College of Education and Health Professions Honors Outstanding Alumni Award Winners

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From left: Angela Chang Chiu, Sara Hensley and Lynn Meade

The College of Education and Health Professions recently named Angela Chang Chiu, Sara Hensley and Lynn Meade as 2022 Outstanding Alumni Award winners.

"These awardees are making a difference in their communities," said Dean Brian Primack. "We are grateful for their contributions and representation of the College of Education and Health Professions' values."

The winners were honored at the college's May 14 commencement ceremony.

OUTSTANDING YOUNG ALUMNI AWARD

Angela Chang Chiu graduated from the Eleanor Mann School of Nursing in 2012 with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree. In 2015, she earned a master's in community health promotion with a specific focus on minority health. She is currently a Doctor of Nursing Practice student at Duke University, with plans to graduate in August.

Fluent in five languages and health interpretation certified, Chiu has worked as a minority health consultant in Northwest Arkansas, an intern at the Ministry of Health and Welfare in Taiwan, an International Patient Care Liaison at Johns Hopkins University Hospital, as well as a consultant for the Center for Global Initiatives at the Johns Hopkins School of Nursing. She has made a global impact on health while advancing evidence-based nursing and health promotion. Chiu has also promoted excellence in teaching, learning and research in global health. As the director of integration and business transformation at Lifebridge Health System in Baltimore, she's able to combine her clinical knowledge, business acumen and ability to guide and mentor others. She leads clinical process and quality improvement initiatives to increase patient access to healthcare services and optimize clinical operations in Baltimore City.

Chiu has co-led international health care initiatives and international program development in China, Vietnam and Bermuda. As a global patient care manager, her work earned her recognition as one of "Baltimore's Best Nurses 2019."

OUTSTANDING ALUMNI IN HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES AWARD

Sara Hensley was appointed city manager of Denton, Texas, in March 2022, bringing with her more than 20 years of public service and leadership experience to the position. Hensley previously served as the parks and recreation director for Austin, Texas, and was the interim assistant city manager for two years. She led large-scale teams in multiple program and service areas and operations, served as the executive lead for several city-wide cross-departmental efforts and frequently interacted with elected officials, community stakeholders and residents.

Her experience includes director roles in parks and recreation departments from various cities across the nation, including San Jose, California; Virginia Beach, Virginia; and Phoenix, Arizona.

Hensley holds a Bachelor of Science and Master of Education from the U of A and is a graduate of the Executive Development Program at Indiana University. She is a credentialed city manager through the International City/County Management Association.

OUTSTANDING ALUMNI IN EDUCATION AWARD

Lynn Meade is an instructor in the U of A's Communication Department, where she has taught since 2003.

As a result of her dedication to students, she earned the Imhoff Teaching and Mentoring Award in 2018 and the Fulbright Master Teacher Award in 2022. She was nominated three times for teaching honors by the Student Alumni Association and Associated Student Government. Student-athletes voted her the Game Day Professor in 2009 and 2015. She was inducted into the Teaching Academy in 2019.

Meade currently serves as a co-director for the Wally Cordes Teaching and Faculty Support Center, where she helps design programs to assist the faculty with their scholarship of teaching. She conducts teaching seminars for the Department of Communication, the Graduate School and the Teaching and Faculty Support Center. She recently wrote an open resource advanced public speaking textbook for the university. 

Meade holds a Bachelor of Arts and Master of Arts in communication and a Doctor of Education in higher education college teaching and leadership, all from the U of A.