2022 Member News Archive

January 2022

The College of Nursing and Allied Health Professions at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette has received a $600,000 grant from the Helene Fuld Health Trust to fund endowed scholarships for graduate nursing students. Read more >>
The University of Tennessee Health Science Center’s College of Nursing (UTHSC) and Southwest Tennessee Community College have partnered to guarantee admission to UTHSC’s nursing program for Southwest students who meet requirements. Read more >>
Southern Illinois University Edwardsville has named Dr. Judy Liesveld as dean of the School of Nursing, effective July 2022. Previously, Dr. Liesveld served at the University of New Mexico College of Nursing as interim associate dean of Innovation and Community Outreach, clinical educator, professor, and most recently, as associate dean for Education and Innovation. Read more >>
Goldfarb School of Nursing at Barnes-Jewish College has named Dr. Angela Clark the Maxine Clark and Bob Fox president and professor, effective May 1, 2022. She succeeds Dr. Nancy Ridenour, who announced her retirement after serving as president since 2017. Dr. Clark currently serves as interim associate dean and executive director of undergraduate and prelicensure programs at the University of Cincinnati College of Nursing, a position she has held since 2019. Read more >>
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is funding research led by Dr. Kelly Aldrich, Vanderbilt University School of Nursing associate professor of nursing informatics, to analyze daily hospital personal protective equipment (PPE) on-hand inventory. Dr. Aldrich's research measures trends, patterns, or statistically significant changes in PPE supply in the nation’s nearly 7,000 U.S. hospitals. Read more >>

February 2022

The School of Nursing at Western Carolina University has received a $2.2 million grant from the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) to provide financial and academic support for nursing students from low-income, first-generation, and minority backgrounds to enhance classroom and workforce diversity. The funding will create a four-year Pathways to Equity in Nursing program, which will provide scholarship and stipend support for up to 25 students per year. Read more >>
The University at Buffalo (UB) School of Nursing will use a $2.3 million HRSA grant to design a “mindful approach” to reducing burnout and promoting resilience among healthcare workers in rural and underserved areas. The grant supports UB’s Health and Public Safety Workforce Resiliency Training Program. Read more >>
East Tennessee State University’s (ETSU) College of Nursing recently received a $569,025 HRSA grant that will allow the ETSU Health Community Health Centers to increase and improve services at clinics in Hancock County and Johnson City. The grant is part of the American Rescue Plan funding. Read more >>
Increasing resiliency and reducing burnout among University of Maine School of Nursing students, faculty, and staff will be the focus of WellNurse, a new initiative made possible by a $1.5 million HRSA award to support and advance health and public safety workforce resiliency training. Read more >>
Marquette University is teaming up with Froedtert Hospital to shorten orientation for graduating nurses. The program offers one-on-one mentorship with the goal of getting students onto the front lines quicker. Read more >>
Faculty members from the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth College of Nursing & Health Sciences were part of a research team recently awarded a two-year $595,485 grant from the Foundation for Opioid Response Efforts. Their project, titled “Novel Organizational Simulation Training to Improve Graduate’s Mastery & Attitudes (NO STIGMA),” aims to develop an evidence-based toolkit of high-fidelity simulations for undergraduate, masters, and doctoral nursing students to address stigma towards populations with opioid use disorder. Read more >>
Dr. Roberta Waite will be the next dean at Georgetown University’s School of Nursing. She will begin May 1 as a professor of nursing and then assume her role as dean on July 1. Dr. Waite arrives at Georgetown from Drexel University, where she is a professor of nursing and executive director of the university’s Stephen and Sandra Sheller 11th Street Family Health Services – a nurse-managed community-based organization that provides comprehensive care to thousands of individuals each year. Read more >>
Dr. Laurie A. Badzek, dean of the Ross and Carol Nese College of Nursing at Penn State, has been elected as a Hastings Center fellow in recognition of her work in genomics, ethics, and their intersection with law and patient care; specifically, she champions the ethical use of genomics to optimize patient care. Specializing in bioethics, the Hastings Center is a think tank aiming to answer profound questions that are the result of advancements in health, science, and technology. Read more >>
A $3 million gift to the University of California, Irvine from the Sue J. Gross Foundation will expand training and education opportunities in the Sue & Bill Gross School of Nursing. The gift includes $2 million to fund construction of a high-tech, state-of-the-art simulation center for team-based interprofessional exercises and an additional $1 million to establish the Founding Dean Adey Nyamathi Endowment, which will provide nursing PhD scholarships. Read more >>
Villanova University’s M. Louise Fitzpatrick College of Nursing has received another $2.5 million commitment from the Bedford Falls Fund, increasing the fund’s giving to the college over the past year to a total of $5 million. This support will be used to expand the college’s second degree accelerated BSN degree program. Read more >>

