Reynolds Center of Geriatric Nursing Excellence

Lazelle E. Benefield, PhD, RN, FAAN
Director

Lazelle E. Benefield, PhD, RN, FAAN, serves as Director for the Donald W. Reynolds Center of Geriatric Nursing Excellence, a five-year, $2,600,000 grant to 1) increase the number of highly qualified new and existing nursing faculty with expertise in geriatrics in the state of Oklahoma and 2) develop solutions to support community-based aging in place.  In addition to her Center leadership responsibilities, Dr. Benefield oversees the Reynolds Predoctoral Scholars curriculum enrichment program.  She is Professor and Endowed Parry Chair in Gerontological Nursing in the College of Nursing and Adjunct Professor, Department of Geriatric Medicine, at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center. 

Dr. Benefield has forged relationships to map the unique needs, barriers, resources, and technologies to provide care for older adults with dementia living at home.  Through technology and interdisciplinary teamwork, she seeks innovative ways to approach this important and understudied area of family care.  Her contributions include efforts to investigate, shape policy about, and raise awareness of the growing number of older adults who require healthcare in their own home.   She also serves as principal investigator on active research grants from the National Institute of Health National Institute for Nursing Research, the Alzheimer's Association, and The National Academies Keck Futures Initiative.

Dr. Benefield is a graduate of The Johns Hopkins Hospital School of Nursing and holds degrees from the University of Florida, University of Alabama in Birmingham, and Old Dominion University. She completed postdoctoral work at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences as a John A Hartford Fellow in Geriatrics.

Barbara J. Holtzclaw, PhD, RN, FAAN

Assistant Dean of Research, Associate Director, Geriatric Nursing Translational Research Training

Barbara J. Holtzclaw, PhD, RN, FAAN, is helping to increase the number of Oklahoma nursing faculty skilled in interpreting multidisciplinary research findings and serving in research leadership in geriatric care in her role as Associate Director, Geriatric Nursing Translational Science Training.  She is also Nurse Scientist/Research Liaison, Center for Research & Evidence Based Practice and Professor at the University of Oklahoma College of Nursing (OUCN).  She teaches research courses and role development in the PhD program in Nursing.

A nationally recognized clinical and translational nurse scientist, Dr. Holtzclaw is best known for translational studies to develop clinical nursing interventions.  She has authored 43 publications on the topics of fever, shivering, and thermoregulation, serves on the Peer Review Panel for the NIH Center for Scientific Review, and previously served as Editor of the Southern Online Journal of Nursing Research.  Dr. Holtzclaw helped to develop American Nurses Association’s nurse-sensitive quality indicators and chaired the first Advisory Board to the National Database of Nursing Quality Indicators (NDNQI).  An expert in mentoring research and grantsmanship with doctoral students and junior faculty, she was Research liaison for OUCN’s Nursing Science Bridge to the Doctorate for Native American MS students and is director and primary faculty for the College of Nursing’s Research Scholars Program.

Dr. Holtzclaw holds degrees from the University of Oklahoma and the University of California at San Francisco.  She completed a postdoctoral research fellowship from the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia where she was a Robert Wood Johnson Clinical Nurse Scholar.

Cindy M. Lyons, MS, RN, CNE

Associate Director, Community Educational Outreach

In her role as Associate Director, Community Educational Outreach, Cindy M. Lyons, MS, RN, CNE is responsible for the formation and administration of the Oklahoma Geriatric Nursing Education Workgroup and for the dissemination of geriatric nursing education materials to current Oklahoma nursing faculty.  She works closely with the Institute for Oklahoma Nursing Education to jointly promote faculty networking and strengthen geriatric education across the state on the Center’s behalf.

Ms. Lyons earned her Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Langston University and her Master of Science degree in Nursing Administration from the University of Oklahoma.  She has been a member of the College of Nursing faculty since 2004.  In addition, she has worked extensively with the Oklahoma Alzheimer’s Association, serving as a member of the Board of Directors, chairperson of the Patient and Family Services Committee and co-coordinator of a support group for caregivers/families.  She was a member of the Advisory Board for the International Geriatric Research Center and chairperson of the Gerontological Division of the Oklahoma Nurses Association.

Ms. Lyons was a recipient of the Oklahoma Nurses Association/Upjohn Award for Excellence in Gerontological Nursing in 1989.  Prior to her academic career, she was CEO, CNO and Nursing Supervisor for a 205-bed skilled nursing facility.

Janet Sullivan Wilson, PhD, RN
Associate Director of Community Based Interdisciplinary Research, Associate Professor

Dr. Wilson serves the Center as expert in community based interdisciplinary research, and mentors the Reynolds Scholars in academic- community geriatric research  and collaborations that develop innovative solutions for older adult needs. Dr. Wilson’s work utilizes technology and brings together community based, interdisciplinary teams to gather data, study problems, and design evidence based solutions for child, adult and older adult victims of violence. She is the Oklahoma Principle Investigator for the community based, National Institute of Justice grant, “Police Departments Use of a Lethality Assessment:  An Evaluation,” that studies the use of lethality assessments for first responders to intimate partner violence.   The Oklahoma Office of the Attorney General appointed Dr. Wilson to serve on the Oklahoma Domestic Violence Fatality Review Board as the Oklahoma Nurse’s Association representative.  In addition, she serves as chair for the Lethality Assessment Task Force for this board and is the Chair for the Oklahoma Nurses Association Intimate Partner Violence Task Force. She was awarded the “Making a Difference Award” from the Oklahoma Coalition Against Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault at their annual convention.

E. Denise Short, EdD, MS

Program Administrator

Denise Short supports the Director in the overall management for the execution of the Center’s goals. Her responsibilities include collaboration with the Director, Center faculty, and staff team in planning and organizing Center objectives and events, as well as coordinating efforts with other University departments and administrative units.  She maintains the budget, plans for effective meeting management and follow-up, and participates in all initiatives for the success of the Center.   

