Rochester Nursing Magazine: 100 Years Commemorative Issue

Building the Future

One hundred years. A milestone that invites both reflection and renewal.

As we celebrate the University of Rochester School of Nursing’s centennial, we not only look back with pride at a century of impact — we look forward with purpose, ready to shape the next hundred years of nursing innovation, education, and care.

Our origin as part of an integrated academic medical center was visionary for its time — established in 1925 alongside Strong Memorial Hospital and the School of Medicine and Dentistry. From the outset, Rochester’s founders insisted on scientific rigor, hands-on patient care, and a commitment to public health as the blueprint for preparing health professionals. Helen Wood helped bring a collegiate model to nursing, linking classroom learning, clinical service, and community engagement in ways few schools dared pursue.

The pathway has not always been smooth. Like many institutions, our early years reflected the norms and exclusions of the time. Generations of dedicated students, faculty, and leaders have since expanded opportunities and raised expectations, shaping a school where curiosity, compassion, and courage continue to drive meaningful change.

Every day, I see that same spirit alive across our classrooms, clinics, and research labs — in the creativity of our students, the dedication of our faculty, and the impact our alumni are making in communities near and far.

A timeline in this issue traces our journey, and alumni profiles showcase how Rochester graduates have advanced health in classrooms, hospitals, and communities across the globe. Their stories remind us that rigorous academic preparation, hands-on experience, and an openness to new ideas remain the hallmarks of a Rochester education.

Looking ahead, we are expanding our reach to meet the evolving needs of health care and the communities we serve. The addition of our nurse anesthetist and physical therapy programs reflects a shared vision — preparing clinicians and leaders across disciplines who learn from one another and care together. Even as we grow across fields, we remain grounded in our nursing core: compassionate, evidence-based, and deeply committed to improving lives. This interprofessional spirit, rooted in our nursing tradition, continues to strengthen the connections that make Rochester a place where learning, discovery, and collaboration truly thrive.

As we celebrate this milestone and look toward our next century, let us carry forward the spirit of innovation and purpose that has fueled our school from the beginning. Our history is rooted in reform and guided by the idea that education, research, and patient care are strongest when united. The story of nursing at the University of Rochester is one of aspiration and action, of responding to challenges and setting new standards for generations to come.

The next 100 years will be written by all of us — by students, faculty and staff, alumni, and the partners who believe in our mission. Thank you for being part of our journey and for helping us keep the School ever better — for our patients, our profession, and our world.

HERE’S TO THE NEXT CENTURY!

Lisa Kitko, PhD, RN, FAHA, FAAN Dean, School of Nursing

Independence Foundation Chair in Nursing Education

Vice President, University of Rochester Medical Center

Professor of Nursing & Geriatric Medicine

1OO years of EXCELLENCE in NURSING

Who We Are

ENROLLMENT

Total: 812

RN-BS: 172

ABSN: 207

MDE: 7

DNP: 47

MS and Advanced Certificates (Nurse Practitioner): 213

MS and Advanced Certificates (Leadership): 84

MS and Advanced Certificates (Education): 65

DNP: 47

PhD: 17

*Ranked voting faculty, senior clinical instructors, post-doctoral fellows, and clinical instructors 22%

of students from historically marginalized communities (self-reported as non-White or non-Asian).

growth in enrollment since Fall 2024

SCHOLARSHIPS

$1.7M awarded from the School in grants and scholarships to more than 500 students 118 Staff 181 Faculty FACULTY – STAFF

Undergraduate Nursing Schools

PREPARING STUDENTS FOR PRACTICE

95% 91% NP Certification Exam Pass Rates NCLEX-RN First Time Pass Rate 2025

National League for Nursing Center of Excellence For Creating Environments that Enhance Student Learning & Professional Development

RESEARCH among nursing schools for NIH Funding

credits

EDITOR

Nora Williamson

ASSOCIATE EDITOR

Gianluca D’Elia

ART DIRECTOR & DESIGN

Christine Kennedy

FEATURE PHOTOGRAPHY

Gianluca D’Elia John Schlia

Jeff Witherow Matt Wittmeyer

COVER ILLUSTRATOR

Christine Kennedy

CONTRIBUTORS

Gianluca D’Elia Scott Norris

Emily Gillette Sheila Rayam

Scott Hesel Nora Williamson

URMC COMMUNICATIONS

B. Chip Partner AVP, Communications

ADVANCEMENT & ALUMNI RELATIONS

Melissa L. Head ’99W (MS) Executive Director for Advancement

Andrea Allen, Senior Director of Advancement and Alumni Relations

Mia Cannon, Senior Director of Alumni Relations and Volunteer Engagement

Rochester Nursing Magazine is published twice a year for alumni, students, and friends of the University of Rochester School of Nursing. It is published by the University of Rochester Medical Center Departments of Communications, Alumni Relations, and Advancement.

WRITE TO US

We welcome your letters and feedback concerning stories in the magazine or issues related to the University of Rochester School of Nursing. Send your comments to: Editor, NURSING Magazine

601 Elmwood Avenue, Box SON Rochester, NY 14642

SON-Communications@urmc.rochester.edu www.son.rochester.edu bsky.app/profile/urochesternursing. bsky.social facebook.com/urochesternursing/ instagram.com/urochesternursing linkedin.com/school/urochesternursing/ x.com/URochester_SON

from 10,000 nurses

22 Timeline: 100 years of nursing excellence

news & features

50 Understanding stress from the inside out

54 New directors lead program expansion

62 UNITY Initiative prepares next wave of mental health professionals

64 Caring for classrooms: Wayne County partnership boosts rural health

How well do you know our 100-year history? Find answers to these questions as you flip through our commemorative issue.

1.) The first “occupant” of the School of Nursing’s building was a _______ that belonged to one of the construction workers. (page 53)

2.) How many students were in the School of Nursing’s inaugural class in 1925? (page 53)

3.) What was the cost of bread when the School of Nursing opened? (page 65)

4.) Which iconic Jazz Age novel was published the same year the School opened? (page 63)

5.) Which U.S. president signed into law the program that helped the University of Rochester School of Nursing — and nursing schools nationwide — alleviate the severe nursing shortage during World War II by launching the United States Cadet Nurse Corps, an accelerated government-funded program enrolling hundreds of young women in nursing education? (page 14)

6.) Throughout the 1940s, what activity did the School of Nursing lead to help ease nursing students’ stress?(page 33)

7.) What year was it when New York officially recognized the NP role? (page 41)

8.) The School of Nursing introduced the first academic program for which nurse practitioner specialty? (page 43)

9.) Florence Jacoby, a friend of the School and the namesake of a conference room in the Loretta C. Ford Education Wing, created what first-of-its-kind role for nurses at Strong Memorial Hospital? (page 17)

10.) This School of Nursing master’s program, which prepares nurses to improve patient care at the point of care delivery, was one of the first of its kind in the U.S., and remains the only program of its kind in Upstate N.Y. today. (page 47)

A VISION IGNITED IN 1925

The University of Rochester School of Nursing formed during a time of healthcare transformation. A new model for academic medical centers was taking shape, integrating scientific research, patient care, and education.

Calls for reform were being taken up by individuals and organizations with the commitment, capability, and resources to carry them out. In 1925. the University of Rochester acted on that vision, establishing a School of Nursing that would become a model for transformation nationwide.

School of Nursing Origin Story

GOLDMARK REPORT

The 1923 Goldmark Report, commissioned by the Rockefeller Foundation, called for higher educational standards, more faculty training, and better integration with universities.

In 1923, the Goldmark Report articulated the vision for a university-based school of nursing with a scientific and educational foundation. Two years later, Rochester acted on that vision, establishing a School of Nursing that would become a model for transformation nationwide.

Helen Wood Hall was built as a dormitory for the new School of Nursing and welcomed its first student residents in 1926; in those early days, nurses entered through a temporary front door, sometimes padlocked by the night watchman after curfew, and braved an unfinished building surrounded by mud. Life inside was lively and close-knit, despite the ongoing construction and visiting carpenters, and Helen Wood Hall soon became a central home for generations of nursing students at the University of Rochester.

The University of Rochester School of Nursing formed during a time of healthcare transformation. A new model for academic medical centers was taking shape, integrating scientific research, patient care, and education. Calls for reform were being taken up by individuals and organizations with the commitment, capability, and resources to carry them out. In 1923, the Goldmark report, commissioned by the Rockefeller Foundation and formally titled Nursing and Nursing Education in the United States, articulated the vision for a university- based school of nursing with a scientific and educational foundation. The first superintendent of the School of Nursing, Helen Wood, served on the Committee for the Study of Nursing Education that published the report and was committed to implement its findings.

In 1925, Wood had fertile ground in which to bring the report’s recommendations to fruition. The Nursing School was established concurrently with Strong Memorial Hospital and the School of Medicine and Dentistry. That unification of education, clinical practice, and research in a single institution created an environment that would foster a century of innovation.

Most nursing schools at the time were hospital-based training programs. Student nurses provided a source of labor and spent long hours in wards and at patient bedsides with few hours devoted to learning. There was no standard curriculum and little formal instruction or academic supervision. Nursing was not recognized or defined as a profession. The Goldmark report identified these shortcomings and emphasized the need to develop a core of nurse leaders, administrators, and teachers to guide the profession.

