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The annual Christine E. Lynn College of Nursing's Faculty and Staff Assembly this week included recognition of outstanding accomplishments in scholarship, research, and grant activity during the 2025–2026 academic year.

The 2026 Faculty Award for Excellence in Research was presented to Christine Toledo, Ph.D., MSN, APRN, FNP-C, assistant professor, in recognition of her contributions to advancing nursing research.

The 2026 Faculty Award for Outstanding Scholarship was awarded to Lenny Chiang-Hanisko, Ph.D., RN, FTNSS, associate professor, and Armiel Suriaga, Ph.D., MPH, MSN, RN, for their continued commitment to scholarly excellence.

Challenge Coins were also presented to primary and co-investigators who secured Bronze-level funding (≤ $100,000) between April 1, 2025, and March 31, 2026. This year’s recipients include:

• Tarsha Jones (PI) and Katherine Freeman-Costin
  Electronic Health Record-Based Implementation Strategies and Decision Support for Hereditary Breast and Ovarian Cancer Genetic Testing among Multiethnic Women (ELISABETH)
  Funding Agency: Columbia University
• Mary Ann Leavitt (PI) and Lynne Palma (Co-PI)
  Federally Qualified Health Center Intervention for Uptake of Continuous Glucose Monitoring in Hispanic Adults with Type One Diabetes
  Funding Agency: National Institutes of Health – University of Connecticut (Subaward)
• Narciso Quidley-Rodriguez (PI)
  Companion Dogs and LGBTQ+ Veterans: Exploring the Benefits and Risks of Furry Friends
  Funding Agency: Â̲èÖ±²¥ Nurses Foundation
• Ashley Rivera (PI)
  The Imagery of Fatherhood
  Funding Agency: Â̲èÖ±²¥ Nurses Foundation
• Christine Toledo (PI)
  Acceptability and Testing of a Telenovela to Promote Exclusive Breastfeeding among Hispanic Women
  Funding Agency: Association of Women’s Health, Obstetric and Neonatal Nurses (AWHONN)

In addition, Christine Toledo, Ph.D., and Andrea Archer, Ph.D., were named recipients of this year’s Daisy Award for Extraordinary Nurse Educators, recognizing their impact on nursing education.

During the joint assembly, Beth King, Ph.D., and Lisa Wiese, Ph.D., also recognized pilot project investigators—Drs. Gengo, Suriaga, and Pratt—and the Office of Nursing Research and Scholarship team for their work on the NIH National Institute of Nursing Research P20 Exploratory Grant submission. The effort, led by principal investigators, reflected a collaborative, college-wide commitment to meeting the January 2026 deadline.

Congratulations to all the winners and those recognized!