Advancing the future of nursing through mentorship and health research

Two College of Nursing faculty members have received prestigious University of Arizona Provost awards for exceptional contributions to mentorship and research. Helena W. Morrison, PhD, RN, FAHA, an associate professor, was honored for shaping the next generation of nurse scientists, and Ashley A. Lowe, PhD, MSPH, an assistant professor, was recognized for advancing research transforming school-based asthma care across Arizona.

Morrison received the Provost's Mentoring Future Scholars Award, and Lowe received the Provost's Early Career Scholars Award. These annual awards recognize faculty members whose excellence in research, teaching, mentorship, and service advances the university's mission.

“Dr. Morrison and Dr. Lowe are exceptional faculty members who deserve these prestigious honors from the university. Their expertise and care fulfill our college’s commitment to excellence in research and mentoring,” said Sheila Gephart,PhD, RN, FAAN, interim associate dean of Academic and Faculty Affairs.

The Mentoring Future Scholars Award honors faculty members who demonstrate exceptional commitment to preparing graduate students for careers in research and academia. The selection committee recognized Morrison for her dedication to supporting first-generation students, underrepresented scholars, and international trainees.

Since joining the college in 2014, Morrison has mentored students at every stage, from undergraduate honors students to doctoral candidates. To date, she has served as the primary mentor for 23 students across the Colleges of Nursing, Medicine, and Public Health, where she is known for helping students develop into rigorous researchers and future academic leaders.

"Mentoring is one of the most meaningful aspects of my role as a faculty member. Science advances through the people we train and the confidence we help them build," Morrison said. "I especially want to recognize the students whose letters made this nomination possible. Their generosity in sharing their experiences and allowing me to be part of their journeys is at the heart of this award."

"Helena has an extraordinary ability to help students recognize their potential and gain the confidence and support needed to achieve it," said Juyoung Park, PhD, MSW, FGSA, interim division chair of Nursing and Health Sciences and PhD program director. "She invests deeply in each student she mentors, creating opportunities for them to grow as scientists, scholars, and future leaders."

Just as Morrison is helping shape the future of nursing through mentorship, Lowe is advancing the profession through research that is transforming asthma care in schools and communities across Arizona.

The Early Career Scholars Award recognizes emerging faculty members whose research, teaching, and service advance their disciplines. In just two years at the College of Nursing, Lowe has built one of the nation's most extensive school-based respiratory health research and practice networks through partnerships with school nurses, health departments, and communities across Arizona. The Provost's Office recognized her for advancing community-engaged research that improves healthcare access in urban, rural, and Tribal communities.

Lowe’s work addresses one of the most significant health challenges facing school-aged children. Asthma is a leading contributor to chronic absenteeism and learning loss in the United States, and respiratory distress is the leading cause of 9-1-1 calls from schools. Through these partnerships, her research has expanded to support more than 850 K-12 schools serving more than 175,000 students statewide.

"Every child deserves the chance to learn without a health condition getting in the way," Lowe said. "When we equip school nurses with the training, resources, and access to lifesaving medications they need, we're creating healthier schools and giving students every opportunity to succeed."

"Our team is conducting research in 400 schools, making it one of the largest NIH-funded school-based studies," Lowe said. "That work is only possible because the College of Nursing and the university’s Asthma & Airway Disease Research Center have provided us with the support, collaboration, and freedom to pursue ideas that improve children's health across Arizona."

"Ashley has an exceptional ability to bring researchers, clinicians, educators, and communities together around a common goal," said Fernando Martinez, MD, Lowe's research supervisor and director of the Asthma & Airway Disease Research Center. "That approach has enabled her to build collaborative research programs that improve children's health and advance the science of school-based asthma care."

For Lowe, the award is both recognition and motivation. "Receiving this award is especially meaningful at a time when research funding is increasingly competitive,” she said. "As an early-career faculty member, the recognition affirms that this work matters and encourages me to keep moving it forward. I also hope it inspires other early-career researchers to pursue bold ideas that improve people's lives."

Together, these honors reflect the College of Nursing's commitment to developing future nurse scientists while advancing research that improves the health of Arizona's communities

Two University of Arizona College of Nursing faculty members have received prestigious Provost awards for outstanding achievements in mentorship and research. Helena W. Morrison, PhD, RN, FAHA, earned the Provost's Mentoring Future Scholars Award for her dedication to developing future nurse scientists, and Ashley A. Lowe, PhD, MSPH, received the Provost's Early Career Scholars Award for her innovative research advancing school-based asthma care across Arizona. These honors recognize their significant contributions to the university and to the future of healthcare.