Nursing lecturer recognized for living a life full of purpose and meaning

Barbara Demman
By UCLA School of Nursing
1 min read

UCLA School of Nursing faculty member Barbara Demman, RN, MSN, ACNP, CNS, has been named a recipient of UCLA’s 2024 Semel Healthy Campus Initiative Center Eudaimonia Award.

This annual award recognizes UCLA community members who exemplify Eudaimonia by living a life full of purpose and meaning. This year, the theme, “Connectors,” centers on the building up of community members through care, service, and advocacy.

“I am honored to be seen as someone who not only lives a purpose filled life, but also as one who is dedicated to promoting happiness and well-being in others via mindfulness meditation practices,” Demman said. “I think deep down we all want to be seen, to feel safe, and to connect with others. My approach to teaching has been to do my best in providing this support to students and patients.”

Demman was nominated for this award by nursing doctoral student Cristina Cabrera-Mino. In her nomination form, Cabrera-Mino pointed to Demman’s dedication to teaching others how to practice sustainable happiness through mindfulness and meditation, as well as her efforts to build a supportive environment for students and healthcare workers.

“This award is extra special given that I was nominated by a student,” Demman said. “This honor affirms to me that it is not just what we know medically or intellectually that makes a good provider or educator, it is also how we connect with people that truly facilitates learning and healing.”

As a lecturer in the School of Nursing, Demman teaches a variety of topics, including physical assessment, medical-surgical A and B, and NCLEX test-taking skills. She is the recipient of several teaching awards including Nursing’s DAISY Award for Extraordinary Faculty - 2014 & 2022 recipient - the UCLA Distinguished Faculty Award for Excellence in Education (2019), and the Marty Skylar Award (2020). She regularly volunteers her time to connect with students through mindfulness training and her current research focuses in patients with pancreatic cancer and symptom burden relief with mindfulness based interventions.