Major: Nursing
Thao Griffith, Ph.D., came to the U.S. at the age of 16 and with little knowledge of English.
The Vietnam native dreamed of being a nurse but knew her lack of a high school diploma would hold her back. Griffith discovered that she could earn her GED at College of DuPage and, through the Early Admissions program, began taking a few classes before turning 18. But it wasn’t easy.
“I had a really hard time fitting into the college environment, understanding the materials and preparing for my classes,” she said. “The culture shock that I experienced made me feel that it was impossible to achieve my dream. There were times that I was disappointed in myself and wanted to drop out of college.”
But Griffith’s dream of becoming a nurse kept her going. She began taking easy classes first so she could adapt to the college environment and learn English by interacting more with others. Then she began taking harder classes that were prerequisites for the Nursing program. These required stronger English skills.
“It is amazing how much English and science knowledge I learned at COD. Every day that I was in school and pursuing my goal was a valuable learning time in my educational journey.”
Griffith also received the Bonnie M. Wheaton Scholarship from the COD Foundation. As a student who worked part-time while attending school full-time, she was grateful for the scholarship, low tuition and financial aid.
“COD lightened my financial stresses, which allowed me to focus more on the most important aspect of my life—education,” she said. “Thank you to Mrs. Wheaton and everyone who helped to make the differences in my life.”
After graduating from COD, Griffith earned her Bachelor of Science in Nursing and ultimately Doctor of Philosophy at the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC). She has devoted her learning and research to improve neonatal care and outcomes with an emphasis on oral feeding in preterm infants. She successfully completed her dissertation research in 2017, entitled “The Relationship Between Duration of Tube Feeding and Oral Feeding Success in Preterm Infants.”
Griffith continues building her program of research and was funded by the AWHONN Every Woman, Every Baby Research Grant to support her pilot study. In 2020, she was nominated for the Midwest Nursing Research Society Family Health Research and Implementation Interest Group Early Investigator Award. She also received the Midwest Nursing Research Society Distinguished Abstract Award.
Her long-term research goal is to utilize biobehavioral epigenetic approaches as a clinical strategy to reduce the impact of early life stress on preterm infant development, facilitate optimal individualized care for preterm infants, and develop parent-guided interventions to empower parents of preterm infants. Griffith was awarded the K23 Mentored Patient-Oriented Research Career Development Award by the National Institute of Health to fund her research project, “Epigenetics Embedding of Oral Feeding Skill Development in Preterm Infants.”
Most recently, she was awarded her first National Institute of Health R01 grant—a five-year, $2.57 million award from the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development.
“Receiving an R01 on the first submission is rare, and I’m humbled that our work to improve care for very preterm infants earned such strong recognition,” she said.
Health Science Admissions at COD
Griffith, an assistant professor on a tenure track at Loyola University Chicago Marcella Niehoff School of Nursing, loves teaching pathophysiology and nursing research to undergraduate nursing students.
“My teaching philosophy is student-centered with a focus on transformative education. Through respect, kindness, knowledge and perseverance, I hope to nourish the seeds of these qualities in students, facilitating their journeys to becoming leaders and a person for and with others,” she said.
Griffith also has thrived in clinical practice. She worked as a registered nurse in various settings, including a pediatric clinic, home health and wellness center. She is currently practicing as an aesthetic nurse at Renaissance Med Spa specializing in non-surgical aesthetic procedures.
“I love to work in an environment that inspires positivity and artistry,” she said. “Aesthetic nursing continues to fuel my passion for learning and allows me to fulfill my creative side while still using my clinical judgement. I am passionate about establishing trust, building long-lasting relationships with patients, and helping them achieve their beauty goals and feel confident.”
Because of her accomplishments, Griffith has received numerous honors and awards. She has been nominated by students for the St. Ignatius Loyola Award for Excellence in Teaching for three consecutive years, as well as the Provost’s Award for Excellence in Teaching Freshmen. She was awarded the 40 Under 40 Emerging Nursing Leader Award by the Illinois Nurse Foundation and the Power of Nursing Leadership Pinnacle Nurse Leader Award.
Griffith knows her start at COD provided the background needed for her success.
“I could have finished my prerequisites at other colleges or universities, but I believe that COD is the best decision I have ever made in my educational journey,” she said. “The faculty and staff were amazing in helping me build a very solid foundation which plays a significant role in my accomplishments today!”