Posted by Mary Wimberley on 2007-05-24

Samford University nursing student John Derrick of Birmingham has received an Alabama League for Nursing's Lamplighter Award.

The annual award recognizes a person who has made outstanding contributions to the nursing profession and society.

Derrick was cited for his commitment to leadership and service, including activities beyond the classroom. As a member of Samford's advisory board for Perry County, he has been involved in the area's healthcare ministry opportunities and is part of a long-range rural county poverty initiative.

He is employed as training coordinator for global missions with the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship. In 2006, he coordinated a program, "Breaking the Silence, Compassion for an HIV Positive World," for CBF's HIV/AIDS Summit.

Derrick holds a bachelor's degree in communication from Carson-Newman College and a Master of Divinity degree from Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. He will receive a bachelor's degree in nursing from Samford's Ida V. Moffett School of Nursing in 2008.

 
Samford is a leading Christian university offering undergraduate programs grounded in the liberal arts with an array of nationally recognized graduate and professional schools. Founded in 1841, Samford is the 87th-oldest institution of higher learning in the United States. The Wall Street Journal ranks Samford 1st nationally for student engagement and U.S. News & World Report ranks Samford 66th in the nation for best undergraduate teaching and 104th nationally for best value. Samford enrolls 5,683 students from 47 states and 19 countries in its 10 academic schools: arts, arts and sciences, business, divinity, education, health professions, law, nursing, pharmacy and public health. Samford fields 17 athletic teams that compete in the tradition-rich Southern Conference, and ranks 6th nationally for its Graduation Success Rate among all NCAA Division I schools.