For release: January 28, 2013
For press information, contact Curt Guenther, 901-678-2843

Dr. Sunghee H. Tak

Dr. Sunghee H. Tak has joined the University of Memphis Loewenberg School of Nursing (LSON) as the associate dean for research and holder of the Loewenberg Endowed Chair of Excellence.  She had previously taught at the University of Arkansas Medical Sciences College of Nursing. 

Dr. Tak’s research uses technology in a creative way with the vulnerable elderly population. Her research links nursing to two other disciplines at the University of Memphis – public health and intelligent systems (artificial intelligence) – which is in line with the need for 21st century research to involve inter-professional and scholarly collaborations in order to translate research into better health, better health care, and reduced healthcare cost. 

Dr. Tak’s research also fits with the desired future for the LSON. The School set four strategic goals in 2010. The third goal is: Build sustainable programs of research and scholarship to advance nursing science. This goal directed the school to expand its focus on teaching to a focus on the generation of new knowledge.  The selection of Dr. Tak for the Chair of Excellence will help the LSON move forward for building sustainable programs of research and scholarship to advance nursing science.

In announcing her appointment, Dr. Lin Zhan, dean of the Loewenberg School, said, “I am thrilled that Dr. Tak is joining the School of Nursing at the University of Memphis in the midst of the nation’s healthcare reform, which demands affordable, accessible, and high quality care for patients and their families. Nurse scientists and scholars play a critical role in translating research into practice that is evidence-based and knowledge-guided to improve patient care outcomes. I am confident that Dr. Tak will continue building programs of research and will bring the LSON to a new level of research excellence.”

Dr. Tak holds degrees from Seoul National University and the University of Texas at Austin.  She has also completed a Claire M. Fagin Post-doctoral Fellowship in geriatric nursing.