Navy Nurse Leader to Receive USD Alumni Award

A Navy nursing researcher who has been awarded more than $2.4 million in grants focusing on the care of veterans will be honored by the University of San Diego on April 22.

CAPT (sel.) Heather C. King, NC, USN who earned her PhD from the USD Hahn School of Nursing and Health Science in 2014, will receive the Author E. Hughes Award for Career Achievement.

As a member of the Navy Nurse Corps, King has provided anesthetic care to veterans in a variety of settings. Her clinical experience fueled her research interest as she examines gaps in care for returning combat veterans.

At USD, she conducted a pilot feasibility study to examine the effects of acupuncture on sleep disturbances for veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder. She is currently serving as the Director of Nursing Research for the Navy Medicine West Region that includes all bases located in California, Washington, Hawaii, Okinawa and Guam. 

“Captain King’s critically important work represents the deep commitment that USD nursing graduates have to make sure veterans receive care they deserve and we are very proud to honor her,” said Sally Brosz Hardin, Dean of the USD Hahn School of Nursing and Health Sciences.

King lives in La Mesa with her husband, Tom, and son, Riley. She enjoys traveling, camping, hiking and reading.

The event begins at 6:00 p.m. with the awards ceremony in the USD Joan B. Kroc Institute for Peace and Justice Theatre, followed by a cocktail celebration under the stars. Tickets are $75 per person, $55 for young alumni who graduated between 2006 and 2016 or $95 at the door. For purchasing tickets or more information, go to www.sandiego.edu/alumnihonors or call (619) 260-6894. 

About the University of San Diego

Strengthened by the Catholic intellectual tradition, we confront humanity’s challenges by fostering peace, working for justice and leading with love. With more than 8,000 students from 75 countries and 44 states, USD is the youngest independent institution on the U.S. News & World Report list of top 100 universities in the United States. USD’s eight academic divisions include the College of Arts and Sciences, the Knauss School of Business, the Shiley-Marcos School of Engineering, the School of Law, the School of Leadership and Education Sciences, the Hahn School of Nursing and Health Science, the Joan B. Kroc School of Peace Studies, and the Division of Professional and Continuing Education. In 2021, USD was named a “Laudato Si’ University” by the Vatican with a seven-year commitment to address humanity’s urgent challenges by working together to take care of our common home.