St. Louis Magazine Names 5 SLU Nurses 2025 Excellence in Nursing Finalists
ST. LOUIS (Feb. 20, 2025) — St. Louis Magazine recently announced finalists for its 2025 Excellence in Nursing Awards. The Excellence in Nursing Awards were established to recognize the critical role that nurses play in the health care system, highlighting those who go above and beyond in their practice.
Nursing educators from Saint Louis University were selected for their work shaping the future of health care through their commitment to teaching, research, and mentorship. Their combined expertise ensures that students receive a top-tier education that prepares them for the dynamic and challenging world of health care.
St. Louis Magazine Execellence in Nursing winners will be revealed at an awards reception this summer and recognized in the June/July issue of St. Louis Magazine. Graphic by St. Louis Magazine.
After a rigorous review process conducted by an esteemed panel of judges, the following nurses from the Valentine School of Nursing have been selected by the magazine as finalists:
Excellence in Nursing Finalists
Acute Care/Family Practice/General Medicine
- Geralyn Ochs, associate professor of nursing and coordinator of the adult/gerontological acute care, nurse practitioner option
Administration
- Michelle Papachrisanthou, DNP, associate dean of graduate nursing education
Community/Ambulatory Care
- Diana Llamas, assistant professor of nursing and simulation operations manager
Educator
- Melissa Holman, adjunct professor of nursing
Oncology
- Kristin Keller, Ph.D., assistant professor of nursing
The finalists will be honored, and winners will be revealed at an awards reception this summer and recognized in the June/July issue of St. Louis Magazine. The event will bring together health care professionals, community leaders, and supporters to celebrate the incredible achievements of these nursing professionals.
About Valentine School of Nursing
Founded in 1928, Saint Louis University School of Nursing has achieved a national reputation for its innovative and pioneering programs. Offering bachelor's, master's, and doctoral nursing programs, its faculty members are nationally recognized for their teaching, research and clinical expertise.
About Saint Louis University
Founded in 1818, Saint Louis University is one of the nation’s oldest and most prestigious Catholic research institutions. Rooted in Jesuit values and its pioneering history as the first university west of the Mississippi River, SLU offers more than 15,300 students a rigorous, transformative education that challenges and prepares them to make the world a better place. As a nationally recognized leader in research and innovation, SLU is an R1 research university, advancing groundbreaking, life-changing discoveries that promote the greater good.
Latest Newslink
- Saint Louis University Community Remembers the Life of Pope FrancisAs the world mourns the passing of Pope Francis, who died on Monday, April 21, at age 88, Saint Louis University faculty, staff and students who encountered the Pope during his papacy remember his life and legacy.
- MOCRA Presents "Meditations" on Art, Abstraction, and SpiritualitySaint Louis University's Museum of Contemporary Religious Art (MOCRA) will hold a program on Saturday, May 3, exploring how the wide-ranging lexicons of spirituality, abstraction and Black cultural production are intertwined.
- Aitchison Named 2025 Truman Scholarship RecipientSam Aitchison is now a Truman Scholar. Aitchison, a junior majoring in finance, leadership and human resource management, and Catholic studies at Saint Louis University, is one of 54 college students from 49 U.S. colleges and universities selected as 2025 Truman Scholars. The Truman Scholarship is the premier graduate scholarship for aspiring public service leaders in the United States.
- SLU Student Earns Prestigious STEM ScholarshipSaint Louis University student Pascal Sikorski has earned a Goldwater Scholarship. Sikorski, a junior pursuing a BS in Computer Science and a minor in Philosophy, earned the prestigious award after a lengthy interview process. The Goldwater Scholarship is a prestigious national undergraduate award for students in STEM who intend to pursue a career in STEM research after graduation.
- Atlas Week Speaker Shares History, Benefits of Public HealthDaniel Dawes, J.D., had a message for the attendees in the Wool Ballroom on Thursday night - keep doing what you're doing. Dawes, a health equity and policy expert, delivered the 2025 Atlas Week Signature Symposium. His remarks were tied to the theme of this year's Atlas Week - "From Inequality to Justice: Transforming Global Health through Social Change."
- Colson Whitehead Receives the 2025 St. Louis Literary AwardPulitzer Prize-winning author Colson Whitehead received the 2025 St. Louis Literary Award from Saint Louis University on Wednesday, April 9.
