Press contact: Kyla Kruse

SPRINGFIELD — Lincoln Land Community College faculty members Leslie Catalano, assistant professor of nursing, and Bridgette Hudson, nursing instructor, have each been awarded $10,000 Nursing Educator Fellowship Grants from the Illinois Board of Higher Education. They were among 40 nurse educators from Illinois colleges and universities to receive the awards. 

The fellowships are awarded to “help retain well-qualified nursing faculty at institutions of higher education that award degrees that lead to a registered nurse licensure.” Catalano and Hudson are currently pursuing Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) degrees.

Catalano commented, “The award will help me speed up my program and allow me to finish a year early. For me, the cost of a DNP program prevented me from taking the full amount of credits that I could. This will allow me to take more classes at once.” Hudson added, “This grant will allow me to take the time needed away from work and dedicate it to my doctoral project, as well as cover expenses, such as tuition and doctoral fees. I am very appreciative to everyone who helped me in the process, and I am so thankful received the fellowship grant!”