Rochester was among the first nursing schools explicitly created to address the criticisms of the Goldmark report. The School of Nursing, then, originated as an agent of change, a model for the transformation of nursing education that

would be embraced nationwide. Its legacy was the creation of university-based, science-oriented program that elevated nursing from a hospital trade to a respected, academic profession where clinical experience complemented classroom instruction instead of replacing it.

Wood built a curriculum grounded in biological and social sciences rather than clinical labor. Students took courses in liberal arts as well as in biology, chemistry, psychology, and public health. A five-year program was established that led to a Bachelor of Science degree awarded by the College of Arts and Sciences. After three years of liberal arts, most students would spend two years and two summers completing the nursing degree requirements. The program aimed to produce nurse leaders, teachers, and administrators and graduates were expected to participate in public health and community nursing, reflecting the Goldmark report’s emphasis on social responsibility.

While not all the recommendations of the Goldmark report were achieved at the onset, its primary goals were realized as the school continued to evolve in structure and governance. Eventually, it would become comparable organizationally — in autonomy, financing, faculty and facilities — to the School of Medicine. Wood and the deans and directors that followed continued to advocate for interdisciplinary integration so that nursing education would align scientifically with medicine.

The guiding principles set out at the school’s origins continue to bear fruit today. Research programs address challenges and problems encountered in clinical practice. Education and research emphasize scientific rigor, the art of nursing practice, and the values that underpin care. Nursing care stems from multidisciplinary efforts to prepare providers, plan, deliver and evaluate services, and encourage the discourse that drives health policy.

A CENTURY of Nursing Excellence

Honoring our past, celebrating our present, and shaping our future together 10,000 alumni. 11 stories.

In Summer 2025, the School of Nursing reached a milestone of 10,000 alumni. Each of these accomplished nurses and healthcare professionals holds a special place in the School’s 100-year story. In honor of its 100th anniversary, the School of Nursing caught up with alumni across various career paths and class years to learn how Rochester remains part of their stories.

Each graduate carries different pieces of their Rochester education with them. The School of Nursing is in the stories they tell their own students as educators, the research questions they ask, the care they provide in their communities, their approach as leaders on interdisciplinary teams, and their determination to keep improving health outcomes for all.

STORIES FROM OUR NURSES

Jacquelyn Campbell ’86N (PhD) pg. 16

Meghan Aldrich ’08N (MS), ’16N (DNP) pg. 18

Tamala David ’06N (MS), ’1ON (PhD) pg. 20

Orlando Harris ’10N (MS), ’14N (PhD) pg. 24

Daniel Arellano ’08N, ’10N (MS) pg. 26

Arnice Jackson ’11N pg. 28

Elizabeth Sieverding ’12, ‘13N pg. 32

Mark Lin ’15N pg. 34

E. Kate Valcin ’18N (PMC), ’20N (DNP) pg. 36

Lindsay Doyle ’20N (MS) pg. 40

Claire Conwell ’24N (MS) pg. 42

Celebrating a Century

On Sept. 15, 1925, the School of Nursing’s first students stepped foot on campus. Today, we celebrate 100 years of elevating nursing as both a profession and a discipline through excellence in education, practice, and research. Here’s a look at how the School of Nursing community has been celebrating our 100th anniversary so far.

Pinning Ceremony Marks 10K Alumni

As 80 nursing students from the School of Nursing’s undergraduate programs crossed the stage at the summer pinning ceremony on Aug. 23, the moment marked a major milestone: on the cusp of turning 100 years old, the School also became 10,000 alumni strong.

Graduates join a robust network of thousands of accomplished nurses and healthcare professionals who are stepping up as leaders and educators, advancing practice, driving research, and creating new models of care.

“As I look at each of you in front of me, I see the victories, answered prayers, and bravery that led up to today and will carry you into the future,” said ABSN student speaker Maekeda Binns ’25N. “It’s never too late to start your journey. Each experience will make you stronger and more compassionate.”

First Day of Classes

At the start of the semester, the School of Nursing’s Fall Orientation welcomed more than 80 new Accelerated Bachelor’s students and the very first cohort of the Master’s Direct Entry program, who will become registered nurses and develop additional skills in healthcare leadership, policy, quality, and other key areas throughout their 16 months here.

The School also piloted a new faculty orientation, inviting new colleagues — including new program directors, clinical instructors, and researchers — to make connections, learn about resources, and foster a stronger sense of belonging.

Meliora Weekend

5. Which U.S. president signed into law the program that helped the University of Rochester School of Nursing — and schools nationwide — alleviate the severe nursing shortage during World War II by launching the U.S. Cadet Nurse Corps? Franklin D. Roosevelt

More than 100 School of Nursing alumni returned to campus for a weekend of inspiration and celebration at Meliora Weekend, the University of Rochester’s signature fall event.

At this year’s Clare Dennison Lecture, Professor Emeritus Madeline Schmitt ’65N, ’70N (MS), Assistant Professor Meredith Kells, PhD, RN, CPNP, FSAHM, and alumna and dean emerita of New York University Rory Meyers College of Nursing Eileen Sullivan-Marx ’80N (MS) reflected on how inaugural School of Nursing Dean Loretta Ford expanded and elevated nurses’ role in healthcare, and how they have carried on her legacy through their work.

reunion, a display of historic items from Edward G. Miner Library in the Heritage Room, and a luncheon and poster session that highlighted student-led research and initiatives. During the lunch, the Class of 1959 presented its annual scholarship award and copies of Nightingale Tales: Stories From My Life as a Nurse by Lynn Dow ’59N to Accelerated Bachelor’s students Kennady Krog and Brittany Dam.

Ford, who died at age 104 in January 2025, was known nationally for co-founding the nurse practitioner profession and implementing the Unification Model, an approach to nursing that emphasizes the interdependence of education, research, and care.

“The Unification Model stuck with me. That’s why I loved Rochester,” Sullivan-Marx shared. “The integration of education, research, and practice — I continued to do that everywhere I went.”

Additional weekend highlights included a State of the School address by Dean Lisa Kitko, the Class of 1975’s 50-year

You Can Join the Celebration

Join us in celebrating the University of Rochester Medical Center’s 100th year by visiting our Centennial website, where you can explore our history and library resources, shop for limited edition merchandise, and add Centennial flair to your wallpapers, Zoom backgrounds, email signatures, and more! Visit urson.us/urmc-100 or scan this code:

A Steadfast Focus on the Prevention of Intimate Partner Violence

Jacquelyn Cambell, ’86N (PhD)

Asked how the PhD program at the University of Rochester helped to shape her career, Jacquelyn Campbell ’86N (PhD), now a professor at Johns Hopkins School of Nursing and a nationally recognized researcher in intimate partner violence (IPV), recalls being “scared half to death of the gentleman who used to teach us statistics.” Statistics was not her strong point going in, she said, “but he (Dr. Thomas “Tom” Knapp) taught us well, and he made sure we learned it.”

The rigor of the Rochester program, where PhD candidates submitted for a pre-doctorate fellowship from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in the second semester, set in motion a career focus she has pursued relentlessly ever since. “I didn’t know anything about writing a grant,” she said, “but that was part of our PhD programming.” Her research topic, involving mental and physical responses of women to abuse, received a perfect score. The NIH-funded study, her dissertation research, became one of the first of 350 peer-review papers she would publish and began a career with honors and awards that span three decades and two pages on her CV.

Campbell has contributed volumes of important research on risk factors for domestic homicide, or intimate partner homicide. Much of her work today involves training in, or showing people how to use, the Danger Assessment, a research-based instrument for assessing risk of serious injury or homicide from IPV that she developed. Available on the Johns Hopkins University School of Nursing website, the assessment is being used nationally and in several foreign countries. The full version and its shorter versions are currently being used at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, by law enforcement in some 30 states and in domestic violence or IPV advocacy programs, among other places.

As a professor at JHU Nursing teaching research and policy related work, she has served as a mentor for dozens of PhD students and currently co-advises students in her area of research. She credits the late Carole Anderson, a former University of Rochester School of Nursing professor and associate dean who specialized in psychiatric mental health, with helping her cultivate her career.

“She didn’t have direct expertise in intimate partner violence,” she said. “Not many nurses were in that space, but she certainly guided me well . . . and that’s one thing I will be forever thankful for.”

With the students she advises, Campbell emulates the approach that Anderson took with her. “You don’t have to study what I study, but rather, let’s think about how to combine that general area of violence against women. What are the health outcomes of experiencing violence? Because that was my sweet spot. And I think that’s nursing’s sweet spot.”

One finding in Campbell’s research in particular drives her passion to improve risk assessment for intimate partner violence in healthcare institutions.

“What makes me know that we in nursing need to do better . . . is that 47% of the women in my study of intimate partner homicide were in the healthcare system somewhere in the year before they were killed. Some of them were in the ED, but they also were in primary care; they were in prenatal care; they were in mental health care.” Campbell believes the wholistic view that nurses are trained to take puts them in position to assess when the patient is at risk.

The Danger Assessment, she says is “very much in keeping with the nursing approach. It’s to help her {the victim of domestic violence} see for herself what the risk of homicide is

She credits the late Carole Anderson, a former University of Rochester School of Nursing professor and associate dean who specialized in psychiatric mental health, with helping her cultivate her career.

in her relationship, so she can use that information as she makes decisions about what to do next.”

