The Morningside College Nylen School of Nursing and the Morningside Student Nurses’ Association have named Karlyn Pierson of Rochester, Minn., as the 2018 nursing alumna of the year.

The Morningside College Nylen School of Nursing and the Morningside Student Nurses’ Association have named Karlyn Pierson of Rochester, Minn., as the 2018 nursing alumna of the year.

Pierson is supervisor of Mayo Clinic’s Department of Surgery Clinical Research Office in Rochester. She graduated from Morningside in 2003 with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree. After graduation, Pierson worked at Mayo as a nurse on the thoracic surgery progressive care unit. She has a Master of Arts in Nursing degree from Augsburg University in Minneapolis, Minn. Pierson also has received her Certified Clinical Research Professional certification and is a member of the Society of Clinical Research Associates.   

Pierson will deliver the keynote speech for the opening of the 36th annual Maud Adams Nursing Research Day on April 11 at 8 a.m. in the Yockey Family Community Room in the Olsen Student Center, 3609 Peters Ave. Morningside undergraduate nursing students and graduate nursing students will present their research projects from 9:15-10:15 a.m., 10-11 a.m. and 2-3 p.m. April 11 in various locations on campus as part of Morningside’s Palmer Student Research Symposium.

McKenna Nielsen, a senior at Audubon (Iowa) Community High School, will receive the Nursing Alumni Scholarship presented in Pierson’s honor. Nielsen plans to attend Morningside College in the fall. The scholarship is awarded each year to a student who shows potential for outstanding professionalism in nursing.

The Maud Adams Nursing Research Day started in 1983 as a tribute to the late Maud Adams, a former chair of Morningside’s nursing department. Before she came to Morningside, Adams served as a staff nurse, instructor, and administrator in various public health agencies and nursing programs.