View Larger Image
Elizabeth Riley, DNP, APRN, CPNP-AC, (seated) with Patricia Cowan, Ph.D., RN, (left) and Stephanie Gardner, Pharm. D., Ed.D.
Image by Evan Lewis
UAMS Invests Elizabeth Riley, DNP, APRN, in the Carol Silverstrom Professorship in Nursing
| LITTLE ROCK — The University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) College of Nursing invested Elizabeth Riley, DNP, APRN, CPNP-AC, an associate professor and the director of the College of Nursing Master of Nursing Science Program, as the inaugural holder of the Carol Silverstrom Professorship in Nursing in a Feb. 24 ceremony.
“I am deeply honored and grateful that you are all here to share this special moment with me — today’s ceremony marks not only a personal milestone, but it is also a reflection of the support, contributions and collective effort of many individuals and communities that have guided me along the path to this professorship,” said Riley. “I’m proud to be a part of an academic community that not only equips students for success but also empowers them to be thoughtful, creative and ethical contributors to society.”
Riley joined UAMS in the fall of 2019 as a clinical assistant professor.
“Endowed chairs and professorships are the highest honors that an academic institution can bestow upon its most distinguished faculty — those named to a chair or professorship at UAMS are among our most highly regarded scientists, practitioners and professors in their academic fields,” said Stephanie Gardner, Pharm. D., Ed.D., UAMS provost and chief strategy officer. “I want to extend my congratulations today to Dr. Riley for her accomplishments, which have merited her this honor.”
An endowed professorship is established with a $500,000 philanthropic gift to support the educational, research and clinical activities of its holder, who will lead future innovations in medicine and health care.
The Carol Silverstrom Professorship in Nursing, which supports nursing innovators in teaching and practice, was created through the generosity of Carol Silverstrom of Little Rock. Silverstrom worked for the federal government for more than 40 years, including 37 years with U.S. Small Business Administration, Arkansas District Office in Little Rock, from which she retired in 2017. Silverstrom was a strong proponent of volunteerism, offering her time and skills to many Arkansas organizations, including as an advocate for nursing home residents. She was also passionate about the education and training of Arkansas nurses, advocating for students to attend nursing school. Silverstrom passed away in April 2021. Her legacy of generosity was extended to UAMS when it received gifts totaling more than $1 million from the Carol Silverstrom Trust to support the highest priorities of the UAMS College of Nursing and the UAMS Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute.
“It is truly an honor today to celebrate the philanthropic spirit of Carol Silverstrom, whose deep belief in nursing made this endowment possible,” said Patricia Cowan, Ph.D., RN, dean of the UAMS College of Nursing. “It is also a great pleasure to pay tribute to Dr. Riley, our outstanding colleague who is the inaugural holder of this endowed professorship in nursing.”
A native of Stuttgart, Arkansas, Riley attended Phillips Community College of the University of Arkansas in Helena-West Helena, before completing her Bachelor of Science in Nursing at UAMS in 2010 with high honors. Upon graduation, she began work in the UAMS Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU). In 2013, she earned her Registered Nurse Certification in Neonatal Intensive Care. In 2014, she graduated from UAMS with a Master of Nursing Science with a focus in pediatric acute care. In 2018, she earned her Doctor of Nursing Practice in Educational Leadership from American Sentinel University in Denver.
Before joining UAMS, Riley began her career in 2016 as nursing faculty at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. At UAMS she has been active in the UAMS Academic Senate, the Office of Educational Development Teaching Scholars Program and continues to partner and collaborate in research with the UAMS NICU.
To facilitate standardization of interprofessional bedside rounds in the NICU, Riley completed the Implementation Science Scholars program in 2022. She is currently working as a co-investigator on using the tenants of implementation science to apply the “Eat, Sleep, Console” model of care in Nursery Alliance hospitals in Arkansas for babies experiencing neonatal opioid withdrawal syndrome. This project is made possible through grant funding from the Arkansas Children’s Research Institute and the National Center for Opioid Research and Clinical Effectiveness.
Riley also serves on the editorial board for the peer-reviewed journal, Teaching and Learning in Nursing, as well as a manuscript reviewer for Nurse Educator. She has held leadership roles within the National League for Nursing, Arkansas Nurses Association, National Association of Neonatal Nurses, Gamma Xi – Sigma Theta Tau and Commission for Nursing Education Accreditation.
Riley has earned several certifications and awards in the field of nursing and education. She earned her Certified Nurse Educator through the National League for Nursing (NLN) in 2016. She was inducted as a Fellow into the NLN’s Academy of Nursing Education in September 2022. She has received the Arkansas Center of Nursing’s 40 Nurse Leaders Under 40 Award, Great 100 Nurses of Arkansas, Excellence in Faculty Mentoring Award and the DAISY Extraordinary Faculty Award. She has published 36 peer-reviewed publications, coauthored a textbook and three textbook chapters, and presented 60 presentations at national and international conferences.
Riley continues to serve as a mentor to faculty and students regarding educational scholarship, interprofessional collaboration, and promotion of positive outcomes in maternal and neonatal patient populations.
“Dr. Riley approaches her work with a deep sense of purpose and responsibility, and I know that she will ensure that this investment serves its highest purpose, not just as a financial resource but also as a catalyst for progress,” said Albrey Love, DNP, APRN, CPNP-PC, assistant professor and director of the College of Nursing Doctor of Nursing Practice Program. “Dr. Riley, on behalf of all of us who have had the opportunity to work with you and continue to work alongside you, congratulations. We know that in your hands this professorship is going to have a huge impact, so we’re excited to see what you do.”
UAMS is the state’s only health sciences university, with colleges of Medicine, Nursing, Pharmacy, Health Professions and Public Health; a graduate school; a hospital; a main campus in Little Rock; a Northwest Arkansas regional campus in Fayetteville; a statewide network of regional campuses; and eight institutes: the Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute, Jackson T. Stephens Spine & Neurosciences Institute, Harvey & Bernice Jones Eye Institute, Psychiatric Research Institute, Donald W. Reynolds Institute on Aging, Translational Research Institute, Institute for Digital Health & Innovation and the Institute for Community Health Innovation. UAMS includes UAMS Health, a statewide health system that encompasses all of UAMS’ clinical enterprise. UAMS is the only adult Level 1 trauma center in the state. UAMS has 3,485 students, 915 medical residents and fellows, and seven dental residents. It is the state’s largest public employer with more than 11,000 employees, including 1,200 physicians who provide care to patients at UAMS, its regional campuses, Arkansas Children’s, the VA Medical Center and Baptist Health. Visit www.uams.edu or uamshealth.com. Find us on Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), YouTube or Instagram.###