Beckley, W.Va. (WVDN) – Dr. Peggy Lambert Fink, an associate professor at the WVU School of Nursing Beckley Campus located at WVU Tech, was announced as the Faculty Merit Foundation’s 2025 Professor of the Year.
Since 1998, Fink has been educating and inspiring the next generation of nurses as a faculty member. She said her own inspiration for teaching stemmed from her passion for women’s health.
“I loved the ability to be part of the lives of hundreds of women in clinical practice, but I realized in teaching, I could empower the next generation of nurses in caring for thousands of women and families,” said Fink, PhD, FNP-BC, APRN. “Teaching nursing students allows me to ensure that standards of excellence and patient advocacy will reach further than I ever could alone.”
She earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Health Services Administration from WVU Tech in 1990, a Bachelor of Science in Education in 1991, an Associate Degree in Nursing in 1993, and a Bachelor of Science in Nursing in 1995. She received her Master of Science in Nursing-Family Nurse Practitioner from the WVU School of Nursing in 1998, completed post-master’s education in midwifery at the Frontier School of Nursing in 2002, and earned her PhD in Nursing from the WVU School of Nursing in 2012.
In addition to teaching, Fink has also served as Director and clinical provider for the WVU Tech Student Health Clinic since 2000. Her career also includes service as a registered nurse at Raleigh General Hospital and earlier work in education and consulting. Her teaching spans a wide range of nursing courses, including leadership, community health, maternal and women’s health, and clinical instruction, with a strong emphasis on experiential and interprofessional learning.
In women’s health, Fink said nurses get to see the very best side of nursing with new babies and happy families.
“I love watching a student fall in love with or at least appreciate the birthing process. But the most fulfilling part is seeing them gain confidence to lead when the situation gets difficult and how to guide a new mother and family through crisis. I want to make sure nurses can handle both the joy and the tough side of caring,” Fink said.
“I know my field isn’t as glamourous as critical care or the emergency room, but the potential impact is massive and real. When you help a new family get off to a healthy start, you aren’t just treating a patient. Making sure thousands of families get that start by training the next generation of nurses? To me, that’s the best job in the world.”
Fink is deeply engaged in institutional service and leadership at WVU Tech and within the WVU School of Nursing. She serves on numerous committees, including Faculty Council, Academic and Professional Standards, and promotion and tenure review, and is chair of the Nursing Department Scholarship Committee.
She is also a longtime faculty advisor to multiple student organizations and has led numerous campus health initiatives, including vaccination clinics, wellness programming, and student orientation efforts. In addition, she has served as a Faculty Associate with the WVU Teaching and Learning Commons, helping mentor faculty and lead professional development programming.
Her scholarship and professional contributions focus on rural health, tobacco cessation, maternal and community health, and innovative nursing education. She has authored and co-authored numerous publications and presentations, including research supported by the National Institutes of Health on palliative care for rural populations. She has also secured and contributed to grant-funded initiatives supporting healthcare workforce development and community health interventions across West Virginia.
Throughout her career, Dr. Fink has been recognized for excellence in teaching, leadership, and service. Her honors include multiple Faculty Merit Awards, the WVU Doctoral Nursing Research Leadership Award, and recognition as a Teaching and Learning Commons Faculty Associate. She has also received recent nominations for statewide and university-level teaching and community engagement awards.
The Faculty Merit Foundation was created in 1984 to provide a means to recognize and reward innovation and creativity among the faculties of West Virginia’s public and private colleges and universities. Through the Professor of the Year program, the outstanding achievements of those individuals are brought to the attention of the public. A $10,000 cash award is given to the candidate selected as Professor of the Year, with smaller awards to the other finalists.
The Foundation presented the award on April 9 during a banquet in the Great Hall of the Culture Center in Charleston.
Four Professor of the Year finalists also were recognized at the banquet: Rico Gazal, Ph.D., Professor of Forestry at Glenville State University; Rebecca Giorcelli, Ph.D., Professor of Marketing & Management Studies at Fairmont State University; Barbara Ladner, Ph.D., Professor of English, West Virginia State University; and Sam Zizzi, Ed.D., the Dr. Pat Fehl Endowed Professor of Sport Sciences at West Virginia University.
The Professor of the Year award is sponsored by individual donors and: United Bank; Bowles Rice LLP; Greene, Ketchum, Bailey & Tweel LLP; Maier Foundation; and The Daywood Foundation, Inc.
