College of Nursing Dean Victoria P. Niederhauser received a Patriot Award on Friday for supporting one of her faculty members who was deployed to Kandahar, Afghanistan.
Niederhauser was nominated by clinical instructor Captain Teresa Kennard, who was deployed as a member of the US Navy Reserve Nurse Corps from July 2012 to March 2013.
“Dean Niederhauser was instrumental in providing me a seamless transition back to work,” Kennard said. “I was not expected to work through the summer, since I am a nine-month employee—and she supported this upon my return. This greatly facilitated my integration back home and decreased my stress regarding work.
Kennard presented Niederhauser with a certificate and lapel pin during a brief ceremony at the college. Army Reserve Ambassador John Dyess of Knoxville and Jim Foggin, business associate professor emeritus and ESGR representative for the Navy Operational Support Center in Knoxville, also attended the presentation.
“I accept this award on behalf of the College of Nursing faculty and staff. It was our privilege to support Captain Kennard as she served our country,” Niederhauser said. “She is an excellent clinician and an amazing role model for our students.”
Kennard has been on the College of Nursing faculty since 1998, teaching a variety of undergraduate nursing courses such as leadership, research, transitions, and clinical rotations. She has been in the Navy Nurse Corps for thirty-four years. She was on active duty from 1979 to 1982 and served after that in the Reserves. She was deployed with the hospital ship USNS Mercy in 2008 for a humanitarian mission to Papua New Guinea and Micronesia.
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CONTACT:
Amy Blakely (865-974-5034, ablakely@utk.edu)
Lola Alapo (865-974-3993, lalapo@utk.edu)