher level," she said.

The Hartford Institute Program is funded through the John A. Hartford Foundation and promotes health care, training and research that ensures the well being and vitality of older adults.

The AACN is a national organization representing more than 550 public and private universities. It annually presents grants and fellowships to further academic research in the field of nursing. This fellowship program is funded by the Helene Fuld Health Trust.

Plowfield said the AACN academic leadership experience will be done during the next year and it will involve leadership conferences and mentoring. She said she also wants to take this opportunity to engage in dialog with academic leaders in the nursing field.

Leadership is not uncommon for Plowfield. She has guided many UD programs, serving as the director of the Nursing Center and director of the Center for Academic Practice in the College of Health and Nursing Sciences.

Most importantly, Plowfield said she hopes that these grants and awards will help her to determine the direction in which to move her career.

"Serving as a fellow in this program should provide me with an opportunity to gain greater skills and insight into the areas associated with academic leadership," Plowfield said.

She received her master's of science degree in trauma/critical care from the University of Maryland at Baltimore and her doctorate from the University of Virginia.

ERIN O'LEARY