Congratulations to the 2023 Penn Nursing Faculty Award Recipients

Dean’s Award for Distinguished Teaching – Undergraduate Level

Dalmacio Dennis Flores, PhD, ACRN, FAAN, is an Assistant Professor of Nursing in the Department of Family and Community Health. In the five years that Dr. Flores has been on faculty, he has had a pronounced positive impact on undergraduate students and their understanding of nursing research, mentoring students in classes such as LGBT Health and Psychological and Social Diversity in Health. He prioritizes creating an inclusive, engaging classroom environment, placing great value in a dynamic, student-centered approach to learning. As the Principal Investigator for research initiatives pertaining to parent-child sex communication, Dr. Flores has demonstrated exceptional leadership in mentoring students who possess a distinct interest in pursuing the research field. Particularly, he exceeds students’ expectations in acquiring an understanding of research skills by making certain that everyone has the opportunity to undertake various endeavors in this discipline. His ability to build a mutually rewarding relationship with his students, both inside and outside of the classroom, speaks to Dr. Flores’ embodiment of an ideal mentor and teacher.

Dean’s Award for Distinguished Teaching – Graduate/Doctoral Level

Amy Sawyer, PhD, RN, is the DNP Program Director and Associate Professor of Sleep & Health Behavior in the Department of Biobehavioral Health Sciences. Dr. Sawyer effectively engages her students by employing cutting-edge teaching methodologies, including case-based learning and fostering interactive and self-paced learning. She encourages her doctoral students to think independently and pursue research that is significant to their individual interests, devoting innumerable hours to learning areas of science unfamiliar to her in order to support the work of her students. Deeply committed to creating a space of inclusion and community, she conducts opportunities for her students, mentees, and colleagues to come together by holding a Nursing Sleep Science group, where students, mentees, and colleagues connect, share research, and get exposure to field-leading experts. She demonstrates unwavering dedication to her students’ growth and instills confidence in their ability to reach their goals. Her outstanding and sustained contributions to teaching and mentorship produce exceptional nurse leaders.

Dean’s Award for Teaching Excellence Among Lecturers and Practice Faculty – Graduate/Doctoral Level

June Treston, DNP, CRNP, is the Director of the Family Nurse Practitioner Program Track in the Department of Family and Community Health. With over 25 years of teaching experience in both academic and clinical settings, she is successful in guiding students and mentees in their growth as nurse professionals. As an advocate for health equity, she developed the Civic Engagement Project in which students seek solutions that reduce health disparities for underserved populations. Dr. Treston is passionate about teaching the next generation of nurse practitioners and has an exceptional ability to engage and challenge students to think critically, producing graduates with the essential knowledge, skills, and ethical values for a successful nursing profession. She has revolutionized the Family Nurse Practitioner Program, which is one of the only student-focused boutique programs in the world. June’s exceptional leadership has been instrumental in advancing the School of Nursing’s mission and preparing the next generation of nurse practitioners.

Dean’s Award for MS-MSN-DNP Scholarly Mentorship

Susan Renz, PhD, DNP, GNP-BC, is the Primary Care Program Director and a Practice Professor in the Family and Community Health Department. With a great passion for teaching, Dr. Renz exhibits extraordinary mentorship in both scholarly and clinical nursing, inspiring her students and mentees to become devoted nurses, researchers, educators, and leaders. Dr. Renz is recognized by her colleagues for her natural ability to build strong relationships with her students, demonstrating profound respect for their unique backgrounds, experiences, and relative expertise. She deeply values her students’ insights, as she and her co-directors for Advanced Concepts in Primary Care involve students in re-designing content and assignments for the course. As a champion for student development, Dr. Renz finds and vets sites for clinical placements for students in the Adult-Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioner Program, taking a great amount of pressure off students and ensuring that they have valuable clinical experiences.

Barbara J. Lowery Faculty Award, Doctoral Student Organization

Lauren Massimo, PhD, CRNP, is an Assistant Professor of Nursing in the Biobehavioral Health Sciences Department. With extensive experience teaching in undergraduate and graduate courses at Penn Nursing, she successfully mentors and supervises research assistants, undergraduate students, and doctoral students on projects related to neurodegenerative disease. Her program of research utilizes state-of-the-art neuroscience methods to understand the cognitive and neural mechanisms that contribute to symptoms in neurodegenerative disease. Dr. Massimo is an active investigator in the University of Pennsylvania Frontotemporal Degeneration Center. She works closely with other Center members, including neurologists, neuropathologists, neuroscientists, geneticists, genetic counselors, neuropsychologists and social workers. She is strongly dedicated to the mission of training the next generation of scientists to engage in research to improve the lives of individuals living with neurodegenerative disease and their families. Dr. Massimo’s impressive clinical and research backgrounds in cognitive neurology and geriatric nursing contributes immensely to developing successful nursing professionals.

Undergraduate Award for Teaching, Student Nurses at Penn

Holly Harner, PhD, MBA, MPH, RN, WHCNP-BC, FAAN, is the Afaf I. Meleis Director of the Center for Global Women’s Health, Director of the Women’s Health Gender-Related Nurse Practitioner Track, and a Practice Professor of Women’s Health in the Family and Community Health department. Her scholarship addresses gender-related health disparities with a specific emphasis on women’s mental health and violence. Dr. Harner applies a multitude of teaching techniques to cater to her students’ different learning styles, mentoring students in classes such as Nursing of Women and Infants and Comparing Health Care Systems in an Intercultural Context, a study abroad course. She actively engages in the subject matter she teaches, demonstrating an expert-level knowledge of global women’s health concepts. She has a national reputation as a leading clinician, educator, and champion of women’s health, with a long-standing commitment to improving the health status of vulnerable women. She is a champion for women’s health and serves as inspiration to her students and mentees.