Ms. Short has worked in higher education for 20 years, previously serving in positions including Director for the Prior Learning + University Studies adult degree program and Associate Dean of the College for Working Adults at universities in Oklahoma.

Ms. Short contributes to the support of aging issues through community service, serving as board member for the Oklahoma Areawide Aging Agency, and continues active interest with the State Department of Human Services Aging Division after participating in its Oklahoma Aging Advocacy Leadership Academy. She holds an EdD in Higher Education from Oklahoma State University and an MS in Education from the University of Maine.

Vicki Glenn

Administrative Secretary

Vicki Glenn brings warmth and efficiency to her work supporting the Reynolds Center.  Ms. Glenn coordinates  activities such as managing vendors and payments, providing event support, arranging travel, coordinating meetings, managing schedules, and being the first person many interact with when they contact the Center. She has served on the College of Nursing Social Committee and was Vice President of the College of Nursing Staff Council from 2007 to 2008.

Ms. Glenn’s career at the College of Nursing began in 2005, having previously  worked for state and local public education programs  in  Texas and Oklahoma.  Her valuable contribution to the Reynolds Center’s success was recognized in 2009, when she received the Center’s Commitment to Excellence award.

Jo Azzarello, PhD, RN is Associate Professor, OU College of Nursing, and Principal Investigator on two studies on problem solving skills and strategies for glycemic control.  An additional research interest is computerized instruction, including cognitive-focused tutors. A Certified Nurse Educator, she currently serves on the review panels of five professional journals and several textbook publishers and as a grant reviewer for the 2008 National State of the Science Congress in Nursing Research, Council for the Advancement of Nursing Science.  In addition, Dr. Azzarello is an American Nurses Foundation/Southern Nursing Research Society Scholar.

Kimetha Broussard, MS, RN, GCNS-BC (Lawton) is a Gerontology Clinical Nurse Specialist and Instructor for the College of Nursing at OU’s Lawton campus.  In addition, she serves as board member and chair, nominating committee, for the Oklahoma Association of Clinical Nurse Specialists and co-chair, by-laws committee, of the Association of Black Nursing Faculty. 

Nancy Chu, PhD, GCNS-BC, FNGNA
Associate Professor

Dr. Nancy Chu is an ANCC-certified clinical specialist in gerontological nursing and Fellow, National Gerontological Nursing Association, with expertise in ethnogeriatrics, health literacy, and health disparities among vulnerable populations.  An Associate Professor in the College of Nursing, she teaches graduate courses in health promotion and geriatric nursing.  For the Reynolds Center, Dr. Chu assists in PhD student recruitment and Oklahoma Geriatric Nursing Education Workgroup training.  She was a John A. Hartford Foundation post-doctoral fellow from 2006-2008.

Marianne Matzo, PhD, APRN, GNP-BC, FPCN, FAAN is Professor and Endowed  Ziegler Chair in Palliative Care Nursing in the College of Nursing and Adjunct Professor, Department of Geriatric Medicine, at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center.  Dr. Matzo is Director of the Sooner Palliative Care Institute, through which research is conducted to ensure the delivery of high quality care and to educate health professionals.  She has received research funding from the American Cancer Society and the Oncology Nursing Society to conduct research related to sexual health issues in the palliative care population.  She was a 2008 Recipient of the Project on Death in America Nursing Leadership Award in Palliative Care sponsored by the Hospice and Palliative Nurses Foundation.  Dr. Matzo is a nationally and internationally recognized palliative care educator having developed and taught educational programs in Japan, Russia, and Serbia.   In addition, Dr. Matzo is a three time winner of the American Journal of Nursing Book of the Year award.

Mary Ann Pascucci, PhD, APRN, GCNS-BC (Tulsa), a Clinical Specialist in Gerontological Nursing (ANCC), has had a long and focused career in geronotological nursing in the community and health promotion research in older adults.  An Associate Professor at the University of Oklahoma Schusterman Campus, she developed the initial MS Gerontology Track for the College of Nursing.  Dr. Pascucci serves as an Editorial Advisory Board Member for Journal of Gerontological Nursing.

Brenda Skaggs, RN, PhD, ACNS-BC is Associate Chief, Nursing Service, Education and Research at the Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Oklahoma City and Adjunct Assistant Professor in OU’s College of Nursing.  In addition, she serves on the Leadership Excellence Goal Group and the Nursing Research Advisory Group for the Department of Veterans Affairs. Dr. Skaggs received the Frances and Earl Ziegler Excellence in Nursing Leadership Award for excellence in evidence-based practice/research in 2008.

Patsy Smith, PhD, RNC is Assistant Professor at the College of Nursing and a Fellow in the Faculty Leadership Program.  She is also an alumnae of the Minority Fellowship Program of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, administered by the American Nurses Association.  Her research focuses on the health seeking behaviors of older adults in minority populations for whom depressive symptoms, substance abuse disorders and mental illness pose health risks.  She has received the Young Researcher Award from the Association of Black Nursing Faculty in 2006.

Carol Stewart, MS, RN, GCNS-BC (Tulsa) is an Instructor, champion for geriatric nursing and representative to the Reynolds Center’s Oklahoma Geriatric Nursing Education Workgroup.  A Gerontological Clinical Nurse Specialist (ANCC), Ms. Stewart has a decade of clinical experience working with the SeniorCare geriatric psych unit of the Oklahoma State University Medical Center.  In addition, she assisted in the formation of the Oklahoma Gerontological Nursing Association group for Northeast Oklahoma.  She currently serves as director-at-large for public relations, Oklahoma Association for Clinical Nurse Specialists.