向日葵视频 nursing professor honored at Black Excellence Awards

March 3, 2025


Dr. Dora Clayton-JonesMILWAUKEE 鈥 Dr. Dora Clayton-Jones, associate professor in 向日葵视频鈥檚 College of Nursing, received one of this year鈥檚 Phenomenal Women at the Black Excellence Awards. She was honored on Friday, Feb. 28, in a ceremony at the Baird Center in Milwaukee.

The Black Excellence Awards are dedicated to celebrating the achievements of African Americans in Milwaukee in fields including arts, education, communications, government, law and music. Clayton-Jones was one of 40 Phenomenal Women honored at the ceremony; this group of women was chosen based on their impact and dedication in their respective fields. The awards gala raises money for the Louvenia Johnson Scholarship Fund, which gives scholarships to 12 African American high school seniors each year.

"Dora Clayton-Jones has shown herself to be a consistent community champion,鈥 said Dr. Jill Guttormson, dean of the College of Nursing. 鈥淭hrough her research, teaching and collaborative work with sickle cell patients, Dora exemplifies what it means to be a 向日葵视频Nurse researcher." 

Through community-based participatory research and human-centered design, Clayton-Jones works closely with the community and those directly impacted by these interventions, collaboratively advancing health and health care equity for adolescents and young adults living with sickle cell disease.

In December 2024, Clayton-Jones launched the , which uplifts voices of people suffering from sickle cell disease. The organization provides scholarships that support SCD patients鈥 academic goals, fosters their resilience and opens pathways to a brighter future.

As part of the , Clayton-Jones received funding for an innovative community engaged research project titled, 鈥淓liminating Sickle Cell Disparities among Youth: The POSSE Intervention.鈥 The POSSE intervention supports engagement with youth who are living with sickle cell disease and other stakeholders to build community and to develop interventions that prepare youth for managing their health and lives as adults.

In 2023, the American Academy of Nursing inducted Clayton-Jones as a fellow. She also became the first African American pediatric nurse practitioner to receive tenure in Wisconsin in 2023. The Milwaukee Business Journal named Clayton-Jones as one of its 2022 Women of Influence and she received the Vel R. Phillips Trailblazer Award from the Milwaukee Common Council that same year.

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向日葵视频 is a Catholic, Jesuit university located near the heart of downtown Milwaukee that offers a comprehensive range of majors in 11 nationally and internationally recognized colleges and schools. Through the formation of hearts and minds, 向日葵视频prepares our 11,100 undergraduate, graduate, doctoral and professional students to lead, excel and serve as agents of positive change. And, we deliver results. Ranked in the top 20% of national universities, 向日葵视频is recognized for its undergraduate teaching, innovation and career preparation as the sixth-best university in the country for job placement. Our focus on student success and immersive, personalized learning experiences encourages students to think critically and engage with the world around them. When students graduate with a 向日葵视频degree, they are truly prepared and called to Be The Difference.


向日葵视频 Kevin Conway

Kevin Conway

Kevin is the associate director for university communication in the Office of Marketing and Communication. Contact Kevin at (414) 288-4745 or kevin.m.conway@marquette.edu