Courtesy photo.
CAMARILLO — CSU Channel Islands (CSUCI) Associate Professor of Nursing Jaime Hannans, Ph.D., RN, is among 26 faculty members in the CSU system to be recognized for their distinct contributions to their individual campuses.
Hannans is among those receiving a Faculty Innovation and Leadership Award from the California State University Chancellor’s Office. A selection committee comprised of faculty, students, and staff members reviewed 366 nominations from the 23 campuses.
“World-class CSU faculty are leading the charge as our university continues its remarkable progress in improving student learning and degree completion,” said CSU Chancellor Timothy P. White.
“These exceptional recipients demonstrate leadership in their respective fields and incorporate cutting-edge techniques into curriculum.”
Hannans was nominated by CSUCI President Erika D. Beck, Ph.D., and had five letters of recommendation from colleagues.
“Dr. Hannans has not only demonstrated innovation within her own teaching and department,” Beck said. “She is an innovation leader for our campus. She steps outside of traditional boundaries to meet the needs of students and has been instrumental in developing a culture of open communication and sharing among faculty, while always keeping student success and innovation at the forefront of her efforts.”
The awards, some of which were awarded to campus teams, recognize faculty leaders who have developed and implemented innovative practices that significantly improve the success of the students. Award recipients were from all disciplines, from accounting to social work to mathematics or, as in Hannans’ case, nursing.
“I’m just really honored to be recognized,” Hannans said. “We have a campus of phenomenal faculty, and I would not have been able to do this without them to help me expand the potential of each program.”
Among Hannans’ many projects was her work on textbook affordability and the development of two no-textbook “Z” Degrees with Associate Professor of Communication Jacob Jenkins, Ph.D.
“Jaime is one of the most curious and courageous educators I’ve ever known,” Jenkins said. “She never stops learning, never stops taking risks, and never stops dreaming big. The result is a professor who inspires everyone around her – both her students and colleagues alike.”
During the summer, Hannans trained faculty to redesign courses to take advantage of more materials offered on “Open CI,” a collection of online academic resources for all disciplines.
She also engineered the introduction of virtual reality into nurse training. With this technique, nurses use a virtual headset to experience what it’s like to be a patient with macular degeneration or dementia, for example.
Hannans has also collaborated with CSUN Simulation Services to work out a virtual/blended reality program in which students interact with an avatar, which unbeknownst to the student, is a human actor.
“We don’t tell the students it’s an actor instead of an avatar because it’s part of the magic,” Hannans said. “I designed a scenario in which students have to have a conversation with the son and daughter of a patient who’s not doing well.”
The idea is to train the nurses about difficult “end of life” discussions, she said.
Hannans collaborated with other programs for many of her projects including Performing Arts. She approached Assistant Professor of Performing Arts Heather Castillo about including an acting piece about end of life issues in Castillo’s campuswide talent extravaganza called “Arts Under the Stars,” held each spring. Castillo said the piece worked beautifully.
“Without Dr. Hannans I believe I would be teaching very traditionally,” Castillo said. “I’m in Performing Arts and she has impacted me and my programs and my courses probably more than anyone else on campus.”
Awardees receive a $5,000 cash award and $10,000 will be allocated to their academic program to support ongoing innovation and leadership. Funding for the awards is provided by generous grant support from the Colleges Futures Foundation and the James Irvine Foundation.
Hannans and the other awardees will be honored in mid-October at the third annual Graduation Initiative 2025 Symposium hosted this year in San Diego.
About California State University Channel Islands: CSU Channels Islands is reimagining higher education for a new generation and era. We are an innovative higher education institution that enables students to succeed and thrive, serves as an engine for social and economic vitality and provides the intellectual resources necessary for a thriving democracy. With more than 7,000 students, 1,200 employees and 16,000 alumni, CSUCI is designated by the U.S. Department of Education as a Hispanic-Serving Institution and is committed to serving students of all backgrounds from the region and beyond. Our strong academic programs focus on business, sciences, liberal studies, teaching credentials, and innovative master’s degrees. Connect with and learn more by visiting CSUCI’s Social Media.