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RESEARCH
DR. SUSAN WEEKS
INDUCTED INTO NATIONAL
ACADEMIC OF PRACTICE
DIANE ACKALL HAWLEY
HONORED WITH
WASSENICH AWARD
JOEL MITCHELL
NAMED HARRIS COLLEGE WINNER
FOR CHANCELOR’S AWARD
Susan Weeks, acting dean of the Harris College of
Nursing & Health Sciences, has been elected as a
distinguished fellow and practitioner member of
the National Academies of Practice (NAP). She was
formally inducted at the April 5 gala membership
banquet in Alexandria, VA.
Founded in 1981, NAP is an interdisciplinary non-
profit organization that advises governmental
bodies and policy-makers on the health care
system. Members are elected by their peers from
14 different health professions and membership is
selective — only 150 distinguished professionals
are chosen from each discipline. To be elected, the
individual must have demonstrated excellence in
his or her profession and be dedicated to furthering
practice, scholarship and policy in support of
interprofessional care.
“I feel honored to have been selected and to
represent nursing — and TCU — in the NAP,” said
Weeks. “It’s an amazing organization with an
extremely important mission. We have to work
together across disciplines to make sure our policy-
makers stay informed about today’s important
health care issues.”
Diane Ackall Hawley (BSN) ’81, associate professor
of professional practice in nursing, received
the Wassenich Award for Mentoring in the TCU
Community at Fall Convocation. In her acceptance
speech, she spoke briefly about those whomentored
her and taught her the importance of mentoring —
her mother, whowas also a nursing educator, and the
TCU professors who were once her teaches and are
now hear colleagues.
The Wassenich Award for Mentoring in the TCU
Community celebrates those who serve as role
models, advisors and guides to students. The award
honors Linda Pilcher Wassenich ’65 (Social Work) and
Mark Wassenich ’64, TCU alumni whose generosity
have made it possible. Hawley serves on the Harris
College Board of Visitors. It was first bestowed in 1999
and is now presented annually at Fall Convocation.
The associate vice chancellor for student affairs
administers the nomination process and there is
a committee made up primarily of students, with
faculty and staff representatives. All nominations
are sent to the Chancellor, with a recommendation
from the committee for four finalists. All finalists
are recognized at Convocation and receive a cash
award, with the recipient of the Wassenich Award
introduced and awarded a larger amount.
One student wrote in her nomination that despite
the large classes Hawley teaches, she works to know
every student and assesses what each of them needs
to succeed. She cited Hawley’s mantra, “They’ll never
care howmuch you know until they know howmuch
you care.”
Joel Mitchell, kinesiology department chair, was the
Harris College nominee for The Chancellor’s Award
for Distinguished Achievement as a Creative Teacher
and Scholar at TCU for 2013. Every year, each college
within the University nominates one tenured faculty
member for the award and the winner is announced
at Fall Convocation.
The Chancellor’s Award stands for exceptional
accomplishment as both a teacher and a scholar by
faculty members with the University. It is intended
to support the teacher-scholar model and“recognize
sustained high-quality teaching and scholarship
that is the hallmark of the TCU professoriate.” While
Mitchell was not the overall University winner, his
outstanding character, work ethic and personality
embody the essence of the Chancellor’s Award.
“Harris College could not be more proud of Joel and
his accomplishments,” said SusanWeeks, acting dean
of the Harris College of Nursing & Health Sciences.
“Being an equally effective creative teacher and
scholar is no easy undertaking, and Joel does it year
after year with passion and finesse.”
ACCOLADES
32
· Harris College of Nursing & Health Sciences