Elizabeth Kemble Alumni Awards

Gail Bagwell DNP, APRN, CNS, FNAP, FAAN, is a Clinical Nurse Specialist at Nationwide Children’s Hospital (NCH) Neonatal Network and Clinical Instructor at Ohio State University College of Nursing.

Bagwell's work in safe sleep for neonates at the local, state and national levels has helped improve the National Association of Neonatal Nurses Safe Sleep Guidelines.  She served on the National Association of Neonatal Nurses Board of Directors from 2015 to 2023 as a Director at Large, President of the organization and has co-chaired committees at NCH, at the state and national level to improve neonatal health with interprofessional colleagues and worked with an interdisciplinary team to develop a NICU in Guyana. 

Felicia Beckham, MSN, FNP-BC, is an experienced Board-Certified Family Nurse Practitioner. She is a native Cincinnatian and proud graduate of Cincinnati Public Schools, Hughes Center High School. She is the co-author of the nationally recognized manuscript “Transitioning from Insulin to Dipeptidyl-Peptidase 4 (DPP-4) Inhibitors for Type 2 Diabetes” and was selected to present the manuscript at the 2nd Annual International Nursing Conference in Paris, France in 2022. She currently works at Episcopal Retirement Homes as their Director of Clinical Nursing and Community Impact and is the founder and president of Cincinnati's Black Nurse Practioner Network.

Myrna Kay Little, DNP, MEd, RN, GERO-BC, an assistant professor of clinical at the UC College of Nursing, her passion for the profession of nursing has led her from bedside caregiving, nursing administration, to her role of inspiring future nurses as a nursing professor.

Little applies innovative practices in her work to enhance student resiliency and success. She is active in underserved communities, promoting healthcare access and care coordination for older adults and other vulnerable populations and serves on the governance committee for Sigma Theta Tau International-Beta Iota Chapter and the Ohio League of Nursing.

Becky Miars, RN, BSN, graduated from the University of Cincinnati, College of Nursing with a BSN in 1971. There she met Dr. Marquerite “Mike” Bozian, the public health nurse instructor, igniting a love of public health.

Miars joined the Cincinnati Health Department, as field and night clinic nurse and worked at the Good Samaritan Hospital School of Nursing, developing their community nursing curriculum. She volunteers in the community assisting refugees and immigrants through Heartfelt Tidbits and finds ways to promote good management through many different community group roles. 

Throughout her career, Kathy Oliphant, DNP, RN, CNL, NEA-BC, has always been passionate about improving all aspects of patient care. Her experience includes clinical and administrative leadership positions in healthcare systems, academic medical centers, community hospitals, ambulatory settings and as a consultant. During Oliphant’s 26-year tenure at the Cleveland Clinic health system, she was always open to new opportunities and loved knowing that as a leader she could advocate for patients, families, and the needs of nursing staff. Oliphant is a proud graduate of the MSN program that she now directs.

She is passionate about implementing a holistic approach to improving outcomes for patients across the care continuum and feels thankful for the opportunity to assist others in the journey to becoming a well-prepared nurse leader.