Nursing, Social Work Faculty Honored
Wed., Oct 31
Barbara Aronson (left), Southern's coordinator of the new Ed.D. in nursing education, has been selected for one of her profession's highest awards in Connecticut.
Aronson, professor of nursing, is this year's recipient of the Virginia A. Henderson Award -- one of several Diamond Jubilee Awards established by the Connecticut Nurses Association (CNA). She was honored recently during the organization's annual awards reception held at the Crowne Plaza in Cromwell.
Carole Bergeron, CNA executive director, says in a letter to Aronson that the Diamond Jubilee Awards are given to those individuals or organizations having made outstanding contributions to nursing. Those accomplishments are made in the areas of practice, education, administration, political action and service to the CNA. "These prestigious awards are named after some of the most distinguished leaders in Connecticut nursing history and represent the highest honor that the nursing profession in Connecticut can bestow on one of them, a kind of 'Nobel Prize' in nursing," Bergeron says in the letter.
Aronson says she was both surprised and honored to be selected. "I am especially pleased to have been awarded the honor this year as we just have launched our new online Ed.D. in nursing education," she says. "One of the purposes of this program is to prepare our doctoral students to advance the science of nursing education research. Since my program of research focuses on the scholarship of teaching and learning, this award provides credibility for our collaborative program.
The Ed.D. program -- a joint venture with Western Connecticut State University -- is designed to address the state and national shortage of nursing faculty. With an increase in the number of nursing faculty, more students can earn their nursing degrees, which then helps ease the shortage of nurses.
A total of 18 students are enrolled in the program -- nine from both Southern and Western.
Elizabeth Keenan (right), coordinator of Southern's B.S.W. program, is this year's Social Worker of the Year, as chosen by the Connecticut chapter of the National Association of Social Workers (NASW).
Keenan, professor of social work, is a founding leader of CONECT (Congregations Organized for a New Connecticut), a multi-faith organization committed to social and economic justice.
Her teaching skills, combined with her leadership skills with CONECT, led to her selection for the award, according to the Connecticut chapter of the NASW. She is lauded for her work in a press release from the organization. "A dedicated educator and researcher, Liz works to provide students with essential tools for the enhancement of their learning, teaching them how to integrate class work into real life practice as they make their journey toward the professor of social work...Liz Keenan is a wonderful example of the values of the social work profession and NASW/CT applauds her contributions and this year of exceptional accomplishments."
Keenan says she was surprised by the honor. "It has been both a recognition AND a validation of how I have intentionally sought to be a social worker," she says. "I practiced as a clinical social worker for more than a decade, then moved into academia at Southern, and in the past few years have been shifting my practice into community organizing."
She has expressed her desire for greater civic participation by non-partisan groups to negotiate with public officials and business leaders regarding key issues affecting society today - such as education, healthcare and jobs.
Keenan adds that she has tried to reflect the values of the social work profession in her leadership work with CONECT, in her teaching and in writing a book, "The Common Factors Model for Generalist Practice," which she has co-authored with Mark Cameron, associate professor of social work. The book was published in September.