March 2022

The University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing has received a $125 million gift to establish a tuition-free program to recruit, educate, and deploy nurse practitioners in underserved communities across the country. The gift, the largest ever to an American nursing school, was made by Leonard A. Lauder, a Penn alumnus and chairman emeritus of The Estée Lauder Companies. Read more >>
Dr. Linda Aiken, the Claire M. Fagin Leadership Professor of Nursing and a professor of sociology at the University of Pennsylvania, has announced her intention to create the Linda Harman Aiken Chair at the University of Florida (UF) College of Nursing. Dr. Aiken, who earned her BSN and MSN degrees from UF, said she hopes her gift will help UF nurse researchers continue to lead the way in developing innovative care practices, impacting public policy for the greater good. Read more >>
The University of Texas at Arlington College of Nursing and Health Innovation has launched a new center to enhance access to health care for Texas’ rural communities. The Center for Rural Health and Nursing is funded by a $4 million legislative appropriation by the state of Texas. The funding will support the center’s efforts to improve rural nursing education and the health outcomes of rural populations. Read more >>
Dr. Brigit Carter with the Duke University School of Nursing will be honored by Josiah Macy Jr. Foundation with an Individual Excellence Award at the Beyond Flexner Alliance Conference on March 28, 2022. This award is given is to recognize outstanding leadership in promoting social mission in health professions education. Dr. Carter’s work has focused on recruiting, admitting, retaining, and supporting under-represented students into nursing. She ushered in holistic admission processes at Duke and accelerated diversity and inclusion efforts across all academic programs while engaging clinical partnerships across the health system.
The University of Colorado (UC) College of Nursing at Anschutz Medical Campus and Fort Lewis College (FLC) have announced a new partnership to create a four-year undergraduate degree in nursing, bringing the state’s flagship medical institute of higher education to the rural and Indigenous-serving campus of Southwest Colorado. Ushering in a new model of health and collaboration in higher education, FLC and UC are combining hands-on, culturally sensitive, patient-centered health care with the latest trends in medicine. Read more >>
The University of Houston College of Nursing has received a $550,000 grant from the Burt and Mae Dean Wheeler Foundation to benefit healthcare services for Houston’s homeless population. The college’s Nurse Managed Health Clinic provides services to the area’s homeless and working poor. Nurse practitioners and nurses provide wellness exams, management of acute and chronic conditions, and treatment of minor injuries, colds, and flu. Read more >>
The University of Nebraska Medical Center College of Nursing has received a three-year, $2.2 million grant to work with partners across Nebraska to develop and deploy resources that will promote resiliency and mental health in the nursing workforce. The project includes collaborations with the Nebraska Board of Nursing and the Nebraska Center for Nursing and will be aimed at nursing students, registered nurses, and advanced practice registered nurses, as well as their employers, working in rural and medically underserved areas. Read more >>
A research team led by faculty at the Boise State University School of Nursing received an American Association of Critical Care Nurses grant for $49,171 to study new methods of preventing pressure injuries in intensive care unit patients. The study will use data science and predictive analytics to improve in-hospital risk assessment procedures. Read more >>

