Shannon Halloway, PhD, RN, FAHA, has been named as a Fellow of the American Heart Association (AHA) and a member of the Council on Cardiovascular and Stroke Nursing. Halloway was recognized at the AHA’s annual meeting and joins a class of highly qualified nurses from across the country.
“Halloway is an exceptional nurse scientist working on the leading edge of discovery,” says Christine Kennedy, PhD, RN, FAAN, the John L. and Helen Kellogg Dean at the College of Nursing. “She is a passionate, committed and collaborative academic who works at the forefront of knowledge generation for older adults with heart disease to prevent cognitive impairment. I am proud of the work she’s done at the college, and I know she will continue to have an impact on this area of science as a Fellow.”
She joined the Department of Community, Systems and Mental Health Nursing as an assistant professor in 2018 after completing her PhD and postdoctoral research fellowships at Rush. Since that time, she has been an influential leader in the field of nursing research, tallying eight completed grants and having conducted four ongoing grants as a principal or co-investigator. Halloway has published 13 first-author, peer-reviewed papers and presented her research at 25 conferences, reaching local, national and international audiences. She has also received several honors, including the Midwest Nursing Research Society New Investigator Award and the American Heart Association Best Nursing Abstract.
“Having known Halloway for the past seven years, I can say without a doubt that she is highly driven, intelligent and extremely productive,” says Susan Pressler, PhD, RN, FAAN, FAHA, Halloway’s mentor since 2014. “Her program of research has undoubtedly impacted the current state of the science of biobehavioral interventions that aim to prevent impairment in older adults with cardiovascular disease.”
In addition to her numerous academic accomplishments, Halloway is actively engaged in the Chicago community. In 2021 she was appointed to the Rush AHA Heart Walk Steering Committee and led the Rush University College of Nursing Heart Walk Team. She is deeply connected with professional nursing organizations and was elected to the Midwest Nursing Research Society Nominating Committee, having also served on committees for the AHA and Council for the Advancement of Nursing Science. She also serves as a member of the Auxiliary Board of Inspiration Corporation, a Chicago-area non-profit organization that provides job training and services to people experiencing homelessness.
“I am a passionate advocate of the mission of the AHA,” Halloway says. “I am honored to be a new Fellow of the American Heart Association and will continue my research and volunteer work in pursuit of cardiovascular health. I am committed to a long, productive cardiovascular research career. I am grateful to those who have supported me throughout my career, including JoEllen Wilbur, PhD, APN, FAAN, who has provided invaluable mentorship to me.”