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Alumni Association Alumnus Award Winner

2008 Distinguished Alumnus Award
for outstanding contributions to nursing and society

Lou Ann T. Emerson, DNS, RN

Dr. Emerson is Senior Associate Dean and Associate Professor in the College of Nursing at the University of Cincinnati where she has served in numerous academic and administrative capacities since 1971. Currently she is responsible for the Graduate Programs in the College and serves on multiple strategic university committees. Her leadership in curriculum development and implementation in the health professions spans much of her career.

Some of her achievements include:

• A $335,000 federally funded Nurse Anesthetist Training program grant to develop the College’s Nurse Anesthesia track, currently ranked 11th in the country.
• Establishment of a state-of-the art distant learning program for the College’s Nurse Midwifery and Women’s Health track with a corporate partner.
• A collaborative program with Yonsei University for the preparation of the first nurse practitioners in Korea.
• Leadership for one of three pilot projects for Advanced Practice Nursing in Ohio and development of the Advanced Practice Nursing specialties offered by the University of Cincinnati.
• BSN Program Review Leader at Hashemite University in Zaqra, Jordan University of Science and Technology in Irbid, and Al-Zaytoonah University in Amman, November 13-19, 2006, for the Hussein Fund for Excellence, Review of Nursing Programs.
• Member of steering Committee that garnered $1,600,000 Integrated Advanced Information Management Systems (IAIMS) grant from the National Library of Medicine to the University of Cincinnati Medical Center.

In addition to her academic activities she has held leadership positions in a number of nursing organizations at national, state and local levels including the American Nurses Association, the Midwest Nursing Research Society, and Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society for Nursing. Dr. Emerson earned her bachelor’s and master’s degrees at the University of Cincinnati and her doctoral degree at Indiana University.

Criteria for the Distinguished Alumnus Award

• Graduate of the University of Cincinnati College of Nursing
• Has made a significant contribution to the nursing profession through clinical practice, teaching, administration, education, research, writing, organizational work involving health care or an innovation in health care

OR

• Has contributed significantly to the growth and development of the community