April 2022

Dr. Marie T. Nolan has been appointed as the next dean of the Conway School of Nursing at Catholic University. Dr. Nolan presently is the M. Adelaide Nutting Endowed Chair at Johns Hopkins School of Nursing. She will assume her new duties in May. Read more >>
Dr. Seon-Yoon Chung has been selected as the next dean of the College of Nursing at the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh, effective July 1. She currently serves as associate dean and faculty member in the Mennonite College of Nursing at Illinois State University.
Read more >>
Columbia University School of Nursing’s Certificate of Professional Achievement in Transgender Non-Binary (Trans NB) Health Care for Advance Practice Nurses and PAs will welcome its first cohort in September 2022. The program is designed for advanced practice nurses and physician assistants to advance their knowledge and skills to provide quality care to trans NB people. Read more >>
The University of Portland School of Nursing (UPSON) is changing its name to the School of Nursing and Health Innovations effective July 1. The change is primarily due to the growth of the Integrative Health and Wellness program within UPSON, which was introduced three years ago. Read more >>
Hartwick College has received approval from the New York Department of Education to offer two new graduate programs: a master’s in nursing education (MSN) and a certificate of advanced study (CAS) in nursing education. The new offerings, which begin in May, are designed to be taken online, with support from experienced faculty mentors. Applicants need to have a BS/BSN and at least a year of experience in the field. Read more >>
The University of Tennessee, Knoxville College of Nursing has been awarded a $5.5 million grant from the Tennessee Department of Health to increase immunization rates for children and older adults in the state of Tennessee. The project will place 14 registered nurses across the state to provide county-level support to improve the rates of vaccination against COVID-19 and other vaccine-preventable diseases. Read more >>
Dr. Louise Reagan, an associate professor at the University of Connecticut School of Nursing, has received a grant from the American Diabetes Association for her research on developing a testing app to self-manage diabetes. The grant will help fund the development of a mobile app that can assist those re-entering society from prison with managing their diabetes. Read more >>
West Virginia Wesleyan College School of Nursing has been awarded $1 million through the state’s Nursing Workforce Expansion Program, which is designed to address the state’s nursing shortage through a multifaceted approach to attract, educate, and retain nurses. Through the award, the school plans to invest in state-of-the-art equipment to improve student experiences, including technology, lab equipment, and transportation to clinical sites. Read more >>

