Showcasing ADCES in the News

The Lifetime Achievement Award recognizes outstanding contributions and service to ADCES and honors individuals who exemplify the proud history of diabetes care and education while serving as extraordinary role models.

Teresa Pearson, MBA, MS, RN, CDCES, FADCES, has dedicated her career to advancing diabetes care through clinical leadership, advocacy, and mentorship. From her early days at the Minnesota VA to national prominence in diabetes education, she has consistently worked to improve outcomes and empower others.

At HealthPartners, Pearson led impactful population health initiatives. In 2005, she defended her DSMES program from cuts, igniting her mission to help educators articulate their value. As a consultant, she’s partnered with organizations like the Indian Health Service and trained hundreds as a founding National DPP Master Trainer. She also served as founding editor of ADCES in Practice and has authored 70+ publications.

In honor of the first ADCES president, the Allene Van Son Distinguished Service Award recognizes outstanding contributions and service to the association.  

Melinda Maryniuk, RDN, MEd, CDCES, FADA is the recipient of the 2025 Allene Van Son Distinguished Service Award, honoring her 45+ years of impactful contributions to diabetes care and education.

At Boston’s Joslin Diabetes Center, Maryniuk provided direct care, led an affiliated center, and drove global innovation. Her reach spans academic roles at the University of Florida, Duke, and others, as well as national leadership through consulting, writing, and mentorship.

A longtime leader within ADCES, Maryniuk has served on the Board, contributed extensively to publications, and supported numerous committees.

The Rising Star Award honors a diabetes care and education specialist who has five or fewer years of experience and has demonstrated leadership and commitment to diabetes care. 

Courtney Cameron, PharmD, BCACP, a board-certified ambulatory care pharmacist at Boston Medical Center, is the 2025 Rising Star Award recipient. In just a few years, she has significantly advanced diabetes care for vulnerable populations, especially in primary care and high-risk obstetrics.

As the first pharmacy specialist on her hospital’s high-risk OB team, Cameron developed a collaborative drug therapy model for pregnant and postpartum patients with diabetes and helped launch a program for managing postpartum hypertension.

An active mentor and ADCES leader, Cameron contributes to the Pharmacy Community of Interest and the Massachusetts Coordinating Body.

The Donna Tomky Award for Excellence in Clinical Practice recognizes a nurse practitioner who advances the integration of self-management behaviors with clinical management through practice, health plan or heath system innovation. 

Lucia Novak, MSN, ANP-BC, BC-ADM is the recipient of the 2025 Donna Tomky Award for Excellence in Clinical Practice. With over 30 years in diabetes and obesity care, Novak is known for her compassionate, evidence-based, person-centered approach.

As President of Diabesity, LLC and Co-Executive Director of the Capital Health and Metabolic Center, she leads innovative work in metabolic health. A former U.S. Army Nurse Corps officer and dedicated mentor, Lucia continues to drive clinical excellence and advocate for those living with diabetes.

The Power of Our Impact Award recognizes a DCES for their day-to-day commitment and the impact they have on ensuring the best outcomes for people with diabetes.

Mitzi Lovell, BSN, RN, CDCES, has dedicated over 32 years to empowering people with diabetes through empathy, innovation, and education.

A certified insulin pump trainer and tech-savvy problem solver, Lovell once trained a patient who was blind to independently manage insulin via an app and VoiceOver—showcasing her creative, patient-first approach. She helped develop her clinic’s DSMES program and spearheaded community education events like “Diabetes 101” day, fostering connection and support.

The Advancing the Vision Award recognizes an ADCES member with a program or project that advances the evidence-based strategies inspired by ADCES’s vision, mission and values. 

Kacy Aderhold, DNP, APRN-CNS, BC-ADM, CDCES, A doctoral-prepared nurse and clinical nurse specialist, ​provides endocrinology care at the Harold Hamm Diabetes Center and teaches at the University of Oklahoma’s College of Nursing.

She is passionate about reducing patient burden through technology, pharmacotherapy and empowering education. Her research spans semaglutide and smoking cessation, nutrition in low-income families, and interprofessional education.

What stood out most is her work expanding access to DSMES for uninsured, low-income Hispanic individuals. By training Spanish-speaking students and faculty, she helped offer free, culturally relevant classes that built both access and trust.

The Innovative Use of Technology Award recognizes a project that has significant impact on the assessment and provision of personalized prediabetes, diabetes and related cardiometabolic and self-management interventions that enhance or improve practice for individuals or broad populations.  

Kevin Cowart, PharmD, MPH, BCACP, CDCES​ is the recipient of the 2025 Innovative Use of Technology Award. A leader in diabetes care, Cowart is an Associate Professor at the University of South Florida, where he bridges the Colleges of Pharmacy, Medicine, and Public Health. He also serves as a CDCES and plays a key clinical and educational role at USF Health’s Department of Family Medicine.

Cowart stood out for his groundbreaking work in launching a scalable, pharmacist-led CGM service within an academic family medicine clinic. His model addresses the underutilization of CGM among individuals with Type 2 diabetes by integrating technology with pharmacist-guided education and support—delivering a patient-centered, sustainable solution that is already improving access and outcomes in primary care settings.

The Research Award recognizes outstanding work in the scientific area of diabetes care and education.

Joseph O’Donnell, BA, is the recipient of the 2025 ADCES Research Award. A third-year medical student at Case Western Reserve University with a sociology background, Joseph focuses on the social and emotional aspects of diabetes care.

He was selected for his abstract, “Functions and Sources of Type 1 Diabetes Social Support Throughout Emerging Adulthood,” which reveals how peer and parental support shift during this life stage—offering key insights for care teams.

O’Donnell’s person-centered research underscores the value of empathy in improving outcomes, reflecting his strong foundation for a career in primary care.