School of Nursing faculty recognized for outstanding professional contributions and scholarship

Faculty members in the Clemson University School of Nursing have been recognized for their innovative research, scholarship and professional contributions to the field of nursing.

According to John Whitcomb, director and chief academic nursing officer of the School of Nursing, these faculty members exemplify the School’s mission to advance scientific knowledge and evidence-based practice and improve health outcomes for individuals and communities across South Carolina and beyond.

“Drs. Fasolino, Hopkins and Wright are catalysts for change in the nursing profession and broader health care field,” said Whitcomb. “Their research endeavors are improving patient care, influencing health policy and meeting the critical needs of women and children in rural and underserved communities. I am proud they have been recognized by these prestigious organizations for their contributions to the field of nursing on a local, national and global scale,” Tracy Fasolino, Ph.D., Health and Aging Policy Fellowship.

Tracy Fasolino, nursing professor and distinguished palliative care leader, has been selected to join Health and Aging Policy Fellows for a year-long, residential fellowship in Washington, D.C.

Fellows are selected based on their commitment to making a positive difference in the lives of older Americans, leadership potential and interest in health policy. The program’s success is derived from innovative research, practical clinical experience and sound health policy.

As a Fellow, Fasolino will investigate policy structures of Medicare and Medicaid enrollees and assess their ongoing challenges and barriers to care. She will receive training in health policy and decision making before joining key legislators and committees to provide insights from the field.

Casey Hopkins, Ph.D., National Association of Nurse Practitioners in Women’s Health Inspiration in Research Award

Casey Hopkins, assistant professor in the School of Nursing, has received the Inspiration in Research Award from the National Association of Nurse Practitioners in Women’s Health for her contributions to women’s health care through the application of innovative research.

Hopkins received the Inspiration in Research Award for her patient-centered, community-driven work with women with intellectual and developmental disabilities from rural and underserved communities. Through her research, she has investigated the experiences of caregivers as they navigate the health care system to find resources, support and potential treatment related to puberty and menstrual health for their daughters with disabilities.

Currently, she is partnering with educators to improve menstrual knowledge, self-efficacy and overall reproductive self-agency among young women with intellectual and developmental disabilities through menstrual health and hygiene education. Additionally, she leads a federal grant funded team aiming to improve care for sexual assault survivors in South Carolina by expanding the sexual assault nurse examiner workforce.

Mary Ellen Wright, Ph.D., Fellow of the American Academy of Nursing

Mary Ellen Wright, associate professor in the School of Nursing, will be inducted as a Fellow of the American Academy of Nursing (FAAN) this fall.

FAAN is the highest honor in the field of nursing, and recipients represent the field’s most accomplished leaders in policy, research, administration, practice and academia. Fellows are selected based on their exemplary contributions to the field after a competitive review process.

Through research, teaching, practice and service, Wright’s career focus has been to promote a caring environment for women and children experiencing complex health issues. She has led and served on interdisciplinary teams across the state, nation and world and has created grant-supported educational programs to support compassionate health care environments for women and children. Her current research focuses on substance use disorder, specifically perinatal substance exposure and perinatal Kratom exposure.

She will be inducted as a Fellow during a ceremony on November 2.

The School of Nursing continues to excel in research, teaching and service and transform lives across South Carolina and the nation through the work put forth by each of its outstanding faculty members.

About The School of Nursing

The School of Nursing is a part of the College of Behavioral, Social and Health Sciences. Established in July 2016, CBSHS is a 21st-century, land-grant college that combines work in nine disciplines – communication; nursing; parks, recreation and tourism management; political science; psychology; public health sciences; sociology, anthropology and criminal justice – to further its mission of “building people and communities” in South Carolina and beyond.