The UCSF Alpha Eta Chapter is the 29th chapter of Sigma Theta Tau International Society of Nursing (Sigma), an international community of nurses dedicated to the advancement of knowledge, teaching, learning and service through the cultivation of communities of practice, education and research. As one of the oldest Sigma chapters, Alpha Eta is proud to advance Sigma's mission within the nursing community at UCSF and throughout the Bay Area. We encourage you to join our vibrant community.
A Message from Alpha Eta Chapter President
Greetings Current and Future Alpha Eta Members,
It is with great pleasure that I welcome your visit to our webpage for the Alpha Eta Chapter of Sigma. Our chapter strives to be a beacon of excellence in UCSF Nursing, where we foster leadership, scholarship, and service in our local, regional and global communities. Whether you are a new member, a longtime participant, or interested in becoming a member, your presence here is greatly appreciated and we would love your engagement with our UCSF Alpha Eta chapter of Sigma. Potential members who meet our eligibility criteria are invited to join Sigma; including graduate nursing students who demonstrate excellence in scholarship and nurse leaders exhibiting exceptional achievements.
Sigma is an international community of nurses, dedicated to the advancement of knowledge, teaching, learning, and service through the cultivation of communities of practice, education, and research. Our Alpha Eta Chapter is more than just a network of like-minded individuals. It is a community dedicated to advancing the science of nursing, improving patient outcomes, and supporting one another in our professional journeys. Together, we share a passion for lifelong learning and a commitment to making a meaningful impact in healthcare, both locally and globally. Sigma provides valuable resources throughout your entire nursing career.
Our core values include integrity, collaboration, and innovation. These principles guide us in everything we do, as we continue to grow and strengthen our chapter, building on the remarkable achievements of those who have led the Alpha Eta chapter before us.
Thank you for being interested in this vibrant community. I look forward to the opportunities ahead, as we inspire and empower each other to develop nurse leaders who transform healthcare everywhere.
Once again, welcome to the Alpha Eta Chapter of Sigma. Together, we will continue to lead, serve, and make a difference in the world.
Warm regards,
Marianne Hultgren, DNP, RN, CNE
President, Alpha Eta Chapter of Sigma (2024-2026)
Join Sigma Theta Tau Alpha Eta Chapter
Members of the Sigma Theta Tau Alpha Eta Chapter at UCSF have access to educational opportunities, financial support and grants, professional networking events and more. The application for new membership will open January 2025. See flyer for more details about member benefits. Contact Angel Barrios for membership questions.
Sigma Theta Alpha Eta Chapter Awards
- Doctor of Nursing Practice Award: Active Sigma Theta Tau/Alpha Eta Chapter holding a DNP degree and UCSF student members who have completed at least one project series course are eligible for this award of up to $1,000. Review the application instructions on the Collaborative Learning Environment (CLE) (UCSF log-in required). The application for the 2024 award is now closed.
- Research Award: The application for the Sigma Theta Tau/Alpha Eta Chapter Research Award is now open. Usual grants awarded are $2,500-$3,000. The maximum award is $4,000. Review the application instructions on the Collaborative Learning Environment (CLE) (UCSF log-in required). The application for the 2024 award is now closed.
Registration Now Open: Virtual Seminar Planetary Health is Human Health
Join Sigma Theta Tau Alpha Eta Chapter for a virtual professional development seminar on Oct. 22, 7 p.m. PT. Sandra Staveski, PhD, RN, FAAN, associate professor, will present "Planetary Health is Human Health." Eligible attendees may receive one contact hour. View flyer for details. Register on Nursing Connect.
Event description: "Currently there is a gap in nurses' understanding of the planetary health crisis that is upon us. Human health and the health of the biosphere are an inextricably linked and interactive system. Earth's life support systems — including fresh water, oceans, land, biodiversity, atmosphere and climate — are linked with human health. At the same time, human activities are adversely affecting natural systems. This talk will provide an overview of the planetary crisis and human health crises upon us through a review of the current literature and ways we all can be more sustainable."
Alpha Eta Chapter Resources
Alpha Eta Chapter History
The Alpha Eta Chapter, the 29th Sigma Theta Tau International Chapter, was established on May, 22, 1964. In 1961, led by Lida Chase, president of the School of Nursing student body, UCSF students and faculty began to formally build the foundations for the Alpha Eta Chapter. Faculty members most involved from 1961 to 1964 were Janet Erickson and Jean Burroughs. Installation of the chapter was held on May 22, 1964. Sigma President Catherine McClure, Teresa Campbell, Alpha Eta Chapter's first president, and Vice President Shirley Sears Chater presided over the installation of 57 charter members.