May 2022

Dr. Marianne Baernholdt has been named the new dean at the University of Virginia School of Nursing, effective August 1, 2022. She currently serves at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Nursing as the associate dean of global initiatives, the interim dean of research, and a founding director of its Pan American Health Organization/World Health Organization-Collaborating Center in Quality and Safety Education in Nursing and Midwifery. She will succeed Dr. Pamela Cipriano. Read more >>
Dr. Bimbola Akintade will be the new dean at the East Carolina University College of Nursing, effective July 1, succeeding Dr. Sylvia Brown, who has led the college as dean since 2009. Dr. Akintade is an associate dean at the University of Maryland School of Nursing and an acute care nurse practitioner in the post anesthesia care and trauma surgical intensive care units at the University of Maryland Medical Center. Read more >>
The University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) has announced Dr. Maria Rodriguez Shirey, associate dean for clinical and global partnerships and inaugural holder of UAB’s Jane H. Brock–Florence Nightingale Endowed Professorship in Nursing, as the next dean of the UAB School of Nursing, effective June 1. She will succeed Dr. Doreen Harper, who led the school for 17 years. Read more >>
The Purdue University School of Nursing has received a gift of $14 million to endow the headship, contribute toward equipment for the planned nursing and pharmacy education building, create a new endowed scholarship for the accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing program, and add to their existing scholarship endowments. The gift is from Purdue alumni Mark and Maureen Miller. Read more >>
Case Western Reserve University School of Nursing alumna Dr. Cheryl E. McRae-Bergeron has given a $5.5 million estate commitment to the school. The endowed scholarship fund will support at least one full-tuition scholarship annually to a student pursuing a DNP in the school’s nurse anesthesia program. The remaining funds will provide half-scholarship awards as available. Read more >>
Dr. Kathleen Neville, associate dean of graduate studies and research at Seton Hall University College of Nursing, has been awarded a 2022-2023 Fulbright US Scholar Award. Dr. Neville will conduct a mixed-method research investigation exploring nursing students' perceptions of individuals with opioid use disorders. Read more >>
Dr. Bernadette Melnyk, vice president for health promotion, university chief wellness officer, and College of Nursing dean at The Ohio State University, received an Honorary Doctor of Science degree during commencement ceremonies at The State University of New York’s Upstate Medical University. The honorary doctorate degree is the highest form of recognition offered by the Board of Trustees of The State University of New York to individuals of exceptional distinction. Read more >>
Dr. Mary A. Nies, professor at Idaho State University’s School of Nursing, is one of five university faculty members to receive the 2022 Outstanding Research award. This is the second year in a row that she has received this honor, and she is the first nurse scientist to receive this award. Read more >>
Marquette University has received a $1 million gift from an alumni couple, Micky and Jennifer Minhas, which will launch an effort to renovate and build an addition for the new home for the College of Nursing in the heart of campus. Read more >>
The Michigan ELNEC Initiative, funded by the Michigan Health Endowment Fund, will help 2,000 nursing students achieve the primary palliative care skills they need to enter professional practice. The ELNEC undergraduate program was developed by experts to facilitate the development of primary palliative care competencies in nursing students. Upon completion, nurses will have the requisite skills to care and advocate for patients with serious illness and their families. For more information, contact Dr. Toni Glover, associate professor and principal investigator, at tglover@oakand.edu.
HCA Florida Healthcare is partnering with Florida International University (FIU) by donating $1.5 million to help increase recruitment for FIU’s nurse educator programs and expand the number of registered nurses qualified to teach in nursing programs. The gift will fund scholarships to attract eligible students in all programs and support the addition of faculty positions with FIU nursing. Read more >>
Grand Valley State University Kirkhof College of Nursing and BHSH System have announced the creation of the BHSH Spectrum Health West Michigan Nurse Scholar program, which will establish an opportunity for nearly 500 additional students to pursue a nursing career over the next six years. The health system is investing more than $19 million to provide infrastructure, start-up costs, and resources for increased clinical placements, training, and other support for students in the program. Read more >>
Over the next three years, Indiana University (IU) School of Nursing at IUPUI plans to increase undergraduate student enrollment by 50%, thanks to a $16 million gift from IU Health. As part of the partnership, IU Health also will ensure that new IU nursing students qualifying for clinical rotation are guaranteed placement at an IU Health facility.
Read more >>
Penn State’s Ross and Carol Nese College of Nursing is partnering with two Penn State Health hospitals to elevate the quality of care provided to survivors of sexual assault. The two hospitals will enhance support for these patients through secure telehealth technology. Registered nurses in the emergency departments at both hospitals who have completed sexual assault nurse examiner training are joining with the college’s sexual assault forensic examination telehealth systems. Read more >>
University of Connecticut School of Nursing PhD students Tingting Zhao and Bright Eze have been awarded F31 grants from the National Institute of Nursing Research, which are granted to pre-doctoral students to facilitate their research as they navigate their dissertation work. Zhao’s research studies the impact of pain and stress experienced during a preterm infant’s early life on their neurobehavioral outcomes later in life. Eze is researching the disproportionate burdens of chronic pain for Black individuals compared to non-Hispanic whites. Read more >>

