Distinguished Alumni Award

Marita G. Titler, 78MA, 92PhD, is an internationally recognized nurse scholar and leader who has revolutionized patient care.

An expert in health-services research, translation science, and evidence-based practice, Titler got her start at Mount Mercy College in Cedar Rapids, where she earned a bachelor's degree in nursing in 1974—as well as the Catherine McAuley Award for student excellence—before coming to the University of Iowa for graduate school.

After earning her UI master's degree in nursing in 1978, Titler joined University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, where she worked for more than 13 years in a variety of roles, including director of research, senior assistant director, director of the Institute of Translational Practice, and director of the Center for Research in the Implementation of Innovative Strategies in Practice.

Eventually, Titler's love of science led her to pursue a doctoral degree in nursing at Iowa. She finished in 1992 and established herself as a highly regarded nurse-scientist with an impressive body of research focused on outcomes effectiveness and implementation science to improve care of older adults.

Titler is professor, the Rhetaugh Dumas Endowed Chair, associate dean for practice and clinical scholarship, and chair of the Health Systems and Effectiveness Science Division at the University of Michigan (UM) School of Nursing. She is also the associate director of the Michigan Institute for Clinical and Health Research, the NIH-funded Clinical and Translational Science Award (CTSA) at UM.

A cutting-edge researcher, Titler focuses her work on bettering patient care in hospital settings and has garnered more than $170 million in external support. In addition, she has more than 300 publications to her credit, and she has also contributed to more than 40 national evidence-based guidelines for care in areas such as acute confusion and delirium.

Titler is the first author of the Iowa Model of Evidence-Based Practice to Improve Quality of Care, which has been widely disseminated throughout the world, and her scholarly works are cited by various disciplines. According to Titler's former UI nursing colleague, professor emeritus Kathleen "Kitty" Buckwalter, 71BSN, 76MA, such research findings often are not accessible to the clinicians and care providers who need them; however, "Marita's work is exceptional in this regard."

Titler is a sought-after keynote speaker who leads the National Nursing Practice Network, and she holds numerous national honors. She also serves on several prestigious committees that help shape health policy.

Not only was Titler a member of the National Advisory Council for the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ)—a position appointed by the U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services—from 2000 to 2003, but she was also invited to serve on the AHRQ Advisory Panel for Knowledge Utilization. In addition, she was a member of the Institute of Medicine's Committee on Standards for Trustworthy Clinical Practice Guidelines from 2009 to 2011.

Her numerous awards and recognition include the 2010 President's Award for Translation Science, the highest honor bestowed by the Friends of the National Institute of Nursing Research.

Marita G. Titler is "living the Iowa nurse tradition" as a foremost educator, scholar, and mentor who makes critical global changes to the delivery of health care and population health.