Four faculty and three students in the Clemson University of School of Nursing have received Palmetto Gold Awards from the South Carolina Nurses Foundation.
Faculty award winners include Lena Burgess, DNP, principal lecturer; Lucia Gonzales, Ph.D., associate director of research and associate professor; Zahra Rahemi, Ph.D., associate professor; and Jason Thrift, Ph.D., assistant professor. Student award winners include graduate students Whitney Bridges, RN, and Amber McCabe, RN, and undergraduate student Samantha Luhn.
Palmetto Gold Awards recognize registered nurses and students across South Carolina who exemplify excellence in nursing practice and a deep commitment to the profession. Recipients are selected through an annual nomination and review process that includes nurses from across the state in a variety of practice settings. Additionally, undergraduate student recipients receive a $1,000 scholarship toward their academic studies.
“Palmetto Gold Awards represent an unwavering commitment to excellence in nursing practice, compassionate care and innovative research,” said John Whitcomb, director and chief academic nursing officer of the School of Nursing. “This year’s faculty and student recipients exemplify the very best of our program and we are incredibly proud to celebrate this well-deserved honor.”
School of Nursing faculty award winners:
Lena Burgess, DNP, principal lecturer, has been a registered nurse for more than 20 years. Throughout her career, she has worked in medical-surgical, cardiological and academic settings, including bedside acute care nursing, acute care education in a hospital setting and general nurse education. She is a member of Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society of Nursing.
Lucia Gonzales, Ph.D., associate professor, serves as associate director of research in the School of Nursing. In addition to teaching and research, Gonzales maintains a nursing practice as a nurse practitioner and transition planner for women in midlife. Her career accomplishments include awards for three workforce development grants for nurses in Upstate and Midlands South Carolina and care coordination and nurses’ computer education.
Lucia Gonzales, Ph.D., associate professor, serves as associate director of research in the School of Nursing. In addition to teaching and research, Gonzales maintains a nursing practice as a nurse practitioner and transition planner for women in midlife. Her career accomplishments include awards for three workforce development grants for nurses in Upstate and Midlands South Carolina and care coordination and nurses’ computer education.
Jason Thrift, Ph.D., assistant professor, has 12 years of experience in nursing education and 26 years of experience in medical-surgical nursing, nursing informatics and patient placement. His current research interests include virtual reality simulation for patient treatment modalities and student nurse education and artificial intelligence and machine learning software.
School Nursing student award winners:
Whitney Bridges, DNP, is a 2026 graduate of the School of Nursing’s Doctor of Nursing Practice program. As a student, she served as a clinical instructor for the School of Nursing’s undergraduate pediatric course, on the Graduate Student Advisory Committee and was an active member of Sigma Theta Tau and the Graduate Student Partnership Program. She also served as a member of the South Carolina Chapter of the National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners’ Education Committee and as a nursing senator representative for Graduate Student Government (GSG) and GSG’s Health and Human Service Committee.
Amber McCabe is a second-year student in the Doctor of Nursing Practice program. In addition to her studies, she serves as a graduate teaching assistant, supporting student learning and academic development. She is an active member of the Graduate Student Advisory Council, where she contributes to student advocacy and program improvement. Professionally, she works as a hospice nurse, providing compassionate care to individuals and families at the end of life.
Samantha Luhn is a 2026 graduate of the School of Nursing. As a student, she was involved in undergraduate research through Creative Inquiry, focusing on nursing student mental health, and served as a student intern for a first-year nursing class. After graduation, she moved back to her hometown of Chicago, Illinois, to work in an intensive care unit.
The School of Nursing is a part of the College of Behavioral, Social and Health Sciences. Established in July 2016, CBSHS is a 21st-century, land-grant college that combines work in nine disciplines – communication; nursing; parks, recreation and tourism management; political science; psychology; public health sciences; sociology, anthropology and criminal justice – to further its mission of “building people and communities” in South Carolina and beyond.
