CHOP Lactation Leader Honored for Research Work

June 2013 — World-renowned breastfeeding researcher and scholar Diane Spatz, PhD, RN-BC, FAAN, was named the recipient of the 2013 Norma M. Lang Distinguished Award for Scholarly Practice and Policy at the University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing.

The award celebrates the scholarly practice accomplishments of Penn faculty and highlights the impact the Penn School of Nursing has had on practice and policy. It was established to celebrate Dr. Lang’s world-wide contributions to practice and policy and her advocacy for the role of nursing in health policy and practice.

Dr. Spatz, who is director of CHOP's Lactation Program, is the second recipient of the honor. She also serves as Professor of Perinatal Nursing and the Helen M. Shearer Term Professor of Nutrition at the University of Pennsylvania. Dr. Spatz is world renowned for her research, clinical scholarship and practice that reflects a demonstrated commitment to improving the lives of women and their vulnerable infants.

"She is among the best of Penn Nursing in her ability to blend together her research, practice, and teaching which is demonstrated by her utilization and translation of the evidence resulting from her scholarship into strategies for adapting and evaluating the effectiveness of breastfeeding training for mothers and caregivers," said Afaf I. Meleis, PhD, DrPS(hon), FAAN, the Margaret Bond Simon Dean of Nursing at Penn.

Those interested in learning more about Dr. Spatz's accomplishments and her scholarly journey are invited to attend the Second Norma M. Lang Lecture. The event will be held 3-5 p.m., Tuesday, Oct. 15, 2013, in the Ann L. Roy Auditorium at Penn's School of Nursing.