Graduate nursing student receives overall excellence award from the MU Sinclair School of Nursing
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Early in his nursing career, Todd Ruppar became familiar with just how difficult it is for many older adults to effectively manage their health, particularly when working with very limited resources and support. He was then introduced to the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation’s efforts to improve chronic care.
It was Ruppar’s first exposure to models of chronic care and self-management support – he was hooked. He took on positions that furthered his education and experience in regards to conducting research in this area. In 2005, he left Washington University to pursue his doctoral degree full time.
“Todd is a bright, thoughtful, young scholar who has a long history of caring for chronically ill older adults as a geriatric clinical nurse specialist,” said Cindy Russell, associate professor of nursing at the MU Sinclair School of Nursing. “He demonstrates the outstanding characteristics of a developing PhD student scholar.”
Although the commute from St. Louis has been hard on him and his family, he has found it’s been worth the mileage. Since starting the program, he has published his first journal article and book chapter and is the primary author or co-author on several other articles.
Ruppar has also received pre-doctoral grant funding as a John A. Hartford Foundation Building Academic Geriatric Nursing Capacity Scholar. He intends to continue building on his education when developing a successful career in teaching and research.
His research and leadership abilities were the deciding factors in him receiving the Doctoral Student Award for Overall Excellence at the School’s annual banquet on April 11. The award recognizes research and scholarly ability or commitment to research and scholarship in nursing.
“Todd exemplifies what we seek in a graduate nursing student: intelligent, well- rounded, kind, committed, compassionate and full of integrity,” said Rose Porter, Dean of the Sinclair School of Nursing. “The school’s annual banquet gives us a chance to honor those who have gone the extra mile and in the process elevated the bar of excellence in the field of nursing.”