In the ensuing years since chapter establishment, the Alpha Eta Chapter has forged a close relationship to the research-intensive UCSF School of Nursing which fostered it. Our consistent attention to seed grant funding has supported growth of doctoral student research, prompted faculty collaborations with medical center staff for better outcomes in patient care and provided matching funds for expansion of research programs in quality care. The chapter has sponsored research and leadership conferences annually — often in collaboration with other scholarly organizations or Sigma chapters — and we have developed leaders in education, research and service. Current efforts include support of research activity in Africa through an at-large chapter, local community activities in collaboration with other campus and regional efforts to heighten public support for charitable works, and endowed research funding for the future.
Goals of the Alpha Eta Chapter
The Alpha Eta Chapter is committed to:
- Recognizing superior achievement.
- Recognizing the development of leadership qualities.
- Fostering high professional standards.
- Encouraging creative work.
- Strengthening commitment to the ideals and purposes of the profession of nursing.
Benefits of Alpha Eta Chapter Membership
Members have access to educational opportunities, financial support and grants, professional networking events, board leadership positions, subscription to the Journal of Nursing Scholarship and eligibility for the Alpha Eta Chapter Research and Leadership Awards. If members move away from the San Francisco Bay Area, they are able to transfer their membership to another chapter or join an additional chapter and hold dual membership.
Benefits of Sigma Membership
Sigma is designed to meet members' specific needs at every stage of their career. Membership offers exceptional benefits, including members-only free access to online nursing professional development courses to help you thrive as a nurse. Learn more about these and other benefits on the Sigma membership site.
Apply to the Alpha Eta Chapter
Step 1: Ensure that your Sigma membership is current. To join Sigma, or to reactivate your membership, contact Sigma Member Services at [email protected] or (888) 634-7575.
Step 2: Self-enroll in the Sigma Alpha Eta Chapter course of the Collaborative Learning Environment (CLE) (UCSF log-in required).
- Review the minimum academic requirements for student membership (UCSF log-in required)
- Review the application process and details for new applicants (UCSF log-in required)
Step 3: Students, faculty and community leaders follow these steps to apply:
- Complete application (UCSF log-in required)
- Upload CV/resume (UCSF log-in required)
- Upload supporting documents (UCSF log-in required)
For questions about the member application, contact Angel Barrios, counselor for the Alpha Eta Chapter, at [email protected]. View flyer for details.
About the Alpha Eta Research and Leadership Endowment
On May 28, 2009, the Alpha Eta Chapter celebrated its 45th induction of new members and launched a campaign for the creation of a new fund that will ensure funding for the chapter's annual awards in perpetuity. Some of the chapter's awards are long standing: Since 1980, Alpha Eta has funded six to eight research grants a year ($15,000 per year) to support student and faculty research, and Sigma has gratefully acknowledged our sponsorship of these awards at its biennial Leadership Academy on three occasions.
Some awards are newer: In 2008, the Sigma Theta Tau International/Alpha Eta Collaborative Research Grant was initiated to support Tau Lambda-at-Large (15 chapters) for research and advancement of nursing knowledge in Sub-Saharan Africa. Alpha Eta has pledged $2,000 a year for the next two years. The first award will fund a study titled "The Experiences of Grandmothers Who Are Taking Care of Orphan Grandchildren," by Sheila Shaibu, PhD, RN in Botswana. The success of such awards will determine ongoing funding.
Alpha Eta's Board of Directors has also approved a new award to support leadership development ($2,000 per year). The award will support active Alpha Eta chapter members who are engaged in activities such as the Sigma Leadership Program and the Maternal-Child Health Leadership Academy, campaigning for offices in state, national or international organizations, or attending courses in leadership development or conferences, such as the American Academy of Nursing, the American Organization of Nurse Executives, the Sigma Biennial Conference, or the Sigma Biennial Leadership Academy. The initial grant awards were awarded in 2009.
We hope you agree that these awards — which testify to the Alpha Eta Chapter's commitment to Sigma's strategic plan for knowledge, service and leadership — deserve stable, ongoing funding. Our fundraising goal is $400,000 and a leadership gift of $100,000 has launched this campaign. We have met our goals to endow the fund, and continue to add your contributions to the endowment.
This fundraising campaign cannot succeed without the full support of every Alpha Eta Chapter member, and to help us meet our funding goal, please pledge or make a donation now. You may:
- Make an online donation.
- Send a check payable to UCSF Foundation FBO Alpha Eta Nursing Research and Leadership Fund. The check should be sent to UCSF Foundation, Alpha Eta Nursing Research and Leadership Fund, P.O. Box 45339, San Francisco, CA 94145-0339.
- Make a pledge for annual contributions, in recognition of the benefit you received as an award recipient.
We hope you will join us in contributing to the fund. Your commitment is vital for our success.
