Alumni Awards

The School of Nursing Alumni Society named the recipients of its annual awards — Rising Star, Distinguished Alumni Humanitarian and Excellence in Innovation — at the All School Reunion in April.

Rising Star Award:
Rachel Trelstad-Porter, DNP ’13

Trelstad-Porter serves as director of Integrative Health and Wellness at Woodbury Senior Living and is a Doctor of Nursing Practice student preceptor, a strong member of her facility’s leadership team and engaged promoter of integrative health services for residents and staff throughout Senior Care Communities. She is an accomplished scholar and co-author of a
book chapter on integrative nursing in senior care. Trelstad-Porter’s work as a recent graduate exemplifies distinguished service to the profession of nursing
and the community.

Distinguished Alumni Humanitarian Award:
Donna Wright, MS ’93

Wright is a professional development specialist and consultant at Creative Healthcare Management and is an internationally-recognized expert on competency assessment. She is also passionate about promoting the health and wellbeing of people living in impoverished nations. In 1987, Wright co-founded Global Health Ministries (GHM), a non-profit organization that provides financial support as well as medical supplies and equipment to people around the world. GHM serves several countries in Africa plus India, Bangladesh and El Salvador. Examples of GHM work includes malaria prevention in India and supporting nurse midwife training in Ethiopia.

Excellence in Innovation Award: 
Col. Ada Collier, DNP ’17

While a student in the Doctor of Nursing Practice program, Ada Collier was the Commander of 452d Aeromedical Staging Squadron at March Air Reserve Base in Riverside County, California. Her unit supported wartime and emergency operations. For her Doctor of Nursing Practice scholarly project in the health innovation and leadership specialty, Collier initiated an innovative approach for transforming the culture of a military unit by empowering frontline nurses to speak out, become clinical leaders and facilitate change. Frontline nurse empowerment supported development of a culture focused on high reliability and patient safety. This model has been implemented in other Air Force health care systems. Collier’s work is innovative, culture-shifting and promotes optimal health through creating a culture of safety.