Nursing Science Day Brings Students, Faculty Together to Share Knowledge
May 28, 2026 | by Heidi Wells, Global Campus | min read
Susan Patton, third from left, joins the DNP cohort for a photo with Razorback mascot Sue E.
What began as an unplanned conversation at Nursing Science Day two years ago led University of Arkansas student Emma Harper to a faculty mentor and a two-year honors research project.
Harper studied the effects of canine therapy on children with autism under the direction of Michele Kilmer, an assistant professor of nursing.
"That was a really important day for me," Harper said.
Through her research with Kilmer, Harper said, "I coded 1,000 hours of human, canine interaction with children with all levels of autism spectrum disorders and symptomology. It was amazing to see the kids and dogs work together, and the parents come and learn."
Kilmer, who also serves as assistant director of graduate programs, conducts research through the Access for Autism program with graduate students and undergraduates enrolled in the Honors College.
Nursing Science Day, which is presented by the Eleanor Mann School of Nursing in the College of Education and Health Professions, becomes a starting point for many students, Kilmer said.
"They connect with faculty, get involved in research projects, and begin to envision what their own contributions to health care and the nursing profession could look like," she said. "That exposure often shapes their academic path, with some choosing to pursue honors research or even consider doctoral education."
Nursing Science Day
Each spring, the event brings graduate nursing students who have conducted research together with undergraduate nursing students. It also brings in outside speakers to talk about nursing research and gives all students the chance to talk with nursing faculty – and each other – about their research.
Nursing graduate students at the U of A take their coursework online and complete a clinical experience in person in the areas where they live and work. Undergraduate nursing programs are offered both online and in person.
"Nursing Science Day gives undergraduate students the opportunity to see nursing science in action, showing them that nurses have always played a critical role in advancing health care through research and innovation," said Michele Kilmer.
Susan Patton and her husband, Robert C. Patton, established the Patton Nursing Science Day Endowment this year to ensure the event’s continued growth and impact. Most nursing graduates of the past decade and a half know Susan Patton, who was the director of the nursing school for four years and began teaching there in 2010. She retired in 2022 but continues to teach in the graduate nursing program.
Working nurses can earn professional development credit for attendance, and some nursing instructors offer bonus points to undergraduate students.
Graduate Students
Seven students in the online Doctor of Nursing Practice program presented their research at the event this year on April 30. The students and their projects:
- Allison Davis, Exploration of Pediatric Autism Perceptions Held by the Marshallese in Northwest Arkansas, a Clinical Inquiry Project
- Brittany Dillard, Improving Appointment Adherence in a FQHC (federally qualified health center) by Addressing SDOH (social determinants of health)
- Alexa Hall, Improving Lung Cancer Screening Rates Through Implementing an Electronic Health Record-Based Eligibility Reminder: A Quality Initiative
- Catherine Miget, Patients’ Perceptions of Combining Pharmacotherapy and Lifestyle Modifications for Weight Management: Barriers, Facilitators, and Impacts on Adherence
- Michel Villiger, Enhancing Pediatric Lipid Screening Rates by Implementing an Electronic Health Record-Based Reminder
- Theressa Williams, Improving Clinician Adherence to Standardized Mental Health Screening Through EHR Integration
- Sarah Young, podium presentation, The Utility of the Moodfit App in Improving Self-Care Agency in Undergraduate Nursing Students
Williams won an award for best poster.
Many graduate education programs require capstone projects; traditional capstones ask students to apply the knowledge they have gained in a comprehensive way at the end of their degree programs.
DNP projects are similar, but they provide a richer, more immersive opportunity for nursing students to apply findings and breakthroughs they have learned to provide better health care to a wider range of people who may not have had access otherwise. And they help nursing professionals contribute to their profession in significant ways.
"The DNP degree gives students the tools and the confidence to enact policy change and propose new standards of practice," Kilmer said. "They equip you to be more than just a really great clinician; they prepare you to be a health care leader who can inspire change and lead confidently – which is what our field really needs."
Alexa Hall, center, describes her research to faculty members Carmel Kruse, left, and Susan Patton.
Allison Davis, right, points out data to faculty member Marilou Shreve.
Brittany Dillard shows her poster on research about improving appointment adherence.
Catherine Miget presents research on weight management.
Michel Villiger listens to faculty member Tom Kippenbrock in a discussion about her research.
Theressa Williams, pictured with her father, Roger Williams, received an award for best graduate student poster.
Heidi Wells
Content Strategist
Heidi Wells is the content strategist for the Global Campus at the University of Arkansas and editor of The Online Learner. Her writing spans more than 30 years as a communicator at the U of A and a reporter and editor at Arkansas newspapers. Wells earned two degrees from the U of A: a master's in 2013 and a bachelor's in 1988.
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