In addition to her research and work with the Danger Assessment, Campbell also makes an impact through the mentoring of nursing leaders in a variety of settings. She was the national program director for the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Nurse Faculty Scholars program, where she mentored “in a systematic way.”

She was instrumental in helping the Nurse-Family Partnership, a program in which nurses make home visits to pregnant women through the infants’ first and preferably second year, with well documented reductions in child abuse. Nursing skills, she said, are critical to navigating care in that environment.

“You have a curriculum that you follow. But if you walk into the house and mom is really upset because she can’t pay the rent, then a nurse pivots. ‘All right, we need to work on this rent issue. We can do breastfeeding another time.’ Nurses have the skills to be able to address mental health problems as well as physical health problems and social problems such as IPV.”

In a recent randomized clinical trial, Campbell said, the Nurse Family Partnership protocol showed significant reductions in intimate partner violence as well as child abuse.

As a result of her long list of publications and NIH awards for research Campbell is an elected member of the National Academy of Medicine, which is rare for nurses. She attributes that accomplishment in part to the skills she learned at Rochester for getting research funding. Currently, and into the future, she looks forward to completing her service on a committee with the academy that’s focused on sexual assault at sea.

“You work with others to accumulate the evidence and then write a big report that includes recommendations of how things can be changed for better outcomes.”

9.

What’s your advice for recent grads and nurses looking to enhance their careers?

“Get a PhD! Get some help and look at a couple of different schools. Reach out to somebody there in terms of getting help preparing yourself. If you need to, take a stats refresher before you go in, do it, so it’s not a stumbling block.”

In an environment where government and academic institutions are facing cuts in funding, what would you say to someone who wants to pursue a career in research?

“Around the country there is so much need for research and appreciation particularly for nurses and the nursing perspective on things. What I tell people is we didn’t used to have a National Institute of Nursing Research (NINR), and we were able to build it. And we may have to do something like that again.”

What’s your fondest memory of Rochester?

“I loved living there,” Campbell said. She used to run on the canal and was fascinated by the history of downtown Rochester with Frederick Douglass and Susan B. Anthony.

“I learned a lot about that history. I actually took a course – one of my electives was women’s studies.” She still wears her robe from the University of Rochester at graduation ceremonies.

“I was given

an award, a Scholar Award for PhD graduates, and I proudly wear that as a medallion around my neck from University of Rochester.”

Meghan Aldrich,’08N (MS), ’16N (DNP)

Amplifying Patients’ Voices in Pediatric Nursing, Presidential Leadership

Early in her career as a pediatric nurse, Meghan Aldrich, ’08N (MS), ’16N (DNP), MBA, hadn’t pictured herself in an executive role.

“If you had asked me what I saw myself doing on the first day I started my nursing career, I would never have told you this,” she said.

Today, however, Aldrich serves as president of Sisters of Charity Hospital, a 310-bed hospital in Buffalo that specializes in advanced women’s health, neonatal, and vascular services. She credits her rigorous education and devoted mentors at the University of Rochester School of Nursing for helping her tap into her leadership potential.

Lydia Rotondo, DNP, RN, CNS, FNAP, FAAN, former director of the Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) program, and Professor of Clinical Nursing Susan Ciurzynski, PhD, RN-BC, PNP, VCE, FNAP, “modeled the ways that good, thoughtful leadership based in mentorship and genuine care can change the trajectory of people’s lives, what they end up doing next, and how they operate in the world,” Aldrich said.

Though her career looks different today than she thought it would as a recent college graduate, her goal across pediatric care and presidential leadership is the same: to give patients a voice. She vividly remembers caring for a young boy with a complex condition when she was a nursing student, and how he shaped the way she provides care.

“I saw this fragile little person, and I was worried about hurting or harming him,” she recalled. “I wanted to be gentle, and he threw himself at me — he was so full of life, and the joyfulness that can be childhood. And then he proceeded to teach me how to take care of him. ‘Miss Meghan, this is how I like you to listen to my chest,’ and how to clean a trach tube and do his wound care.”

“I remember thinking that if this is what nursing care can be, if I get to have a role in working with this patient and his family to the point where this little man owns his experience of his own care, and can help to advocate for himself, that’s the epitome of what I wanted to do with my life. There would be no higher honor and no higher calling.”

Before returning to school for advanced practice degrees, Aldrich worked at Strong Memorial Hospital as a patient care technician in the liver transplant unit while pursuing her bachelor’s at nearby St. John Fisher University. Her passion for pediatrics led her to apply for a newly developed RN role, where she’d split her time between the pediatric ICU and cardiac surgery.

At the time, Ciurzynski was overseeing her position. That marked the start of a lasting connection and eventually led her to the DNP program.

“Sue and Lydia not only impacted me clinically, but they have been mentors, friends, and all-around extraordinary people who were dedicated to me as a person,” Aldrich recalled. “They didn’t have to invest the kind of time and mentorship that they did in me, or any of my fellow students, but we were each cared for in our own individual ways.”

As a DNP student, she continued to focus on enhancing care for children, developing and implementing a system-wide pediatric nurse educator role as her scholarly project. It gave her a clearer vision of how she could apply the DNP role in her environment.

“There has been a lot of carryover, and the DNP’s degree of interpretability has been highly valuable to me,” she said.

How did your University of Rochester experience set you up for success?

Aldrich credits her clinical training and DNP credential as part

of the reason she was selected for her president role.

What do you hope your continued impact will be in healthcare?

After years of caring for patients at the bedside on an individual level, Aldrich now feels a responsibility “to be a part of the team that takes care of many.”

“Our CEO had the perspective that clinicians should be executive leaders within the organization, and that people running hospitals should understand how to take care of patients at a very granular level,” she said.

“My training as a DNP has been incredibly impactful and valuable in the work that I do every day. I am answering clinical, administrative, and operational questions every day, and thinking about how we interpret and apply the work of others that have come before us in our current setting for the betterment of our patients and our teams.”

What was it like to pursue a DNP degree early in the role’s development?

Aldrich recalls having conversations about how the DNP role can be interpreted and implemented with her small cohort of 10, which included several nurses with longstanding clinical careers.

“It was obvious that the DNP had a lot of potential to be interpreted practically in a host of different ways,” she said. “To me, it’s academics in action — it was essentially a program shaped around how we could thoughtfully interpret the world around us, and take the academic work that has already been done and utilize that to actively shape clinical, administrative, or academic environments.”

The program ultimately made Aldrich a more curious, adaptable, and thoughtful leader.

“DNP-prepared nurses are particularly well prepared to navigate rapidly changing clinical, political, academic, and administrative environments, but do so with a particular level of care, thought, inquiry, and a dedication to validation and data exploration,” she said.

“I am ultimately responsible for the care of every single patient who comes through our doors. I help others do what they need to do, overcome barriers, better prepare themselves, and work in a wonderful environment so that we can improve patient care for all,” she said.

“So the work is shifted, but I think that in healthcare, there is no non-patient care position. We should all be patient-facing to some degree. Even if we sit at a desk, we have to keep that patient at our desk with us. That’s what anchors me.”

What advice would you share with other nurses?

“Your life is a path with many potential branches. Sometimes people feel that when they are making a decision, they’re making a final and unchangeable decision. My career and education are good examples of why that doesn’t have to be,” said Aldrich, who originally started at the School of Nursing as an MS-PhD student until she realized later on that the DNP would better suit her goals.

“It’s also important to acknowledge that the work is hard, and it’s not meant to be easy. The point of these academic programs is that they push you to grow beyond your current way of thinking or capacity to work, write, lead, or evaluate. You need to grow bigger and better and broader, and the programs push you to do that. The School of Nursing was challenging, but in all of the best and most appropriate ways.”

Championing Change through Community Health Nursing, Discoveries in Deaf

Health Research

Tamala David ’06N (MS), ’10N (PhD) Championing Change through Community Health, Discoveries in Deaf Health Research

When she looks back on the start of her career, Tamala David ’06N (MS), ’10N (PhD), chuckles and says she got into nursing as her “Plan C.”

Today, she’s a nurse practitioner and associate professor at nearby SUNY Brockport, but as an adolescent, David wanted to care for animals, hoping to study zoology and become a veterinarian. A year into her college education as a pre-med biology major in Atlanta, finances put her studies on pause.

Returning to Rochester ended up shaping the rest of her career. While home, she held roles as a nutrition office assistant and patient care technician, and helped her parents care for her grandmother, who was deaf and used American Sign Language (ASL), as she dealt with diabetes-related health challenges.

These experiences in her community and her own family eventually led David to pursue a bachelor’s in nursing, and later, advanced degrees in nursing, health research, and public health administration.

“I was going to appointments with my grandmother, and that illuminated some of the issues deaf older adults face in healthcare,” she recalled. “My grandmother’s participation in her care was not where it should have been because of issues with language and how she received information.”

With more than 40,000 deaf or hard-of-hearing residents in Rochester, David knew her grandmother wasn’t alone, and started finding ways to get involved. Toward the end of her nursing education, she took interpreting courses, and volunteered with Deaf Strong Hospital, a role-playing event that helps students understand and overcome communication challenges with the local deaf community.

