Keela A. Herr, professor and associate dean for faculty at the University of Iowa College of Nursing, will receive the 2012 Lifetime Achievement Award from the National Gerontological Nursing Association (NGNA).

For 25 years, Herr has pursued research, scholarly, and professional activities focused on the problem of pain in older adults, emphasizing assessment strategies, putting research into practice, and enhancing end-of-life care.

Herr is the co-director of Iowa's John A. Hartford Center of Geriatric Nursing Excellence. She presents and publishes on strategies for improving pain assessment and management, and has served on boards for the American Geriatrics Society, the American Society for Pain Management Nursing, and the American Pain Society.

Herr will receive the award during the NGNA annual convention, Oct. 4-6 in Baltimore, Md.

The honor marks a modest but notable streak for College of Nursing faculty—Professor Emerita Meridean Mass received the 2011 NGNA Lifetime Achievement Award.