UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Teresa Shellenbarger has been selected as this year’s Shirley Novosel Distinguished Nursing Alumni Award recipient. This award was established to honor Shirley Novosel who is remembered for her caring, professional style and commitment to the nursing profession.
Shellenbarger received her bachelor’s degree in nursing from Penn State in 1985, her master’s degree in nursing from Southern Connecticut State University, and her doctorate in nursing from Widener University.
As a faculty member at the Indiana University of Pennsylvania (IUP) and the doctoral program coordinator, she serves as a role model to students, nurses, educators and colleagues alike through her advanced pedagogical and research knowledge, commitment to the nursing profession, mentoring of students and colleagues, and overall excellence in nursing and nursing education. The National League of Nursing (NLN) recognized her sustained and significant contributions to nursing education by inducting her as an inaugural fellow in the Academy of Nursing Education. In recognition of her commitment to excellence in nursing education, IUP recently honored her with the title distinguished university professor, a highly selective award that recognizes her outstanding contributions.
Shellenbarger has authored more than 50 scholarly publications and nine book chapters on cutting-edge education topics including technology, leadership, scholarly writing, and faculty role development. She has engaged in numerous curriculum development proposals, most notably co-authoring a 60-credit doctoral program, and she developed a fast-track program for nurses with clinical doctorates. She also is the founding director for the College of Health and Human Services Office for Research and Scholarly Excellence at IUP, where she serves as a mentor for college faculty in the pursuance of scholarly activities and launching networking and collaborative initiatives for researchers.
In addition to serving on numerous NLN task forces, committees, think-tanks and work groups, Shellenbarger was elected by the more than 40,000 individual members and 1,200 institutional members to serve on the Board of Governors for this long established and well-respected professional nursing organization.