“I decided that I wanted to be a part of changing the delivery of care to deaf sign language users, especially older adults. I knew I wanted to empower and equip deaf sign

language users to have more participation, inclusion, and power in their care,” she said.

When David was applying for NP programs, Professor Emerita Madeline Schmitt, PhD, RN, FAAN, FNAP, who previously served as coordinator of the School of Nursing MS-to-PhD pathway, recruited her and connected her with scholarship support, helping her expand her work in deaf health. At the same time, the National Center for Deaf Health Research (NCDHR) was just starting to take shape at the University of Rochester, expanding David’s ability to get involved in community-based research and training opportunities while she was pursuing her FNP and PhD degrees.

“I learned so much that just completely enhanced my knowledge and skills as a clinician, researcher, and educator.” she said of her time at the School of Nursing.

Utilizing her training as an RN and family NP, David has spent the past two decades working to improve healthcare encounters for the deaf community from all angles. She has educated non-deaf clinicians on best practices, helped patients understand their rights and ways to be involved in their own care, mentored deaf and hard-of-hearing individuals pursuing careers in healthcare, and incorporated her expertise

into teaching students in community health nursing courses.

When she was an undergraduate student, David struggled to find a place where she could see herself until her final semester as a senior, when she completed community health clinicals as one of her last credits. Today, she’s proud to have helped other healthcare professionals see a path for themselves in community-based work.

“There’s so much that nurses can do outside of the hospital setting to impact the well-being of people in our region.”

What impacts do you hope your work has made or will continue to make?

David thinks back to the School of Nursing’s emphasis on the Unification Model — an approach that integrates nursing research, education, and practice to enhance care — and how she felt drawn to each branch as a student.

“They always told us that there’s a balance you have to find to do all three. Not everyone finds that balance, but I feel that I was able to do a little bit of it all because of the networks and connections that I had made.”

As a researcher, she has seen several deaf and hard-of-hearing scientists expand on her work and interests in new ways.

“I’m so excited about the people who are leading efforts, running their own research programs, and training others. I’m glad to have been a part of their training and education, and continue to be available to support them.”

In addition to her work as a researcher and clinician, she’s proud of the influence she has had on students as a trusted mentor and advisor. Throughout her time as an educator, she has taught community health courses, served on thesis and dissertation committees, and precepted students across several levels from LPN to graduate. At Brockport, she also developed the School of Nursing’s first exchange program and community health study abroad course in Costa Rica, and

co-leads its International Education committee.

“I hope that something I did as a professor shaped the way students thought about nursing, and inspired them to take on some challenging things in healthcare themselves and make the change,” she said. “People here have done that for me, so I hope to do the same for others.”

What advice would you share with other nurses?

David, who has taught pre-licensure courses for several years and now works with RN-to-BSN students, encourages them to find themselves in nursing.

In recent years, she has put that advice into practice in her own life. The COVID-19 pandemic, family caregiving, and her own battle with cancer led David to step away from her work over the past few years, and she just recently returned to teaching courses this fall.

“Your life is going to change, and what works for you today or when you first start out is not necessarily going to work for you in 5 or 10 years. But you can do so much. Nursing is so broad, and there are so many ways to be a part of the profession.”

What makes Rochester special to you?

A Rochester native, David enjoys fall foliage in the Finger Lakes region and experiencing all four seasons. She’s also appreciative of the vast resources the city has.

“There are a lot of people doing amazing things for Rochester, from the Golisanos and the Wegmans to people whose names you might not know — like the healthcare providers I’ve worked with, and those who’ve taken care of me and my family. We have brilliant, skilled, and talented people here. The people who provide their time, services, resources, and expertise make this a special place.”

Foundation & Early Innovations

1925-1949

FIRST QUARTER CENTURY DIRECTORS

Helen Wood 1924-1931

Clare Dennison 1931-1951

Helen Wood Lays the Foundation

Helen Wood is appointed Superintendent of Nurses. She has served on the Winslow-Goldmark committee which is instrumental in bringing nursing training out of hospitals and into colleges and universities. She finishes her master’s at Columbia University before taking up her role of director in 1924; then spends the first year planning the education program.

1922

1925

The First Students Enroll

The School of Nursing opens with a class of 16 diploma students in a hospital-based program leading to RN licensure. Instruction begins even though the Nurses’ Dormitory is still under construction and the general entrance is through a fire escape. The first class of bachelor’s degree students begins one year later.

Strong Memorial Hospital Opens

Strong Memorial Hospital opens in January 1926 with 250 beds, staffed in part by medical and nursing students. A tunnel and direct walkway linked Helen Wood Hall to Strong Memorial Hospital, allowing student nurses to move back and forth for their 8-hour ward assignments without going outside, reinforcing the idea that dormitory, classroom, and hospital were one integrated clinical campus.

1925

1943

Nurses Support the War Effort

The School of Nursing participates in the U.S. Cadet Nursing Corps program to alleviate the nursing shortage that worsened during World War II, with graduates engaged in military and public health service. Additionally, the school only began accepting applications from married women in 1944, if their husbands were in foreign service.

1928

Ceremony & Tradition

The first nursing class graduates. Beginning in 1940, nursing students are finally allowed to participate in University Commencement after previous having participated in community graduation with other City hospitals.

This seal was used by the University until 1928. In summer 2025, a 16-inch wooden medallion bearing its image was discovered by an antique dealer in Vermont and returned to the School.

Orlando Harris ’10N (MS) ’14N (PhD), MPH

Propelling Health Research & Policy to Change Lives

When his state legislature passed a bill to improve access to PrEP, or pre-exposure prophylaxis, by authorizing pharmacists to dispense a 60-day supply of the HIV-preventing medication without a prescription from a provider, Orlando Harris ’10N (MS) ’14N (PhD), MPH, FAAN, knew that the work wasn’t done yet.

Research on pharmacies across the state from Harris and fellow scientists at the California Center for HIV Syndemic Policy Research — a community-academic collaborative that he co-directs — found that PrEP uptake was still low, and that pharmacies needed additional support, including reimbursement for counseling and testing. They worked with legislators to make updates to the policy, which included an increase in the supply from 60 to 90 days.

Their next step could have been to publish the results of their study in an academic journal. Instead, Harris and his colleagues sent a pitch to their local newspaper.

“For a lot of the work we do, we go to newspapers first because we want to make sure the community and the folks who are making the laws have access to that information,”

Harris said.

That’s one of many examples of Harris’ person-centered approach throughout his prolific career as a public health researcher and nurse practitioner. When he chose this career pathway as an undergraduate student, he considered it a matter of morals.

“I knew I wanted to be in a helping profession, and that I was committed to social justice and advancing health equity from a young age,” recalled Harris. “Nursing was where my morals intersected.”

Already a double major in human development and Africana Studies at Binghamton University by the time he’d found his calling to become a nurse, Harris added a major in nursing and accomplished the rare feat of graduating with three bachelor’s degrees. The challenge paid off for Harris, who is currently an associate professor of nursing at the University of California, San Francisco, and a recent recipient of the University of Rochester School of Nursing’s Humanitarian Award.

“What has made me a great clinician, researcher, and educator is that I had experience and training in all three of those areas,” Harris said.

Moved by a guest presentation from former faculty member Sheldon Fields, PhD, RN, FNP-BC, AACRN, FNAP, FAANP, FADLN, FAAN, at a Binghamton alumni event, Harris later came to Rochester to become a family nurse practitioner (FNP) and continued through the PhD in Nursing & Health Science program. He remembers feeling inspired by Fields’ career journey to becoming an FNP and tenure-track faculty member as a Black man.

Rochester continues to shape Harris’ professional life. He recalls being mentored by Professor Emerita Margaret

how many grants I’ve attained,” Harris shared. “I measure my success by how many lives would have been changed or how many policies would have been changed for the betterment of communities from my work, or how many learners I have mentored.”

Who else has inspired or impacted you during your time here?

Worried about what to do next when his PhD advisor had left the University for a new opportunity, Harris credits Jane Tuttle, PhD, APRN, BC, FNP, CPNP, for helping him reignite his love for the School and confidence in his career path.

“Jane’s calmness, demeanor, and patience were everything that I could have asked for, and more,” he said.

“What has made me a great clinician, researcher, and educator is that I had experience and training in all three of those areas,” Harris said.

Kearney, PhD, RN, FAAN, a national expert in qualitative research. Having recently taken on a role as PhD program director at UCSF Nursing, Harris looks back on his time working with Kearney for guidance.

“I draw a lot of my inspiration from Maggie. I remember how supportive she was toward students doing qualitative research. She even created a qualitative mentoring group, and I’m doing that at UCSF now because I learned it from Maggie,” he said.

His time as a PhD student, during which he also worked as an NP for the Monroe County Health Department, set him up for success as a global public health researcher. Born in Jamaica and raised in New York, Harris returned to the island nation as the first School of Nursing PhD student to receive a U.S. Fulbright Award in support of his dissertation research on HIV prevention needs among Jamaican men.

A decade later, he continues to work with this population and other groups impacted by HIV — most recently, his research has focused on designing and implementing an intervention focused on improving mental health among Jamaican men living with HIV, recognizing that mental health is among the key factors that determine whether an individual will seek care.

What impacts do you hope your work will make?

