Faculty honored by TNA, Good Samaritans
Assistant Professor Faith Strunk, PhD, FNP-BC, received double honors recently as one of the Texas Nurses Association (TNA) District 9 Foundation’s “20 Outstanding Nurses of 2023” and with a bronze-level “Excellence in Nursing Award” from the Good Samaritan Foundation.
Assistant Professor Linda Sheen, PhD, FNP-BC, also was named one TNA District 9’s Outstanding Nurses. In addition, six other Cizik School of Nursing at UTHealth Houston faculty members received bronze Good Samaritan awards.
“Dr. Strunk exemplifies excellence both as a nurse practitioner and as an educator,” Assistant Professor Doncy Eapen, PhD, FNP-BC, wrote in her nomination of Strunk for the Good Samaritan award. “She strives to inspire students, facilitate their growth and development, and improve their clinical skills and ability to provide strong, evidence-based health care.”
Strunk began her career in the Army Nurse Corps. after earning her Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) from Arizona State University. During her military service, she received a Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) from the University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill as well as an undergraduate computer science/information systems management degree from the University of Maryland – European Division. In keeping with her academic background, Strunk’s research interests include best practices for using technology in education.
In her civilian career, Strunk taught at McNeese State University in Lake Charles, La., and managed a rural health clinic in Georgia before moving to Texas. She served in correctional managed care and maternal/child health programs for The University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston (UTMB) before moving to The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, where she worked for 13 years. MD Anderson sponsored her in an accelerated PhD program at Cizik School of Nursing, where she joined the Department of Graduate Studies faculty upon graduation.
Sheen earned both her MSN and her PhD from Cizik School of Nursing before becoming a faculty member in the Department of Undergraduate Studies. Earlier, she worked as a pediatric clinical care nurse and continues to care for patients as a family nurse practitioner in pediatric and family health settings. Her research interests include Eastern complementary and alternative therapies as well as Asian American health practices and disparities. She received her BSN from UTMB.
The Good Samaritan Foundation held its annual awards luncheon on Dec. 8. The following Cizik School of Nursing faculty received bronze-level awards along with Strunk:
- Assistant Professor Veronica Brady, PhD, FNP-BC, BC-ADM
- Associate Professor Juliana Brixey, PhD, MPH, MSN, RN
- Associate Professor Deborah Cline, DNP, OCN, NEA-BC
- Instructor Jennifer Dugger, MSN, RN, CHSE
- Assistant Professor Higinio Fernandez-Sanchez, PhD, RN
- Assistant Professor Sydnee Lucas, DNP, FNP-BC