June 2022

Dr. Bo Fernhall has been appointed dean of the Manning College of Nursing and Health Sciences at the University of Massachusetts Boston, effective August 15. Dr. Fernhall is completing his 11th year as dean of the College of Applied Health Sciences at the University of Illinois Chicago (UIC). Prior to joining UIC, he held positions at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Syracuse University, George Washington University Medical Center, and the University of Rhode Island. Read more >>
Dr. Valerie Howard, vice dean for academic affairs and a clinical professor in the School of Nursing at Duke University, has been named dean of the School of Nursing at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, effective August 1. Prior to her appointment at Duke, Dr. Howard was at the Robert Morris University where she held numerous faculty and administrator positions, rising from an assistant professor to dean of the School of Nursing and Health Sciences. Read More >>
Dr. Rhonda E. Maneval has been appointed dean of the College of Health and Wellness at Carlow University. She will begin her new role on July 1, replacing Dr. Lynn George, who served as dean of the college since July 2015. Dr. Maneval currently serves as vice dean and professor for the College of Health Professions and the Lienhard School of Nursing at Pace University. Her leadership background spans three decades and includes Michigan State University, Temple University, and Harrisburg Area Community College. Read More >>
Dr. Annette B. Wysocki, has been appointed dean of the University at Buffalo School of Nursing, effective July 2022. She currently is dean and professor at the Stony Brook University School of Nursing. She will succeed Dr. Marsha Lewis. In 2019, Dr. Wysocki joined Stony Brook University from the University of Massachusetts Amherst, where she served as associate dean for research and professor in the College of Nursing. At UMass Amherst, she was instrumental in establishing the UManage Center, an interdisciplinary research center focused on developing technologies to manage symptoms of chronic illness. Read more >>
Loyola University Chicago’s Marcella Niehoff School of Nursing has received a $4 million gift from the Sisters of the Resurrection, which will increase access for underrepresented students pursuing a BSN. The endowment supports scholarships for students in the CARE (Collaboration, Access, Resources, and Equity) Pathway, created with grant funding from the Health Resources and Services Administration and the Illinois Board of Higher Education with the goal of increasing the recruitment of Black and Latinx students and faculty to Loyola’s BSN program. Read more >>
The University of Hawaii at Manoa is now officially recognized as the home of the Nancy Atmospera-Walch School of Nursing. The school was renamed in honor of Dr. Atmospera-Walch for her transformational gift that will have an enduring impact on the quality of nursing education, student success, community service, and the nursing profession. Read more >>
The University of Pittsburgh School of Nursing is the first school in western Pennsylvania to offer a new post-graduate certificate program that will help meet the growing need for certified pediatric acute care nurse practitioners in the country. In March, the PA State Board of Nursing approved the school’s Pediatric Acute Care Nurse Practitioner Post-Graduate Certificate program. The first cohort will start in the fall 2022. Read more >>
The University of Rochester School of Nursing has unveiled a state-of-the-art $15 million addition to its Helen Wood Hall, which will transform nursing education for generations of future healthcare providers. The expansion was designed to meet the increasing need for technologically advanced and synergistic learning opportunities while accommodating the school’s continued growth. Read more >>
Vanderbilt University School of Nursing has launched a Master of Nursing degree to help meet the high demand for RNs in healthcare settings throughout the nation. The program aims to attract people looking for a career change or those with a bachelor’s degree in another field. Applications are open and will be accepted through August 2022. The program will begin in spring 2023. Read more >>

July 2022

Gwynedd Mercy University has received a $10 million gift from The Maguire Foundation to build the Frances M. Maguire Healthcare Innovation Campus, which is part of a broader strategic plan to address a pressing nationwide shortage of healthcare professionals, and build on the university’s strength in and reputation for training highly-skilled compassionate care professions in the Mercy tradition. Read more >>
The School of Nursing at UT Health San Antonio has received $16 million from the Texas Department of Health and Human Services to expand its successful Casa Mia recovery program for pregnant and parenting mothers with opioid use disorder and their children and expand these services to women with any type of substance use disorder. About $9 million of the funding will be used to replicate this program in two additional Texas communities through partnerships with national nonprofit agencies (Dimas Charities and WestCare Foundation) and to maintain the current San Antonio location. The remaining $7 million will pilot a new supportive housing program. Read more >>
East Tennessee State University (ETSU) has been awarded a two-year, $400,000 grant from the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) to expand services in two ETSU Health College of Nursing primary care clinics. The Rural Expansion Program for At-risk Communities to Promote Health Outcomes through the Integration of Mental Health and Enabling Services (REACH ME) project is led by Dr. Kim Ferguson, assistant professor in the College of Nursing. It will address the critical need for integrating mental health and enabling services to provide comprehensive care to children, youth, families, and the community. Read more >>
Azusa Pacific University’s (APU) School of Nursing has received a $1 million grant from HRSA’s Nurse Faculty Loan Program. The program will decrease financial barriers in pursuing higher education for nursing students, especially those from disadvantaged backgrounds, and help APU develop collaborative partnerships to address health disparities, social determinants of health, and the needs of rural and underserved populations through teaching and training. Read more >>
Dr. Lisa Pair, assistant professor at the University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Nursing, is working toward enhancing diversity, equity, and inclusion in the school’s Women’s Health Nurse Practitioner Pathway with the support of an Alabama League for Nursing Faculty in Nursing scholarship grant. Dr. Pair is working with the school’s Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion to assess content within the pathway’s curriculum to ensure it meets the needs of all populations. Read more >>