“My contribution to nursing, nursing science, and mankind isn’t about how many papers I have published or

Harris also remembers the late Kathy Rideout, EdD, PPCNP-BC, FNAP, as one of his biggest cheerleaders, and still keeps her cellphone number in his contacts as “Mom.”

“When I defended my PhD qualifying exam and I walked out the door, she was standing right outside waiting for me, just to find out how I did. That speaks to the School’s personal touch from leadership, and what it could mean for learners who are coming from different types of backgrounds.”

What advice would you share with other nurses?

1. “If you’re a student looking for ways to succeed, find your Kathy Rideout or your Jane Tuttle — build your support circle. Once you have that supportive circle, those people can advocate for you and will be there to support you. Each time I thought of giving up, or thought that I needed to hang my hat up and do something else, I had my support circle.

2. Look for a few different mentors. You might need an academic mentor, a research mentor, a life mentor. Build a team around you that reflects your values and vision of success, and make it well-rounded and interdisciplinary.

3. There are going to be moments where it feels like darkness takes over. Don’t give into despair. Fall back and reach out to No. 1 and No. 2.”

Daniel Arellano ’08N, ’10N (MS)

Championing Critical Care Nurses

Providing emergency care has been at the core of Daniel Arellano ’08N, ’10N (MS)’s work, from the early days of his career as a paramedic to his current work as an acute care nurse practitioner (NP).

Before continuing his education at the School of Nursing on a BS-to-MS track in 2007, he had originally earned a bachelor’s in psychology in his home state of Texas. But his years of care experience as an EMT, paramedic, and trauma technician – which included volunteer service for American Red Cross relief efforts in Hurricanes Katrina and Rita – drew him to a pathway in critical care nursing.

“I entered the profession knowing a little bit about the healthcare field, and that I wanted to function at a higher level in an advanced practice role,” the alumnus recalled. “I chose acute care because I had always had an interest in the ICU.”

Today, Arellano balances positions as an NP at MD Anderson Cancer Center, an assistant professor at the UTHealth Houston Cizik School of Nursing, and, as of Summer 2025, a member of the board of directors for the American Association of Critical Care Nurses (AACN).

Across each of his roles — at the bedside, in the classroom, and in professional organizations — Arellano seeks to amplify the voices of nurses, patients, and families.

“I consider my role as being an advocate for others and being the person that’s not afraid to speak up,” he said. “Being a voice in a room where nobody else speaks up is extremely important to me, so I always aim to be the person that will raise my hand and say something.”

Rochester remains a part of the Houstonian’s story. Whether he’s incorporating the teaching styles of his favorite professors into his own courses or applying the critical care

skills he developed at Strong Memorial Hospital in his daily work as a clinician, Arellano continues to feel the School of Nursing’s impact in his career. What led you from Texas to Rochester as a student?

“I worked at Strong, Highland, and Monroe Ambulance, and I wouldn’t take any of it back,” Arellano said.

He was often asked why he moved from Houston to Rochester. Part of the reason was that the School offered a pathway to a free education that he couldn’t turn down: his bachelor’s was covered by the Fuld Scholarship Program, and his master’s by tuition benefits.

The School of Nursing’s personal touch also helped Arellano make his decision.

“Elaine Andolina called me personally and told me what the University could offer. She remembered small details about every single student and made an impact on a lot of us. She knew how to find passionate nurses who would be a great fit for the School,” Arellano said. What skills helped you succeed when you came into nursing as a second degree?

“I had always been in medicine in some capacity,” Arellano said. “My paramedic experience made me a stronger nursing student, and it made me the strong clinician I am today. I was also a manager at a McDonald’s, and I always tell folks that you learn so much from this job: you learn how to work under pressure, deal with the public, contribute to a team, and use the resources you have to be successful.”

What did starting your career here in Rochester mean to you?

Arellano credits the School and Strong’s educational opportunities and clinical environment as part of the foundation of his career.

“Working at Strong, where you’re in a tertiary care center that can take care of every type of heart patient in the world, was a unique opportunity that prepared me to lead in critical care.”

What led you to teaching? How did your time at the School of Nursing prepare you?

“It started as a mistake,” Arellano admitted. “An email went out to PhD students when I was pursuing my doctorate, asking if anybody was interested in teaching pathophysiology — which is one of the hardest courses to teach and be a student in. I responded and said I was interested, and never expected to get anything back. But I got a response very quickly, asking, ‘When would you like to start?’”

He now specializes in what’s often referred to as “the three Ps” of nursing education: pathophysiology, pharmacology, and physical assessment.

“I had an outstanding foundation in each of those from the University of Rochester, particularly with Amy Karch being the outstanding instructor that I had for patho and pharm. She had an amazing ability to teach and break things down in a very simplistic manner. I’ve modeled some of my own teaching methodology after hers, and so I believe that she has continued to help shape more nurses. Her legacy continues because I continue to teach the same way she taught me and tell her stories.”

What excites you most about your role on the AACN board?

Arellano looks forward to the opportunity to expand his impact in critical care nursing, lending his voice to support fellow bedside nurses, and being part of the AACN National Teaching Institute.

“I am also looking forward to advocating for bedside nurses as much as I can. My full-time job is at the bedside, and that’s a little rare these days — I’m not a manager or a unit director, and though I am a leader, I don’t manage people. You don’t find a lot of organizations that have full-time clinicians as part of their leadership team, and so I’m looking forward to offering that aspect of my voice.”

What advice would you share with other nurses considering a similar pathway to yours?

1. “Don’t sell yourself short — you can do whatever you feel you are capable of doing, and I tell my students that all the time. The University of Rochester did a great job of cultivating our passions and helping students see what they could give.

2. Networking has led to some awesome opportunities and helped me progress my career and get to where I am today.

3. You’re never too young, you’re never too old, it’s never too late, and it doesn’t matter what your background is. I have had 80-year-old nursing students, and students who were 19 when they started. I’ve had engineers, chemists, teachers — it doesn’t matter what you are.”

Arnice Jackson ’11N

After her second semester in the bachelor’s program at the School of Nursing in 2011, Arnice Jackson, ’11N, DNP, FNP-C was in a bind. Her scholarship from the Robert Woods Johnson Foundation New Careers in Nursing program covered her first semester but she was struggling to find a way to pay for the third. “I didn’t feel like there was another option,” Jackson said. “I had to find a way to finish the program.” She was working in the Strong psych unit at the time and contemplated leaving school to work another year so she could qualify for tuition reimbursement. Were it not for the support of the late Dean Kathy Rideout, then professor of clinical nursing and pediatrics, Jackson questions whether she would be where she is today. Rideout and the late Elaine Andolina, then assistant professor, were coordinators of the Robert Wood Johnson New Careers in Nursing Scholarship program and helped Jackson get a scholarship that, together with her loans, enabled her to graduate.

Combining Clinical Care with a Passion for Wellness

“Kathy Rideout was my mentor,” Jackson said. “This was before she became the dean. She was just a phenomenal person, really invested in my growth. . . That scholarship changed my life because I was able to finish school. I don’t know what could have happened in that year if I didn’t. I might have never become a nurse. I could have moved back home. I’m very grateful to Kathy Rideout for believing in me, for coaching me, for being my mentor and for honestly, just caring.”

And Jackson has made good use of her nursing education. She currently works as a nurse practitioner for the federal government at the U.S. Census Bureau, overseeing a health unit that delivers health and wellness services for the Census, the Bureau of Economic Analysis and the Bureau of Labor Statistics. She’s in charge of wellness programming, clinical care for patients, and “making sure people have a safe, healthy environment to come into work.”

Previously, Jackson was involved in a telehealth program for One Medical, an Amazon company. There she worked with primary care physicians as an on-demand provider when

patients needed urgent access or when a provider was not available outside of business hours. She answered medication questions and wrote orders for people who did not have access to healthcare or could not wait for an appointment because their need was urgent. She also taught a 6-week strees and anxiety management course to patients during the pandemic. For Jackson, nursing has provided an opportunity to balance her interest in the science of clinical care with her appreciation for wellness. She has a natural inclination for science – as a kid she asked for a microscope for Christmas – but also sees herself as a “wellness strategist.”

“I am very passionate about wellness and work-life balance, and I truly believe from the bottom of my heart that you can have wellness regardless of your circumstances. Wellness is not a privilege; it is something that everybody has access to in different ways.”

As a nurse leader, about half of her work with the federal government focuses on wellness programming and the other half on clinical care and administration.

In her spare time, she runs a non-profit she established

in 2015 called The Color of Health, which focuses on health education for patients and providers and on health equity. A large part of its work involves mentorship for undergraduate and graduate students who are interested in healthcare. Students work with the organization to design a community health project for which they receive college credit. One student, for instance, did a service project with Kenya in health education in which she created educational materials about menstrual cycles and period management.

For the future, Jackson hopes to continue spreading the word about wellness. “If I am working in a community clinic, if I’m working for a private organization, working for the government, my goal is to teach people about stress management . . . Having work-life balance is essential to surviving. My goal is teaching people how to care for themselves, how to function in a way that will help save their lives.”

What are some of your fondest memories about living in Rochester?

Coming from New York City and moving to Rochester was so different. Like the quiet and the nature. One of my favorite things to do was to walk. I remember I was walking one day {in Mount Hope Cemetery} and I stumbled upon Frederick Douglass’s tombstone. Rochester has so much interesting history, and I just felt comfortable there. I met a lot of people that I’m still in touch with today.

