Distinguished Alumna of the Year Award

Jennifer Burdick Minhas, Nurs ’89
San Diego, Calif.

Jennifer Minhas may have officially retired from her job as a nurse educator at Seattle Children’s Hospital, but she still sees work to be done. During her 33-year career in nursing, Jennifer held clinical, managerial and nursing professional development roles in pediatrics, caring for the most vulnerable patients. She plans to continue serving others by mentoring new nurses and nursing students as they navigate launching their careers.

In her role at Seattle Children’s Hospital, she was responsible for designing outreach education programs to meet the education and advanced certification needs of hospital and school nurses throughout the Pacific Northwest. To achieve this goal, Jennifer and her team engaged subject-matter experts, and then produced and disseminated high-quality and accessible education programs.

Jennifer also continues to serve others by advocating for Long COVID-19 (Post-Acute Sequelae of COVID-19 or PASC) research and funding. Working with an organization called Long COVID Alliance, she has met with the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and members of Congress to enact legislation to prioritize funding toward research into debilitating post-viral conditions.

Through her work, Jennifer builds on the strong foundation she received as a Marquette nurse to serve anyone or any group in need of care, free from judgement, and with a well-cultivated, critical-thinking skill set. She credits Marquette’s Jesuit mission with developing her sense of cura personalis, caring for the whole person, each with unique needs and experiences. She uses the Jesuit concept of servant leadership to frame her approach to educating nurses, leading teams with humility, and continuing to serve in her community.

Fun Facts:

Name someone (past or present) with whom you'd like to have dinner.
Michelle Obama — because she has lived an incredible life as a woman leader, lawyer, mother, and first lady, and she has done so with grace and in honor of her values.

Name a Marquette faculty or staff member who had an impact on you, and how.
Dr. Maureen O’Brien, my pediatric clinical instructor in 1989. Her head was so full of knowledge! She presented information so clearly, provided excellent feedback in a calm, supportive manner, which helped me grow as a senior student. I really admired her ability to see all the complex patient information and help me to piece it all together to provide great care.

Leave a congratulatory message for Jennifer!