PAST PRESIDENTS:

New Scholar Selection Committee

 Members: Margaret Andrews, Ruth Davidhizar, Patti Ludwig-Beymer, Marilyn McFarland, & Rachel Spector

Summary of Committee Work

Committee members used the process established in 2007 to review applications for the following individuals:

• Cheryl Leuning, PhD, RN
• Susan D. Mattson, RNC, PhD, CTN,  FAAN

 The major strengths for each candidate are summarized below.

 Cheryl Leuning, PhD, RN, CTN

Dr. Leuning has made numerous contributions to the field of transcultural nursing.  She currently serves as Professor and Chair of the Department of Nursing at Augsburg College in Minneapolis.  She was one of the first nurses to develop and publish specific standards for transcultural nursing (2002) and has taught transcultural nursing courses at both the undergraduate and graduate levels for over a decade.  Dr. Leuning has spoken widely on cultural issues and has published on a variety of topics, including elder care in urban Namibian families, advancing a global perspective, meanings and expressions of caring, nurses in churches, the health action model, safe child care and women’s empowerment in the developing world, and women and health. 

Passionate about human rights, Dr. Leuning positioned this as a key principle for the Transcultural Nursing Society during her presidency (2007-2009).  She also serves as a member of the planning committee for the Peace Prize Forum, established by the Norwegian Nobel Institute and five Lutheran Colleges of Norwegian heritage.  Dr. Leuning has worked tirelessly to develop educational programs in sub-Sahara Africa as well as the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation of the Lakota people of South Dakota.  She has obtained multiple grants to provide care and conduct research with these populations. 

Susan D. Mattson, RNC, PhD, CTN,  FAAN

Dr. Mattson has made many contributions to the field of transcultural nursing.  She has a long history of advocating for transcultural nursing.  As a maternal-child nurse, she traveled to many countries and presented content about the practice of transcultural nursing.  She has developed transcultural nursing courses and has taught them at Arizona State University and internationally.  Dr. Mattson has also been instrumental in chairing the Curriculum Committee of the Transcultural Nursing Certification Commission.

 Dr. Mattson has a strong research and publication record and  has presented locally, nationally and internationally and has published widely.  Publication topics include partner violence in the Latino community, ethnocultual considerations for childrearing, caring for Latino women, cultural diversity in the workplace, providing culturally competent care, working toward cultural competence, maternal child health in Zimbabwe, mental health of Southeast Asian refugee women, and integration of cultural content into nursing courses.

 Summary

The Committee voted to approve both candidates as a scholar because of their exemplary leadership in advancing transcultural nursing and health care research, education, practice and/or administration within regional, national, or global contexts.  We bring this recommendation to the Scholars group.

 Respectfully submitted,

Patti Ludwig-Beymer, Chair