What advice would you give recent nursing graduates or those early in their careers?

I cannot stress the importance of connection enough. A career as a nurse is so incredibly fulfilling, connecting with other nurses, joining organizations, like nursing associations, alumni associations, staying in touch with the university. Staying connected has been what has given me opportunities that I would have never thought about, has let me meet people like Loretta Ford, the founder of the nurse practitioner career. And that’s because I was at the University of Rochester. They invited me to moderate a panel between her and Kathy Rideout. That’s amazing! And I would have never gotten that opportunity if I hadn’t stayed connected. So, find a cause that you’re passionate about, invest in learning that area, invest in being a subject matter expert, make yourself available because this career is life changing.

Academic Excellence & Evolution

1950-1971

SECOND QUARTER CENTURY DIRECTORS

Ruth Miller Brody 1951-1954

Beatrice Stanley 1954-1957

Eleanor Hall 1957-1971

Helen McNerney 1971-1972

1951

Programs Consolidate and Nursing Education Evolves School of Nursing offers its first master’s degree in nursing education, laying the foundation for future clinical specialties and advanced practice roles.

1957

A Step Toward Independence

Eleanor Hall creates the Department of Nursing within the School of Medicine and Dentistry, a major step toward establishing an independent school.

1961

Everything Comes Together

The Department of Nursing in the School of Medicine and Dentistry absorbs all units and programs for education and service.

1966

Pediatric Nurse Practitioner Program Launched

The School of Nursing launches its pediatric nurse practitioner training program, led by Harriet Kitzman in collaboration with the Department of Pediatrics, pioneering advanced pediatric care for disadvantaged children in the community.

1970

Cancer Care Gets Specialized

Josephine Craytor, RN, MS, FAAN, publishes the first programmed text in cancer care for nurses. On the faculty from 1957 to 1972, Craytor is one of the first nurses to implement the clinical nurse specialist role and was a pioneer in the development of master’s level education for clinical nurses.

1966

First Male Nurses Attend

School of Nursing lifts restrictions for male applicants in 1960 and the first three men enroll in 1966. Nursing throughout much of the 19th and 20th centuries was a female-dominated profession. Since the early 1970s, though, the number of men in nursing has tripled.

A Passion for Patient Connection and Personalized Care

Elizabeth Sieverding, ’12, ’13N

As a freshman studying brain and cognitive sciences at the University of Rochester, Elizabeth Sieverding, ’12, ’13N, MSN, RN, NI-BC, OCN, intended to be pre-med. To gain healthcare experience, she volunteered through Friends of Strong in the pediatric oncology unit. What she saw there drew her to shift from medicine to nursing.

“The nurse’s presence at the bedside, really being able to witness it, the kind of relationships that they formed with the patients really struck me. I think that’s a really unique position to be in, especially as you’re supporting people at their most vulnerable.”

Sieverding grew up watching her mom and visiting nurses take care of her grandmother who lived with them and battled cancer for ten years. In school she had a penchant for science and math; watching the connection between her grandmother and her caregivers also gave her a passion for caregiving. Now as an oncology nurse with a master’s in nursing informatics she gets to satisfy both her interests and her passion.

After graduating from Rochester’s accelerated bachelor’s nursing program, Sieverding started out at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in adult neurology and orthopedics as a floor nurse working 12-hour night shifts.

After 3 years, she took a position as an ambulatory office practice nurse in the thoracic medical oncology department where she has been for the last ten years. She enjoys her role overseeing the patient’s experience from diagnosis through treatment and recovery.

Day-to-day, she floats between seeing patients in clinic, patient education and symptom management. “We’re basically a jack of all trades,” she said, “because we will handle everything that has to do with patient care from insurance authorizations to personalizing care as much as possible.”

Her interest in personalized patient care drew her to informatics. She joined the outpatient nursing informatics council at Memorial Sloan Kettering in 2018 and became involved in initiatives such as making electronic medication calendars for patients. At the suggestion of a mentor, she enrolled in an online program at Vanderbilt to earn an MSN with a focus on nursing informatics. “That really sparked my interest because I was able to blend both my great interest for technology and my passion for patient-centered care into one.”

For her patients, that often means finding ways to use technology to minimize time spent at the clinic or hospital.

“We can deliver cancer care closer to home,” she said. “There are so many wearable devices to monitor patients remotely like pulse oximeters. When you’re dealing with a terminal or chronic illness like cancer you want to prioritize patients being able to spend as much time at home as possible doing the things they like to do.”

Asked where she makes the most impact as a nurse, she spelled out two ways: being there for patients at their most vulnerable times and building a connection with them; and “working behind the scenes” to figure out where inefficiencies lie. “We do current state analysis to understand our workflows and identify opportunities for improvement.”

How did the accelerated nursing program help to shape your career?

“Being able to apply my education quickly in clinicals... because we jumped right in our second semester in seeing patients. I found that valuable because learning in a classroom is one thing, but actually being able to practice that on the patient floors is another. And we had our simulation lab at the school, which was so helpful because you get to practice. I think that early exposure to clinicals is critical. When you’re a floor nurse you’re kind of stunned at first because it’s so different from school, so having that clinical experience is helpful.”

What

do you remember most about being in Rochester?

“I would say the people and the community. There’s such a great mix of access to culture as well as nature, which I loved. Being able to go to the lake but also the Erie Canal. I spent a lot of time on Park Avenue and the South Wedge. The food scene is also memorable – not just eating a garbage plate! But the restaurants there and going to the different festivals. I was lucky enough to spend summers in Rochester while I was there. Also balancing working and going to school, I felt that Rochester made that very manageable.”

What advice would she have to recent graduates or nurses early in their career?

“I think continue to be curious and not be afraid of things that may seem daunting or unknown to you. At a nursing informatics committee meeting, someone once quoted Ina Garten and said, ‘be ready when the luck happens.’ That rings true to me. I think trying to say yes to things even though you may not know where they will lead you. That helped shape my own experience a lot, especially as a nurse. I think continue to be curious because the field of nursing is every-changing . . . the way we deliver care will continue to change and a lot of the time nurses have the best impact, not only for the patient but for healthcare in general.”

Mark Lin ’15N

For many cancer survivors, defeating or bringing a cancer under control isn’t the end of the fight. In his role as a reconstructive surgery and lymphedema nurse practitioner, Mark Lin ’15N, APRN aims to prepare his patients for the challenges that lie ahead.

The University of Rochester alumnus is part of a small but growing number of healthcare providers who treat lymphedema, a condition of tissue swelling that is among the most common complications of cancer treatment. His patients have often spent months and multiple medical appointments searching for answers to a condition that affects millions, but often goes unrecognized and understudied.

Supporting Cancer Survivors, Shining a Light on Lymphedema Care

It’s an important part of his work as an NP for the University of Miami Health System, where he also sees breast cancer survivors who have undergone mastectomies and reconstructive surgeries. Treatment options for the chronic disorder are limited, and there’s currently no cure — making nurses’ role in early prevention and patient education especially important.

“When you receive a cancer diagnosis, fighting the cancer is the number one priority. But patients should also be educated about what everything else looks like down the line. When a patient’s cancer is under control but their limbs get larger as a result of lymphedema, that can be traumatic for them to deal with too,” Lin explained.

Now a nurse for more than a decade, Lin had originally considered becoming a physician assistant, knowing he wanted to offer the most he could for patients in an autonomous role. But eventually, after researching advanced nursing roles such as NPs and nurse anesthetists, he found his way to the University of Rochester School of Nursing’s 12-Month Accelerated Bachelor’s program.

His experience in Rochester expanded his curiosity and prepared him to work in a variety of settings, from the emergency room to post-anesthesia care, and set him up for success in advanced practice.

“The University of Rochester set a solid foundation for me,” Lin said. “Working in a Level I Trauma Center and being able to complete our

clinicals at Strong Memorial Hospital was important to me, and it helped me transition into my first job as an emergency room nurse at Duke.”

How do you make an impact through your work?

“On the cancer side, I get to follow patients throughout the process of getting a mastectomy, undergoing reconstructive surgery and getting tissue expanders to reconstruct the breast, and returning for a second surgery for permanent implants,” Lin said.

That process can take as long as a year, and Lin enjoys being a constant for his patients throughout that time. For those who are at risk for lymphedema or start to develop it, he continues seeing them every three to six months to monitor their condition.

“It’s very fulfilling to me to specialize in the lymphedema field. Down the line, I know this field will continue to grow, because of the prominence of both breast cancer and cancer in general. And as we start to understand lymphedema better, more people will start to be diagnosed and treated.”

Who are some individuals who made an impact on you in Rochester?

Lin considers Associate Professor of Clinical Nursing Patrick Hopkins, DNP, APRN, C-PNP, NNP, one of the most influential nurses in his life. He also credits Floyd Hutchinson ’10N, ’13N (MS), his clinical preceptor for psychiatric nursing, for inspiring him to keep an open mind to opportunities in specialties he hadn’t initially considered.

“He opened my eyes to a field of nursing I never thought I’d be interested in. Later on, when I graduated, one of the first jobs I applied to was a behavioral health nurse position — primarily because of him,” Lin recalled. What advice would you share with early-career nurses?