August 2022

The University of Maryland School of Nursing’s Dr. Yolanda Ogbolu, associate professor; chair, Department of Partnerships, Professional Education, and Practice; and co-director, Center for Health Equity and Outcomes Research, has been awarded a $2.4 million Pathways to Health Equity grant by the Maryland Community Health Resources Commission for a project that will address disparities in hypertension and social isolation in West Baltimore. Read more >>
The University of South Florida College of Nursing will increase access to health care in medically underserved areas via a nurse-managed Mobile Health Unit supported in part by a 4-year, $3.85 million Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) grant. Services to be offered include primary care, common acute and chronic health care, point of care tests, and immunizations. Read more >>
Seton Hall University’s College of Nursing has been awarded a $3.6 million HRSA grant through its Nurse Education, Practice, Quality and Retention-Mobile Health Training Program. The project allows graduate students in the college’s adult-gerontology primary care, pediatric primary care, and psychiatric-mental health nurse practitioner programs to engage in a semester-long clinical experience on the mobile healthcare units in Newark, NJ. Read more >>
Dr. Susan J. Loeb, professor at Penn State University’s Ross and Carol Nese College of Nursing and College of Medicine, was recently awarded a National Institutes of Health/National Institute on Aging grant for her research study titled "Computer-based Learning to Enhance ADRD Care in Prison: Just Care for Dementia." Read more >>

Dr. Lisa A. Kitko has been named the next dean of the University of Rochester School of Nursing, effective September 1. Currently the associate dean for graduate education and director of the PhD program at the Ross and Carol Nese College of Nursing at Penn State University, Dr. Kitko will replace Dr. Kathy Rideout, who is stepping down after 11 years as dean. Read more >>
Dr. Whitney Nash is the new dean of Georgia Southern University’s Waters College of Health Professions, effective August 1. Dr. Nash most recently was at the University of Louisville, where she served as a professor in the School of Nursing, associate dean of practice and service, and associate vice president of interprofessional practice. Read more >>
Dr. Ann Kurth, dean of the Yale School of Nursing, will step down at the end of the fall semester to assume a new position as president of the New York Academy of Medicine. An epidemiologist and clinically trained nurse midwife, she will be the first nonphysician to lead the academy in its 175-year history. Read more >>
Dr. Cheryl Killion has been selected as the 2022-2023 National Academy of Medicine (NAM) Distinguished Nurse Scholar-in-Residence, a year-long immersion experience for an Academy Fellow to leverage their expertise and play a prominent role in health policy at the federal level while engaging in interprofessional collaboration with scholars at the NAM. Dr. Killion is an associate professor at Case Western University’s Frances Payne Bolton School of Nursing. Read more >>
Dr. Ruth Kleinpell, associate dean and professor at Vanderbilt University School of Nursing, received a 2022 Fellow of American Association of Nurse Practitioners’ (AANP) Legacy Award at the 2022 AANP annual conference in June and the 2022 Rebecca Clark Culpepper Education and Mentorship Award, given jointly by Vanderbilt University School of Nursing and Vanderbilt University Medical Center, in May. Read more >>

September 2022

Dr. Christine E. Kasper has been named the new dean of the University of Pittsburgh School of Nursing, effective January 1, 2023. Dr. Kasper has served the past four years as dean of the University of New Mexico’s (UNM) College of Nursing. She will succeed Dr. Jacqueline Dunbar-Jacob, dean and distinguished service professor of nursing. Before joining UNM, Dr. Kasper served as a senior nurse executive in the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Office of Nursing Services. Read more >>
Dr. Paula Alexander-Delpech has been named the interim chief diversity and inclusion officer at Frontier Nursing University (FNU). Dr. Alexander-Delpech currently serves at FNU as an associate professor; chair of the Health Equity Subcommittee; chair of the President’s Task Force on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion; and chair of the Faculty, Staff, and Preceptor Development and Retention Committee. Read more >>
The University of Virginia School of Nursing has received a new $14 million commitment from benefactors William Conway, Jr. and his wife, Joanne, amplifying their previous support, which now totals $49 million. The new gift will provide need- and eligibility-based scholarships to both graduate and undergraduate students to cover tuition, school fees, room and board, and books. Funding also will be used to support scholarships specifically for Clinical Nurse Leader master’s students who have transitioned to nursing from other careers, as well as doctoral students who plan to become nursing professors and nurse scientists. Read more >>
Villanova University’s M. Louise Fitzpatrick College of Nursing has received another $2.5 million commitment from the Bedford Falls Fund to launch an accelerated PhD track. This latest gift from philanthropists William Conway, Jr. and his wife, Joanne, establishes a PhD Fellows Program over the next five years to support 25 students who want to pursue the accelerated PhD in Nursing. Read more >>

