Kelli Stajduhar receives CUFA BC Academic of the Year Award

Dr. Kelli Stajduhar, Professor, School of Nursing, Institute on Aging & Lifelong Health, has been awarded the Confederation of University Faculty Associations of BC 'Ehor Boyanowsky Academic of the Year Award'. Kelli was presented the award on April 20, 2017 at an awards gala dinner in Vancouver.

From CUFA BC:

"Kelli Stajduhar is Professor in the School of Nursing and Institute on Aging and Lifelong Health. She has worked in oncology, palliative care, and gerontology for over 25 years as a practicing nurse, educator, and researcher. Her clinical work and research has focused on health service needs for those at the end-of-life and their families and on the needs of marginalized and vulnerable populations. She is currently the academic lead investigator on the iPANEL research project in British Columbia, which brings together nursing researchers, practitioners and administrators to integrate a palliative approach into the health care system. She also currently leads an international research collaborative on family care giving and a Victoria-based study on access to end-of-life care for structurally vulnerable populations. Kelli also received the 2016 Award for Excellence in Nursing Research from the Canadian Association of Schools of Nursing.

In addition to her internationally recognized work as a researcher, practitioner, and teacher, Kelli is a fierce and effective advocate for palliative care for the most marginalized and vulnerable populations in Canada. She has fused her scholarly work with a passion to change how we think about the ways in which those facing chronic poverty, substance abuse, and mental health challenges are marginalized by the heath care system. Her academic and advocacy work were  also instrumental in expanding the definition of family in the Compassionate Care  provision under Employment Insurance.

Kelli’s nominators offered this elegant summary of her impact:

“She is a living ambassador for the very real difference that scientific knowledge brings to revolutionizing health care toward meeting the very real needs of the people our systems were intended to serve…. She is a model to researchers, educators and clinicians alike, exemplifying a commitment to impacts beyond the academy through advancing quality end of life care for all members of our population."“

Congratuations, Kelli! Well deserved!