| | Long Time, No See!
| It’s been awhile since our last newsletter! We are back in business, and now with a new and improved format to deliver it to you in this fancy email format. We took a break because I, the editor, went on leave for several months for parental leave. Once I returned, Summer was in full swing and there had been so many things that happened since the last issue, that this first email-delivered edition will be a special one covering a large swath of time, so bear with us as we catch you up to speed.
| | | | Upcoming Important Dates
| | • | Sep 2, 2026
11:30am-1pm - Lunch on the Lawn, Health Sciences Campus Lawn
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| | • | Sep 3rd-4th - Virtual Workshop featuring Dr. Gardiner
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| | • | Sep 4th - First Fridays at Café Corazón with the SoNHS Alumni Board
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| | | | | On Tuesday, March 17th, the SoNHS FUN Committee held our first “Roo-freshment Station” featuring a selection of sodas, flavorings, sweet creamers, some fruit, and featured recipes for students to make their own concoctions.
| Drinks such as these have become a big thing recently, and we wanted to provide something fun around midterms before Spring Break. It was a big hit, so much so that we brought it back in April!
| | | | Faculty Member Awarded for Excellence across Research, Innovation and Impact
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| | Dr. RaeAnn Anderson, faculty member of the Bachelor of Health Sciences program for the School of Nursing and Health Studies, was awarded the Research Catalyst Award from UMKC. This award celebrates faculty who secure their first major external research grant as a principal investigator at UMKC. Crucially, it looks beyond federal funding to recognize support from the full spectrum of sponsors.
| Recognized for securing her first major external grant, Anderson received nearly $2 million from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality to study how survivors of sexual violence move from screening to care.
| Her work addresses a critical gap in support systems, focusing on how to ensure survivors are not only identified, but meaningfully supported through recovery.
| | Student-Led Wellness Fair
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| On April 30th, the student-led Wellness Fair returned, exhibiting many presentations from students over varying topics relating to wellness. Many were interactive, giving visitors a more involved way to learn some news things that can help promote wellness in their own lives. Students planned the fair, advertised for the fair, and researched and put together their own exhibits for the fair, and they did an exceptional job! Look out for the Wellness Fair making a comeback in the future and make sure to stop by.
| | | | Alumni Awards
| | In April, the UMKC Alumni Association hosted its annual Alumni Awards, a prestigious event dedicated to celebrating the outstanding achievements of our graduates. This year, the School of Nursing and Health Studies was especially proud to honor Michele Baker (BHS ‘18) as the recipient of the Alumni Achievement Award for our academic unit!
| Michele, who earned her Bachelor of Health Sciences with minors in Public Health and Chemistry from UMKC, was recognized for her significant contributions as a public health professional. Her work spans locally in St. Kitts and Nevis, regionally across the Caribbean, and globally.
| During the reception, Dean Joy Roberts had the honor of presenting Michele with her award, while current Alumni Board members joined in the celebration of her accomplishments. We extend our congratulations to Michele and all members of the Alumni Awards Class of 2026 for their remarkable dedication and success.
| | More Alumni Excellence
| | | Recent alum, Michael Maloney (BSN ‘26), was awarded second place for Nursing Student submissions in the Arnold P. Gold Foundation’s 2026 Dr. Hope Babette Tang Humanism in Healthcare Essay Contest! Michael’s reflection will be publish in an upcoming issue of The Journal of Professional Nursing.
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| This is an incredible honor and we are proud to have Michael represent the UMKC School of Nursing and Health Studies. Congratulations, Michael!
| | | | Research Advancements
| Here’s this month’s announcements and updates on research that has been published or grants that have been received by our research faculty and students!
| A Pivotal Time for Women’s Rights and Health
| The 70th Sesson of the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women (CSW70, March 10-19, 2026)
| Dr. Mei R Fu, SoNHS Associate Dean for Research, attended CSW70 (March 10-19, 2026) as an Official Delegate on behalf of Transcultural Nursing Society, a non-governmental organization in Special Consultative Status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC).
| | The 70th session of the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women (CSW70) was held from March 9 to March 19, 2026, at the United Nations Headquarters in New York City. The theme of CSW70 centered around ensuring and strengthening access to justice for all women and girls by promoting inclusive and equitable legal systems and eliminating discriminatory laws and practices. As a delegate, Dr. Fu engaged in dialogues and interactions with representatives from around the world, affirming that nurses have a pivotal role not only in providing culturally congruent clinical care but also in advocacy spanning policy, human rights, and global health. The presence of nurses at CSW70 represented the power of nursing on a global stage for women’s rights and health by demonstrating culture-centered, context-informed, and equity-focused approach to developing sustainable and effective solutions to women’s rights and health across the world. Please enjoy the editorial by Dr. Fu at the link.