“The biggest thing is to keep your mind open, especially regarding what kind of job you would take,” Lin said. “Prior to taking the position I have now, I was searching for jobs after NP school and ended up working as a nurse in the University of Miami Recovery Room. I saw hundreds of different surgeons a day who I still talk to now. Sometimes, it’s all about the people you meet: if I didn’t work that job, I wouldn’t have the job that I’m working in now. The recovery room where I once worked is also helping me get certified to do minor procedures on my own, so the nurses there will be helping my patients recover.”

Lin also emphasized the importance of self-care for nurses.

“We always put patients in front of ourselves, but you also have to take a step back. In my first year as a nurse, I burned myself out because I wasn’t caring for myself. Now, I have more time compared to when I was working 12-hour shifts. I try to be more conscious about what I eat, stay active, and go out on walks with my wife and our dog. What do you look forward to in the future as you continue your NP career?

Lin looks forward to being part of advances in the field over the next decade, especially in lymphatic reconstruction.

“There’s still a lot about lymphedema that isn’t fully understood, and there are surgical options, but not many people that are trained to perform them. There’s still a lot of room to teach nurses and physicians more about what lymphedema is, and how we can manage and prevent it. I’m looking forward to continuing in this specialty. I know it’s something not every hospital has – it’s something unique that I can offer.”

When E. Kate Valcin, DNP, RN, NEA-BC, CCRN, CNL, FCCM, reflects on her career as a healthcare leader, critical care nurse, and educator, one of the earliest moments that confirmed her calling to care for other humans involves — amusingly — working with bugs.

As a college student, she spent summers working at the Cornell Cooperative Extension alongside an entomologist, leading educational sessions about insects, weeds, and pesticides. She almost changed her major to agriculture, until she realized that teaching and interacting with communities were her favorite parts of the job.

“I recognized that I could do that as a nurse — nurses are teaching all the time,” said Valcin, who went on to become the University of Rochester Medical Center’s chief nursing executive (CNE) in early 2025 and previously served as director of adult critical care nursing.

“When I was a new nurse on the oncology unit, we were teaching people about their diseases, what you needed to know when you’re about to go home after surgery, or the side effects of chemotherapy. When I got to the ICU, it was about teaching the families, because the patients often couldn’t interact themselves. And then when I got into leadership,

E. Kate Valcin ’18N (PMC), ’20N (DNP)

Through Leadership and Learning, Lifting Up Nurses and Patients

it was about teaching fellow nurses and teams, and sharing knowledge that could help our team be better.”

Throughout her career at URMC, the School of Nursing has helped Valcin grow in her roles as a nurse manager, director, and eventually, CNE. She earned a post-master’s Clinical Nurse Leader certificate here in 2018, and a Doctor of Nursing Practice in 2020. A learner herself not too long ago, Valcin now supports current students as the assistant dean of clinical practice as part of her CNE role, and has also taught courses and precepted for more than a decade.

“In each of my roles, the School has provided opportunities to grow professionally. I was there as a learner, but I could also guest lecture, precept, or be part of the faculty in a class,” she said. “It’s exciting to be able to keep building relationships and partnerships, and to make sure students get what they need.”

Valcin’s leadership approach and support for the School and URMC’s academic-clinical partnership are shaped by some of her earliest and most challenging career experiences. When she was struggling with burnout early in her career as a staff nurse, she reduced her hours to work part-time in her clinical role, and taught in a licensed practical nursing (LPN) program.

The vocational program, which served a community hospital in Wyoming County, reignited Valcin’s passion for nursing and gave her a firsthand look at how academic-clinical partnerships functioned.

“I saw how important those programs were to each other, and how they worked together,” Valcin recalled. “When I came back to the Medical Center, began my leadership journey, and grew into my nurse manager and the director roles, I worked hard to foster similar relationships where we could help each other and grow together.”

What inspired you to become a nurse educator and preceptor?

“Being a preceptor or helping teach a class is a way of giving back. Whether it’s to a particular cohort or one student, I’m paying it forward for the School that helped me,” said Valcin. Though Valcin isn’t a full-time educator, she feels that education is part of every nursing professional’s role in different ways.

“Working with the School of Nursing has shown me that we all have a part to play in educating the next generation of nurses, and we all have the opportunity to step up to that in our own ways.”

One of the most rewarding parts of her role is seeing her past students’ continued impact and growth.

“Whether it’s a master’s capstone or a DNP scholarly project, the work is never all the way done,” she said. “You get things started, but they mature after graduation. In my role, I can see all of the project impact that happens well after the clinical hours are done, and that is really amazing. I love when there’s an opportunity to send an email saying, ‘Remember that project from 2 years ago? This is how it’s doing now.’” What helped you through burnout as a bedside nurse? How do you help other nurses prevent it?

An important part of addressing burnout is the first step of recognizing it and owning that you need to take a step back, Valcin said.

“I was working a lot of hours, and I was also really emotionally invested in my patients.”

By seeking support and leaning on the professional resources available to her at URMC, she found other ways to contribute to the nursing profession while taking care of herself.

“Teaching in the LPN program reconnected me to my ‘why,’” she said. “I was reminded that nursing is a powerful profession that lifts people up. There are people who have wanted to be nurses their whole lives, and they finally go back to school after their kids are done with high school, and you get to help make their dreams come true. That perspective really helped me.”

Though the experience of facing burnout was difficult, it also prepared Valcin to lead with sensitivity, and helped her weather the COVID-19 pandemic by recognizing signs of burnout early in both herself and her colleagues.

She is an advocate for work-life balance and maintaining healthy boundaries, but also tries to be aware of the mixed signals workplaces often give.

“I’m the first person to tell you not to check your email on vacation, but I’m always checking my email on vacation,” Valcin admits with a laugh. “It’s important to create an inclusive work environment where there’s space and appreciation for everyone’s style, and you can work together

and say, ‘I might do things this way, but I don’t expect you to do the same.’”

What advice would you share with other nurses?

“The biggest piece of advice that I try to live for myself, as well as give other people, is to show yourself grace,” Valcin said. “You don’t have to be your best self every day. My best and my best today aren’t the same thing. There’s a tendency, sometimes, to hold yourself to an impossibly high standard, but we can’t compare ourselves to our best selves on our best day.”

Independence & Growing Impact

1972-1999

THIRD QUARTER CENTURY DEANS

Loretta C. Ford 1972-1986

Sheila Ryan

1986-1999

Patricia Chiverton 1999-2008

1972

School of Nursing

Establishes Independence, Names First Dean

Loretta “Lee” Ford, the co-creator of the nurse practitioner role, is named the inaugural dean of the newly independent School of Nursing. A grant from the W.K. Kellog Foundation brought to reality long held plans to establish a college of nursing and would become one of only a handful of nursing colleges in the country in which education, research, and practice are integrated.

1973

School Pioneers Primary Care Program for Nurse Practitioners

The Family Health Nurse Clinician Program begins as one of the only master’s programs in the country to prepare nurse practitioners in primary care.

1979

PhD Program Sets the National Standard

The PhD program — one of the first 15 in the country — admits its first students with a rigorous curriculum that serves as a model nationwide.

1989

Nation’s First Acute-Care NP Program Launches

One year after New York passes landmark legislation to authorize nurse practitioners’ title and scope of practice, nurses in Strong’s surgical nursing unit develop the Acute Care NP master’s program.

1995

School-Based Health Center Opens

The health center at East High School in Rochester is staffed and supported by the School of Nursing. It addresses physical and mental health needs in an accessible, youth-friendly, and confidential setting.

Lindsay Doyle ’20N (MS)

Improving Health Outcomes through Quality and Informatics, Neonatal Care

Growing up with a mother who works as a licensed practical nurse, Lindsay Doyle ’20N (MS), CPNP, NNP, knew she was interested in a career in healthcare from a young age. She started college in a pre-med program with aspirations to become a pediatrician, but an opportunity to shadow a neonatal nurse practitioner at Newark Wayne Community Hospital changed her mind. On one shift, the NP she was working with was called to deliver a baby with a cardiac defect, giving Doyle a firsthand look at how NPs manage care for high-risk newborns.

“I was sold,” Doyle recalled. “I remember thinking how amazing it was that an NP could practice independently in the community and ultimately make a great impact on families.”

She called her mom, told her she was switching majors to nursing, and turned in the paperwork later that week.

That pathway proved to be an excellent fit for Doyle: she went on to start her career as a bedside nurse in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) at Strong Memorial Hospital, earn a master’s in the School of Nursing’s pediatric and neonatal NP program, and practice as an NP at Golisano Children’s Hospital (GCH).

“Pediatrics and neonatology are so interesting. Kids have their whole lives ahead of them, so everything we do in each interaction we have with them will shape that journey and what the rest of their lives can look like,” Doyle said.

“The NICU is especially unique,” she added. “We get to interact with babies and their families in the very first days, weeks, and months of their lives and provide a positive experience. It’s special to be part of that journey and provide them with a foundation. There are times when you get to go in and help a baby who’s one pound, and they grow up to live a normal, healthy life – it’s spectacular.”

In addition to caring for children and families at the bedside, Doyle has also found fulfillment in her role as a quality and informatics specialist advanced practice provider (APP) at GCH. She serves as a liaison between the hospital’s Nursing Informatics and Quality & Safety teams, helping to lead quality improvement efforts for the Children’s Hospital and optimize the way clinicians utilize technologies and interact with the medical record.

