A University of Hawaii Maui College professor has been selected as the recipient of the 2013 Willard Wilson Award for Distinguished Service.

Nancy K. Johnson was hired as a probationary instructor in the nursing program in 1983 and earned full professorship in 2007.

She went on to become chairwoman of the Allied Health Department from 1989 to 2012. During that time the program grew from a few faculty members and one class a year to more than 30 faculty, staff and clinical lecturers serving two new classes a year, with a total of 340 students per semester.

Johnson has also taken part in local and state discussions on caring for an elderly population, meeting dental care needs for the underserved and building a consortium that allows students to move from Maui College’s program to UH-Manoa’s Bachelor of Science in Nursing program without leaving their home campus.