| | Fu, M. R. (2026). A Pivotal Time for Women's Health. Journal of transcultural nursing : official journal of the Transcultural Nursing Society, 10436596261436490. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1177/10436596261436490
| | SoNHS Research and Scholarship Highlights
| Celebrating 50th Years of Midwest Nursing Research Society (MNRS)
The 2026 Annual Conference, St. Louis, Missouri (March 30 – April 2, 2026)
| On behalf of UMKC SoNHS, faculty and students gave wonderful podium and poster presentations at MNRS.
| Bold indicates SoNHS Faculty; *Bold indicates SoNHS Student
| Faculty
| | Fu, M.R., *Korth, S., Kremer, H., Russell, C.L. (2026, March 30 – April 2). The Effects of Nutritional or Herbal Supplement Intake on pain, Daily Living Function, and Emotional Distress among Breast Cancer Patients [Podium Presentation]. The 2026 MNRS 50th Annual Research Conference, March 30 – April 2, 2026, St. Louis, Missouri, USA. Podium Presentation.
| Onyekwe, M., Tompkins, J., Maupin, E., Scott, S. D., Whitesides, L., Jaegers, L., & Hulett, J. M. (2026, March 30–April 2). Caring under pressure: Acute care nurses’ perspectives on stress, burnout, and organizational support [Poster Presentation]. The 2026 MNRS 50th Annual Research Conference, March 30 – April 2, 2026, St. Louis, Missouri, USA.
| UMKC SoNHS DNP and PhD Students
| | *Barton, A., & Pankau, D. (2026, March 30–April 2). Vitamin D educational intervention [Poster Presentation]. The 2026 MNRS 50th Annual Research Conference, March 30 – April 2, 2026, St. Louis, Missouri, USA.
| *Gifford, K., & Pankau, D. (2026, March 30–April 2). Depression and anxiety screening in adults with chronic pain [Poster presentation]. The 2026 MNRS 50th Annual Research Conference, March 30 – April 2, 2026, St. Louis, Missouri, USA.
| *Guthrie, L., Russell-Lippincott, C. (2026, March 30–April 2). Reframing the approach: The importance of therapy first language in equine assisted services - A concept clarification. [Poster presentation]. The 2026 MNRS 50th Annual Research Conference, March 30 – April 2, 2026, St. Louis, Missouri, USA.
| *Korth, S., Fu, M.R., Liu, B., King, G.W., Lee, Y, Alsaoud, H., Alanazi, A., & Kochar, A. (2026, March 30–April 2). AI-assisted behavioral pain interventions for adults with chronic pain [Postcard presentation]. The 2026 MNRS 50th Annual Research Conference, March 30 – April 2, 20256 in St. Louis, Missouri, USA.
| *Nami , N. (2026, April 1). Concept analysis of ableism [Poster presentation]. The 2026 MNRS 50th Annual Research Conference, March 30 – April 2, 2026, St. Louis, Missouri, USA.
| *Pouncil, M. (2026, 2026, March 30–April 2). Mitigating antipsychotic-induced weight gain in adults through lifestyle education [Poster Presentation]. The 2026 MNRS 50th Annual Research Conference, March 30 – April 2, 2026, St. Louis, Missouri, USA.
| | | On Behalf of UMKC SoNHS, a PhD Student also gave a presentation at the Eastern Nursing Research Society Conference in Boston, MA.
*Stocker, D.L., Lasiter, S., & Fu, M.R. (2026, March 25-27). A hybrid approach to concept analysis of lymphatic pain [Poster Presentation]. The 38th Annual Eastern Nursing Research Society Conference. March 25 – 27, 2026, Everett, MA.
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| | | SoNHS had a successful reception at MNRS along with other Schools of Nursing in Missouri University System: Fun and Networking!
| | | | | | | | Virtual Workshop
| On September 3rd & 4th, Dr. Kelsey Gardiner - a member of our BHS faculty - will be presenting at a virtual workshop titled: “Community Engaged Research to Improve Diet, Nutrition, and Health” for the National Academies. Dr. Gardiner will be on a panel along with two colleagues representing their FoodFARMacy initiative.
| FoodFARMacy is a good is medicine initiative co-led by Dr. Gardiner and University Health (UH) Community Health Strategies Department, in partnership with six other partner sites (UH Behavioral Health, Nurture KC, KC Care Health Center, Guadalupe Centers, Maternal and Infant Health Center, and UH Women’s Center). Visit the link to register and attend!
| | | | | | First Fridays at Café Corazón with the SoNHS Alumni Board
| Come support our Alumni Board at First Fridays this September! It will be going from 6-10pm on September 4th and will feature a DJ, an Art Show, a permanent jewelry vendor, and our very own SoNHS Alumni Board! They’ll be serving up the UMKC-themed drink “Roo Remix”, and each purchase will help support our Board. Stop by for some good music, fun drinks, and great people!
| | | | | It’s Great To Be Back
| We are back with our newsletters and will be trying out new things now that we have nifty email format, so be on the lookout each month for the next installment. Until next time!
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