The Research and Evidence-based Practice (E.B.P.) Symposium, a long-time University of Colorado Hospital (UCH) event, has had many ties with the CU College of Nursing over the years. Founded by Associate Professor Emeritus Martha Stoner, BS ’66, MS ’67, PhD ’82, the symposium began as a way to highlight nursing research.

Assistant director of nursing research at UCH at the time, Stoner worked vigorously to bridge the gap between research and practice, organizing and hosting the first formal Research Fair in 1989.

For the symposium's 25th anniversary, several more College of Nursing alumni were recognized alongside Stoner for their influential roles in shaping the Research and EBP Symposium at a luncheon on March 7: Kathy Boyle, MS ’93, PhD ’07, NEA-BC, Kay Daugherty, PhD ’92, Regina Fink, ’99, CNS, CCNS, CCRN, AOCN, FAAN, Anne Marie Kotzer, MS ’82, PhD ’96, CPN, FAAN, and Kathy Oman, MS ’88, PhD ’99, FAEN, FAAN.

Boyle held leadership roles at Denver Health Medical Center and UCH between 1988 and 2008, during which she remained involved with, engaged in and committed to the symposium. She is now chief nursing officer (CNO) at Denver Health Medical Center.

As CNO at UCH, Daugherty supported Stoner in creating the Research Fair to encourage nurses to begin to read, understand and use research in practice, which was pivotal in the eventual launching of the annual symposium. She later became CNO at Denver Health and is now retired.

In 1998, Fink assumed a leadership role in the research symposium as UCH’s first research nurse scientist, and she facilitated a formal planning committee and focused on growing the symposium over the years. Fink, associate professor adjoint at the CU College of Nursing, was on the planning committee for the 2014 symposium.

Kotzer, former research nurse scientist for Children’s Hospital Colorado, joined the symposium’s planning committee in 2007 when Children’s became a co-sponsor of the event. She is now a nurse scientist consultant.

Oman, UCH’s second research nurse scientist, assumed the position of symposium chair in 2004 and served on the 2014 committee. She is also an associate professor adjoint at the CU College of Nursing.

The following College of Nursing faculty were also recognized for contributions to the symposium: Colleen Goode, PhD, NEA-BC, FAAN, professor, and Paul Cook, PhD, associate professor.

Mary Beth Flynn Makic, PhD ’07, CNS, CCNS, CCRN, FAAN, is the current symposium planning committee chair and led the recognition ceremony at the symposium. She is also an associate professor adjoint at the CU College of Nursing.