The Academy on Violence and Abuse is honoring the Texas A&M University School of Nursing’s Nora Montalvo-Liendo, PhD, RN, FAAN, by naming its top research and leadership award in her honor.
The AVA Nora Montalvo-Liendo Award for Excellence in Scholarship and Leadership recognizes a scholar who has made significant contributions to advance research on the health effects of violence and abuse and shown exceptional leadership in advancing health and social policy that promotes safe families, workplaces and communities.
Montalvo-Liendo is also the inaugural recipient of the award, which will be presented during the AVA Global Health Summit on Oct. 27-28 in Dallas.
“Dr. Montalvo-Liendo’s selfless dedication has improved the lives of countless families experiencing violence and abuse,” said Tasneem Ismailji, MD, MPH, co-founder and board member of the AVA. “Her still-growing legacy is worthy of recognition, and we hope Dr. Montalvo-Liendo’s example serves as inspiration for other leaders and scholars working to advance this field.”
Montalvo-Liendo, an associate professor in the School of Nursing, is widely published on the topic of violence and abuse. Her research focuses on interventions to empower survivors of abuse and the social needs and well-being of low-income children with adverse childhood experiences. Since 2009, she has led support groups for women and children who are survivors of intimate partner violence. The AVA’s inaugural scholar in 2012, Montalvo-Liendo has chaired the organization’s scholar committee since 2020.
“This award belongs to the women I work with,” Montalvo-Liendo said. “I have seen these courageous women grow and overcome the cycle of violence. I tell my students that active involvement in their communities is important because nurses are the frontline when survivors of family violence come through the doors of our health care facilities.”
Montalvo-Liendo joined Texas A&M in 2014 and teaches primarily in the Master of Science in Nursing program. She holds a PhD in nursing from the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston and master’s in public health nursing from the University of Texas at Brownsville. She received her bachelor’s and associate degrees in nursing from the University of Texas at Brownsville & Texas Southmost College.