Arkansas State University Three Rivers is proud to announce its recipient of the annual NISOD Excellence Awards. The 2023 honoree is Nursing Faculty Lauren Withrow.
NISOD’s Excellence Awards recognize men and women each year who have demonstrated an outstanding commitment and contribution to their students and colleagues. In 1989, in connection with a University of Texas at Austin national study of teaching excellence, NISOD hosted its first ceremony honoring NISOD Excellence Award recipients. The response to that ceremony was so positive that NISOD began what has become the largest and most inspiring gathering that recognizes the contributions and achievements of community and technical college faculty, administrators, and staff.
“I am honored to receive this recognition. As faculty, we strive to impact the lives of our students through education, and to see them come full circle and use that knowledge to impact the lives of their patients is the greatest of rewards,” stated Withrow.
Over the past two years, Lauren has demonstrated professionalism and excellence in her position as an ASUTR RN faculty member. Lauren teaches in each of the College’s RN cohorts, but her area of expertise is in the realm of Obstetrics and Neonatology. She promotes student understanding and application of this content by sharing her passion for quality maternal and newborn care in the classroom and clinical/simulation setting. Lauren’s pursuit of continued professional development allows her to stay current on the most up-to-date technologies and evidence-based practices. She then brings this knowledge to the classroom through the implementation of creative, hands-on learning activities. Her textbook and real-life experiences which are being shared with the students have made a difference in improving patient outcomes. A recent ASUTR Paramedic to RN graduates was able to utilize the assessment skills and knowledge she gained from Ms. Withrow’s lecture to quickly identify an obstetric emergency. The student was able to assist the client in getting the urgent care that she needed.
In addition to her contributions in the classroom and clinical areas, Lauren has taken the lead in preparing the nursing department for the upcoming changes to the national nursing licensure exams (NCLEX). The Next Gen NCLEX is scheduled to launch in Spring 2023. To prepare the College’s faculty and students, Lauren has researched the various changes that this exam will require, created question templates for faculty use, and most importantly, has volunteered to be the Exam Soft Adoption Specialist for the department.
Excellence Award recipients are recognized during NISOD’s annual International Conference on Teaching and Leadership Excellence, May 27-30, 2023. Excellence Awards recipients receive a specially cast, pewter medallion hung on a burnt-orange ribbon. The names, titles, and colleges of all Excellence Award recipients are included in a special booklet that features congratulatory ads from many of the recipients’ colleges. In addition, presentations at the conference involving Excellence Award recipients are indicated in the Conference Program with a special icon.
“Recognizing those individuals who have contributed to student success and their colleges’ mission is something we look forward to doing each year,” said Dr. Edward J. Leach, NISOD’s Executive Director. “The extraordinary work of these men and women includes not only what they do for their students and colleagues, but what they do for the communities in which they live and work. We’re honored to be able to play a part in celebrating their achievements.”
About NISOD
The National Institute for Staff and Organizational Development (NISOD) is a membership organization committed to promoting and celebrating excellence in teaching, learning, and leadership at community and technical colleges. NISOD provides budget-friendly, high-quality, and faculty-focused programs and resources for community and technical colleges that want to make the most of their professional development dollars. For over 40 years, NISOD has aligned a wide array of benefits with the needs of our members, which explains why the American Association of Community Colleges named NISOD, “The country’s leading provider of professional development for community college faculty, staff, and administrators.” For more information about NISOD, visit www.nisod.org.