"At the NLN, we are indeed proud of Dr. Taylor's selection for this important honor," said NLN CEO Dr. Beverly Malone. "There can be no higher recognition than that which comes from a jury of one's peers, and Dr. Taylor has surely earned this with her continuous outreach to students and colleagues as a mentor, an inspiration and a guide." And, noted NLN president Dr. Cathleen Shultz, "Dr. Taylor was a member of NLN's Diversity Think Tank, a group of thought leaders convened in 2008, to strategize ways to expand racial, ethnic, and gender diversity among the nurse educator and nursing workforces and create a sustainable culture of acceptance in schools of nursing nationwide. Her creative efforts as a nurse educator and nursing student mentor are inspirational."

STTI president Dr. Carol J. Huston wrote that "Dr. Taylor reminds us through her actions that we must take care of ourselves as well as each other so that we can provide the best care for our patients and the communities we serve." In her acceptance remarks, Dr. Taylor paid tribute to her own teachers, saying "being mentored by the best nurses in the world made it easy for me to develop, reach, and inspire others." She added, "It is an honor and a privilege to be acknowledged by Sigma Theta Tau International for courage and caring so deeply for nursing, nurses, and health equity for all."

A self-described lifelong learner, Dr. Taylor has spent the past four decades mentoring nursing students, leading community health initiatives, and creating partnerships across the nation. With 30 years of experience as a nurse educator, and an extensive background in family and community behavioral health research, Dr. Taylor brings the unique multiple perspectives of African American public health leader, mentor, scholar, health policy advocate, and researcher to her work.

In her current position as graduate faculty and director of the Office of Research at Southern University, A&M College, School of Nursing in Baton Rouge, LA, Dr. Taylor teaches research, philosophy of science, and health policy; and chairs nursing research dissertations committees focused on metabolic syndrome, depression, obesity, and other chronic conditions in black women.

Among her many projects of national impact, she was principal investigator from 2000 to 2007 of "REACH 2010: At the Heart of New Orleans Coalition," an African-American, faith-based, cardiovascular disease intervention study, funded by the Centers for Disease Control. In 2006, she was named to the Katrina National Justice Commission and through 2016, the National Institutes of Health National Library of Medicine's Long-Range Planning Panel for Clinical and Public Health Systems. Her career has also taken her overseas, consulting to organizations in South Africa, Canada, Costa Rica, and Kenya.

Dr. Taylor earned a BSN from Dillard University in New Orleans; a master's in systems-oriented community mental health nursing from the University of Washington-Seattle, and her PhD in nursing from Texas Woman's University (TWU).

Reporters/Editors: To arrange an interview with Cheryl Taylor, please contact Karen R. Klestzick, chief communications officer, at 212-812-0376 or kklestzick(at)nln(dot)org.

Dedicated to excellence in nursing, the National League for Nursing is the premier organization for nurse faculty and leaders in nursing education. The NLN offers faculty development, networking opportunities, testing services, nursing research grants, and public policy initiatives to its 30,000 individual and 1,200 institutional members who represent all types of nursing education programs.