University of Hawaiʻi Maui College Professor Nancy K. Johnson has been selected as the recipient of the 2013 Willard Wilson Award for Distinguished Service to the University of Hawaiʻi.
Johnson was hired as a probationary instructor in the nursing program in 1983 and earned full professorship in 2007.
She went on to chair the allied health department from 1989 to 2012. During that time, the program grew from a few faculty members and one class per year, to more than 30 faculty, staff and clinical lecturers serving two new classes per year, with a total of 340 students per semester.
Johnson has served as a key player in local and state discussions on healthcare workforce needs, caring for the aging population, meeting dental care needs for the underserved and building the Hawaiʻi State Nursing Consortium, which allows students to seamlessly transition from Maui College’s program to UH Mānoa’s bachelor of science in nursing program, without leaving their home campus.
The award is named in honor of the long-time University of Hawaiʻi administrator and secretary to the Board of Regents, Willard Wilson, who set a standard for exemplary service to the university during his 40-year career.