October 2022

Dr. Lei Zhang, professor and associate dean for research and scholarship at the University of Mississippi Medical Center School of Nursing, has been awarded two grants: $5.5 million from the National Institutes of Health to establish the Mississippi Violence Injury Prevention Program and $2 million from the Department of Health and Human Services to help prevent domestic violence against women. Read more >>
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Health Resources and Services Administration has awarded the Emory University Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing four grants totaling more than $11.8 million for work in health delivery and training programs serving underserved areas of Atlanta, the state of Georgia, and the Southeast. Read more >>
The University of Florida (UF) College of Nursing and UF Health Shands Hospital are partnering to develop and fund research and innovation projects. Eight initiatives will be carried out, with each team comprised of at least one lead investigator from the College of Nursing and one from UF Health Shands Nursing, as well as co-investigators and consultants to provide added expertise. Read more >>
The Murray State University School of Nursing and Murray-Calloway County Hospital were awarded a $307,800 workforce development grant that will be used to enhance clinical experiences for nursing students and to assist already practicing nurses in advancing their education. Read more >>
The Boston College Connell School of Nursing and Xavier University-Ateneo de Cagayan College of Nursing in the Philippines have signed a memorandum of understanding that formally brings together these international Catholic, Jesuit universities. The agreement is designed to support and facilitate collaboration between the nursing schools for academic and research engagement. Read more >>
The Virginia Commonwealth University School of Nursing has received a $13 million gift from philanthropists Joanne and Bill Conway through their Bedford Falls Foundation. The gift, the largest in the school’s history, will enable the school to provide scholarships to reduce the cost of a nursing education for more than 1,000 undergraduate and doctoral students over the next 5 years. Read more >>
Dr. Christine M. Kennedy, dean of the Rush University College of Nursing, has been named Rush University’s interim provost and vice president while continuing in her role as dean. Prior to joining the university in 2020, Dr. Kennedy served as the chief academic officer for the University of Virginia (UVA) School of Nursing and was professor of nursing and professor of pediatrics in the UVA School of Medicine. She is also professor emerita at the University of California San Francisco School of Nursing. Read more >>
Dr. Rosalie Mainous has been named dean of the University of Kentucky College of Nursing, effective November 14, 2022. She most recently served as special assistant to the provost at Texas Woman’s University (TWU). She also previously served as dean of the TWU College of Nursing. Dr. Mainous' distinguished career includes leadership positions at AACN, Wright State University-Miami Valley College of Nursing and Health, and the University of Louisville School of Nursing. Read more >>
Dr. Mei R. Fu has been named dean of the George Washington University School of Nursing, effective January 3, 2023. She currently serves as senior associate dean for research at Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey-Camden School of Nursing. Prior to joining Rutgers, Dr. Fu held the inaugural Barry Family and Goldman Sachs Endowed Chair of Professorship in Nursing at Boston College Connell School of Nursing and faculty positions at New York University. Read more >>

November 2022

A University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences partnership involving the Donald W. Reynolds Institute on Aging, Centers on Aging, College of Nursing, and the Arkansas Hartford Center of Geriatric Nursing Excellence has received $550,000 in awards for programs that address food insecurity and suicide among older adults. The Arkansas Nurse-Led Academic Community Partnership has a goal of identifying high rates of risk for food insecurity, suicide, and social isolation in the state, particularly among marginalized older adults. Read more >>
Texas Christian University (TCU) has received a $1 million grant from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation to prioritize research topics to advance racial health equity. Dr. Dru Riddle, associate professor of Professional Practice in Nurse Anesthesia and director of TCU’s Center for Translational Research, will lead a collaboration of investigators and institutions in a comprehensive effort to listen to stakeholders and communities, perform landscape analyses of existing resources, and prioritize next steps for systematic reviews with the goal of reducing health disparities. Read more >>
The state government of Hawai’i has released $1.75 million for 39 new instructor positions to help address that state’s severe nursing faculty shortage and to support University of Hawai'i (UH) nursing programs statewide. The initiative will help UH graduate more nurses to meet the workforce demands of the state. Read more >>
On October 13, the University of Maryland School of Nursing welcomed representatives from the Maryland Community Health Resources Commission (CHRC) and from the West Baltimore community to celebrate the awarding of a $2.4 million Pathways for Health Equity Grant from CHRC for the West Baltimore RICH (Reducing Isolation and Inequities in Cardiovascular Health) Collaborative. Read more >>
Johns Hopkins School of Nursing Professor Nancy Reynolds has been elected vice chair of the Consortium of Universities for Global Health. The organization supports more than 200 academic institutions and associations dedicated to addressing global health challenges. Dr. Reynolds will hold the position until March 2024, after which she will become Board Chair. Read more >>
Beginning in fall 2023, aspiring nursing students from Montana high schools will be guaranteed admission into the BSN program in the Mark and Robyn Jones College of Nursing at Montana State University (MSU). The intent behind the Montana Nursing Direct Entry Program is to give Montana residents greater peace of mind in pursuing a BSN at MSU, and to streamline the path for them to stay in their home state to practice once they graduate. Read more >>