Contact Alpha Eta
Alpha Eta Chapter
UCSF Valley Tower
School of Nursing Dean's Office, Box 0604
490 Illinois St., Floor 9
San Francisco, CA 94143
Alpha Eta Chapter Leadership
| Board Members | ||||
| President | Marianne Hultgren, DNP, RN, CNE | Professor | ||
| Immediate Past President | Anna Tealdi, MS, RN | Clinical Nurse, Stanford Children's Health | ||
| Vice President | Angelita Barrios, DNP, RN, CN | Assistant Clinical Professor; Contact with questions about member application | ||
| Secretary | Ellen Schell, PhD, RN, FAAN | Senior Advisor, Global AIDS Interfaith Alliance | ||
| Treasurer | Carolyn Bogard, DNP, MS, RN | Director, Care Coordination and Palliative Care | ||
| Chapter Counselor | Renee Sunseri, MS, RN, PHN | DNP Student | ||
| Chapter Mentor | Patricia Sparacino, PhD, RN, FAAN | Professor Emerita | ||
| Archivist | Ellen Schell, PhD, RN, FAAN | Senior Advisor, Global AIDS Interfaith Alliance | ||
| Communication Co-Coordinator | Rubi Alva de Hickson, MS, RN, NP | DNP Alumna | ||
| Communication Co-Coordinator | Amanda Butler, RN, NPD-BC | Nursing Professional Development Practitioner, UCSF Health | ||
| Research Committee | ||||
| Committee Co-Chair | Linda Franck, PhD, RN, FAAN | Professor | ||
| Committee Co-Chair | Marianne Hultgren, DNP, RN, CNE | Professor | ||
| Leadership Succession Committee | ||||
| Committee Co-Chair | Maria Yefimova, PhD | Lead Nurse Scientist | ||
| Committee Co-Chair | Devon Fordyce-Wilson, MS, RN, PHN | DNP Student | ||
| Governance Committee | ||||
| Chair | Juli Maxworthy, DNP, RN | Associate Professor | ||
| Representatives | ||||
| Master of Science program | Open Position | |||
| Post-Master's DNP pathway | Devon Fordyce-Wilson, MS, RN, PHN | DNP Student | ||
| BSN Entry to DNP pathway | Open Position | |||
| PhD program | Lindsey Scheller, PhD | PhD Student | ||
Sigma Theta Tau Alpha Eta Chapter Award Recipients
Congratulations to the 2024 Alpha Eta Chapter Award Recipients.
PhD Awardees:
- Samantha Auerbach, PhD, WHNP-BC, "Experiences of Traveling Out-of-State for Abortion Care with Practical Support"
- Celestine Ofori-Parku, Dip., RM, BSc, "An Exploration of Maternal Healthcare Providers' Perspectives of Respectful Care in the United States"
- Lindsey Scheller, RN, "Racial, Ethnic, and Neighborhood-Level Social Determinants of Health Disparities on Post-Tracheostomy Outcomes Among Children on Long-Term Mechanical Ventilation"
DNP Awardees:
- Denise Jacobson, RN, CNS, CCRN, "Overcoming Subcutaneous Treatment of Diabetic Ketoacidosis (SQ DKA) Protocol Implementation Barriers"
- Renee Sunseri, MS, RN, PHN, "Increasing Public Health Nursing Retention: An Evidence-Based Quality Improvement Project"
- Johanna Velazquez, PHN, RN, FNP-C, "Developing Professional Identity in Rural Latinx Nurses Through Virtual Platforms"
Jerry John Nutor Named Sigma Representative to United Nations
Jerry John Nutor, PhD, RN, FAAN, assistant professor, has been named Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society of Nursing's liaison to the United Nations. Nutor is a nurse scientist who works with nurses and health care professionals in the United States and in Africa. His passion for global health and his multiple leadership roles advocating for the nursing profession worldwide have prepared him to be a strong representative for Sigma at the UN. Read the full announcement.
Linda Franck Named 2024 Helen Nahm Research Lecture Award Recipient
Lina Franck, PhD, RN, FAAN, professor and co-chair of Alpha Eta Chapter's research committee, is the recipient of the 2024 Helen Nahm Research Lecture Award in honor of her outstanding contributions to nursing science and research. An esteemed UCSF School of Nursing alumna and professor, Franck is the Jack and Elaine Koech Endowed Chair in Pediatric Nursing. Her influential career in interdisciplinary research focuses on family- and community-partnered interventions to improve health equity and outcomes for infants, children and reproductive-age people.
In celebration of the the award, Franck delivered a lecture on May 8, 2024, titled "Family Matters: Advancing Health and Equity Through Nursing-Led Research Partnerships." See photos and watch a recording from the event.
Sigma Alpha Eta Chapter
