NDSU nursing faculty member named fellow in adolescent health

March 7, 2017 – Fargo, North Dakota – Molly Secor-Turner, associate professor in the North Dakota State University School of Nursing, has been designated a fellow in the Society of Adolescent Health and Medicine. She will be honored at the 2017 Society for Adolescent Health and Medicine at its annual meeting in New Orleans on March 10. 

Secor-Turner, Ph.D., MS, RN, was selected for her local and global health leadership efforts. “You have clearly documented your commitment to the health and welfare of adolescents,” said Gregory D. Zimet, president of the SAHM, in making the announcement of fellow status. 

At NDSU, Secor-Turner has devoted her career to inspiring future nursing students in classes and through other professional opportunities. 

She founded the group For the Good Period, providing health education to girls in Kenya, and opportunities for nursing students at NDSU to learn about global health care and rural Kenyan community health.  

The experience of traveling more than 8,000 miles to a different continent provides students an opportunity to build skills and learn beyond the classroom. Nursing graduate Brianna Bertsch found it to be invaluable.  “In nursing school, we learn the importance of being culturally competent of the patients we care for and this experience allowed me to practice cultural competence and awareness first hand.” 

Secor-Turner, and Brandy Randall, associate professor in human development and family science, received the Exemplary Leader Award at Progress on the Prairie. Their award celebrated the successful implementation of Reach One Teach One, helping Fargo youth in a program to prevent teen pregnancy, while providing research on the impact that the program could have on at-risk youth. More than 400 area youth have participated in the program.

A $1.2 million, three-year competitive grant from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Administration for Children and Families funded Reach One Teach One. 

Additional honors for Secor-Turner include being nominated as a 2016 Woman of the Year by Cass Clay YWCA. She also was inducted into the NDSU Tapestry of Diverse Talents. The program recognizes students, faculty, staff and alumni for the diversity and contributions they bring to NDSU. Inductees are engaged in work, activities, and projects that reflect the diverse populations of the university community. 

“Molly Secor-Turner provides unparalleled leadership and opportunities for nursing students,” said Carla Gross, associate dean of NDSU’s School of Nursing in the College of Health Professions. “This national honor illustrates that others recognize her commitment to students, as well as her contributions to the nursing field in adolescent health on local to global levels.” 

The FSAHM designation is granted to an individual who has demonstrated a long-standing commitment to the welfare of adolescents and a willingness to advocate on their behalf at a local, regional, national or international level. According to its website, “the Society for Adolescent Health and Medicine (SAHM) is a multidisciplinary organization committed to improving the physical and psychosocial health and well-being of all adolescents and young adults through advocacy, clinical care, health promotion, health service delivery, professional development and research.” Visit www.adolescenthealth.org to learn more. 

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