December 2022

Dr. Barbara Bates-Jensen, professor at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), School of Nursing, has been awarded more than $3 million for a new R01 grant by the National Institute of Nursing Research to conduct a 4-year pragmatic, multi-site study of pressure injuries in nursing homes. This study will be conducted across eight nursing homes and will examine the use of subepidermal moisture assessment results as a cue for nursing staff to initiate pressure injury prevention. Read more >>
The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention has awarded a three-year, $1.5 million grant to a partnership of The Ohio State University, the University of California San Diego, and the American Nurses Association to determine the best intervention strategy for preventing nurse suicide. The project is led by Dr. Bernadette Melnyk, vice president for health promotion, university chief wellness officer, and dean of the College of Nursing at Ohio State, and Dr. Judy Davidson, nurse scientist at the University of California San Diego. Read more >>
George Mason University’s School of Nursing, in the College of Public Health, and MedStar Washington Hospital Center have established the Future Nurse Program to prepare nurses for clinical practice and to address critical nursing workforce shortages in the region. MedStar Health will cover in-state tuition for Accelerated Second Degree BSN students accepted into the program for students who agree to work for three years as a full-time licensed registered nurse at MedStar Washington Hospital Center after graduation. Read more >>
The University of Mississippi Medical Center (UMMC) School of Nursing is partnering with Mississippi State University (MSU) to give students an additional nursing degree pathway with dual degrees. The program allows completion of an MSU degree in interdisciplinary studies alongside a UMMC nursing degree. Read more >>
The University of Rhode Island (URI) has appointed Dr. Barbara E. Wolfe as its new provost and executive vice president for academic affairs. Dr. Wolfe, an internationally recognized expert on psychiatric and mental health nursing and eating disorders, has served as dean of the URI College of Nursing since 2016. Read more >>
The Lauder Foundation has presented a gift of $10 million to the Hunter College School of Nursing. The gift creates the Evelyn H. Lauder Nursing Fund, which will fund salaries and research to attract faculty, provide scholarships for students, and purchase and maintain rapidly changing nursing technology. Read more >>
The National Forum for Heart Disease and Stroke Prevention has elected Dr. Bernadette Melnyk as its new vice-chair of the Board of Directors for the 2022-2023. Dr. Melnyk, who serves as vice president for health promotion, university chief wellness officer, and College of Nursing dean at The Ohio State University, will become chair of the Board during the 2023-2024 term. Read more >>
Dr. Lisa O’Connor, dean of the Quinnipiac University School of Nursing, will step down from her position on June 30, 2023. She joined the Quinnipiac faculty as an assistant professor in 2003, and she succeeded founding dean Dr. Jean Lange in 2018. Dr. O’Connor will continue as a faculty member at Quinnipiac. Read more >>
Dr. Thomas Kippenbrock, professor in the Eleanor Mann School of Nursing at the University of Arkansas, recently received the American Association of Men in Nursing's Luther Christman Award for his service to the organization and distinguished career in nursing. Read more >>
The University of Central Florida (UCF) has announced a $10 million donation from The Dr. Phillips Charities to support the College of Nursing’s new building, which will help UCF graduate more nurses and combat the nation’s nursing shortage while fostering more innovation and collaboration. Read more >>