“I’ve always had an interest in informatics, how we interact with technology and the medical record, but really

how it impacts the way we provide care,” she said. “It’s different than my clinical care, but I can impact not only the way our NICU providers and nurses deliver safe care and utilize technology, but all of GCH.”

Across both of her roles, Doyle is driven to lead meaningful change – for patients and families, as well as the staff who care for them.

Reflecting on her decade-long career so far, Doyle feels the most pride in her small victories: as a clinician, receiving a Christmas card from a family she supported in the NICU whose child started kindergarten, or running into former patients at the Strong Stroll for Kids 5K; and in her informatics and quality role, digitizing an outdated workflow that used to be on paper, or hearing that a quality improvement project to which she contributed made a colleague’s daily work easier.

How does the work you do in nursing practice, quality, and informatics make a difference?

“My work both directly and indirectly impacts the way we care for patients, the care they receive, and their health outcomes. I hope that by leading improvement efforts, in conjunction with improvements in the way clinicians interact with technology and the electronic medical record, this will ultimately lead to better outcomes for patients and families, as well as improved staff satisfaction and wellness,” Doyle said.

Who from the School of Nursing has inspired or impacted you?

“I was fortunate to complete the Pediatric NP program alongside six of my colleagues from the NICU, including my best friend,” Doyle said. “Now, we all practice there as nurse practitioners, which was special. I am very grateful to have gone through this, along with the transition into our NICU APP roles, together.”

As Class of 2020 graduates, the final months of their program were transformed by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Associate Professors of Clinical Nursing Erin Baylor, DNP, RN, PCPNP-BC, ONP, FNAP, CHSE-A, and Patrick Hopkins, DNP, APRN, C-PNP, NNP, offered steadfast support in difficult times.

“Erin provided immense support and leadership throughout the entire program, but specifically during the beginning of the pandemic, when we were all at a loss for what to do with clinical hours and how to complete our program,” Doyle said. “Patrick’s work and support in the NICU were also invaluable for so many of us in our transition from bedside nurses to nurse practitioners.”

What advice would you share with other nurses?

“Take every opportunity to immerse yourself, ask questions, seek learning experiences, and get involved however you can, whether you’re just starting as a bedside nurse or becoming an APP,” Doyle said.

She encouraged those same sentiments for those who are interested in quality improvement and informatics.

“Find ways to get involved, whether it’s on the unit, in your department, or elsewhere. I didn’t have formal training in quality or informatics and learned everything on the job. Sometimes, it’s a matter of not being afraid to say, ‘Hey, can you teach me how to do that?’ or ‘Tell me more about that.’ Curiosity can go a long way.”

Claire Conwell ’24N (MS)

Paying it Forward through Professional Development for Nurses, Preceptors

With more than a decade of experience as a clinical preceptor and pediatric nurse, Claire Conwell ’24N (MS), RN, CNL, CCRN, knows firsthand that preceptors are essential to early-career nurses’ growth.

“New graduates and new hires need to feel supported to be able to grow and become more educated, experienced, and excited,” explained Conwell. “And that is dependent on the ones who help bring them in the door.”

Today, the Clinical Nurse Leader (CNL) master’s graduate supports both preceptors and newly hired nurses as a nursing professional development practitioner. Earlier in the year, she took on a new role supporting the School of Nursing and University of Rochester Medical Center’s efforts to enhance onboarding and training processes for new nurses making the transition to practice and the mentors who train them.

Leveraging the strengths of the School of Nursing and URMC’s academic-clinical partnership, the late Dean Kathy Rideout, EdD, PPCNP-BC, FNAP pioneered the vision for an initiative to build confidence and support for incoming nurses and their mentors. Last spring, URMC received a $2 million New York State Department of Health grant to support the multifaceted program.

Conwell’s own journey into nursing started shortly after she earned her first bachelor’s degree in psychology. Unsure of

what to do next when she was 21, she spent time volunteering in a hospice care facility.

“That helped me understand a totally different world of what nursing could look like,” she said.

Inspired by the staff she worked with in hospice, she pursued a second bachelor’s in nursing in New York City, and returned to Rochester shortly afterward for a job in the pediatric cardiac ICU at URMC. When she felt ready to pursue an advanced degree, she found inspiration in her nurse manager, who had also pursued the CNL degree.

How do you continue to make an impact through your work?

Supporting a program dedicated to improving nurses’ transition to practice has offered Conwell a way to pay it forward for the preceptors and mentors who shaped her career.

“My role has been an exciting opportunity to step directly into providing support for those who are precepting, sharing their knowledge, and doing something that is so important but can also be tiring,” she said.

What inspired you to be a preceptor?

“Starting my first nursing job in a specialized ICU was intense,” she recalled. “There were times during my orientation when I felt unsure about it, and I had such great preceptors

“I came into the program knowing that it was important to me to take on projects that would improve systems for both patients and staff,” Conwell said. “It’s not just about taking a singular data point and improving it. It’s about looking at everyone working together across disciplines, and gathering all the information they can.”

during that time who helped me come into my own on the unit.”

The support she felt from her preceptors stuck with her as she continued to grow more confident in her role.

“I reached a checkpoint where I realized I wanted to be that person for someone. Part of it is certainly about having someone to teach you about medications or sterile technique, but it’s also important to share stories, personal experiences, and unique clinical situations you’ve encountered.”

Who are some individuals who made an impact on you during your time at the School?

“My class with Kate Valcin and Linda Migliore stood out,” Conwell said. “They have such a passion for the role, and they were such champions of not just growth and leadership, but the positive role a CNL can play. They provided perspective and encouraged everyone along the way.”

What advice would you share with other nurses?

Conwell stressed the importance of taking time to figure out one’s career interests. The best moments in her career have resulted from moving at her own pace: she worked at the bedside for about 10 years before pursuing an advanced degree, and after she finished the CNL program, she continued working in her role in pediatrics for the following year while deciding her next steps as a master’s-prepared nurse.

“I was lucky to have the opportunity to wait for what I knew would be the right thing for me,” she said. “When my current role showed up, it stood out to me. It is really about our nursing culture, and the ways that we’re able to support growth.”

“I know a lot of people who feel like they need to get the next degree,” she added. “I’m so grateful that I gave myself time. Talk to people, learn as much as you can, and do the investigating to find what opportunities are out there — even just looking at the credentials in people’s email signatures.”

What makes Rochester special to you?

Conwell, who grew up nearby in Honeoye Falls, has spent time living in New York City and Washington, D.C. As an adult, she realized Rochester had everything she was looking for.

“Something that I realized when I decided to come back was how much of Rochester I hadn’t experienced as a young person. I left looking for things a large city could offer, like exposure to culture, restaurants, museums, and festivals. And once I was in my 20s and looking at living here again, I realized Rochester has so many of those things — you just don’t always realize it when you’re 17.”

Opening New Doors 2000-2025

FOURTH QUARTER

CENTURY

DEANS

Kathy Parker 2008-2011

Kathy Rideout 2011-2022

Lisa Kitko 2022-

2002

Programs Offer Unique Accelerated Route to Nursing

The accelerated bachelor’s and master’s programs for non-nurses expand access to education for those coming to nursing from other fields. The new program comes on the heels of the four-year traditional undergraduate program closing.

2007

First Students Enroll in DNP Program

The first students enroll in the Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) program which aims to give nurses a more prominent place at the decision-making table in hospitals and other health care institutions nationwide.

2011

2006

State-of-the-Art Wing Modernizes Campus

The Loretta C. Ford education wing adds a 175-seat auditorium and new classrooms with smart technology.

Nurse Entrepreneurship Leads to Wellness Enterprise

The Center for Employee Wellness is founded for University of Rochester employees. The workplace health initiative, developed by the School, point-of-care biometric screenings and lifestyle coaching programs, grows to serve 90 organizations across Western New York, helping individuals reduce their cardiovascular health risks — and the cost of treating them.

Master’s in Nursing Education Program Created

The program helps address a shortage in nursing faculty. In the same year, the Center for Lifelong Learning unveils an online Care Manager Education Program, the first of its kind in the country.

UR Nursing Scholars Program Launches

Each year, scholars gain tuition-free nursing education in the Accelerated Bachelor’s in Nursing program in exchange for a three-year work commitment at select UR Medicine hospitals. Nearly 300 students have committed to the program since its inception.

State-of-Art Expansion Features Simulation, Experiential Learning Spaces

The addition includes a 20-bed skills lab, four simulation labs with high fidelity manikins, augmented and VR spaces, and combined clinical and experiential learning to advance nursing education.

Hello Alumni, Donors, Partners, and Friends:

I have the honor and privilege of serving as your representative on the Campaign Steering Committee on behalf of the for Ever Better: The Campaign for the University of Rochester. This campaign is designed to secure our University’s future as a leader in education, research, and public service, in line with the University’s 2030 Boundless Possibility Strategic Plan.

Launched at Meliora Weekend 2025, we are striving to raise $1.75 billion and inspire 250,000 participants by 2030. For the School of Nursing, our goal; $30 million raised and 4,000 alumni and students engaged; reflects both the magnitude of our ambitions and the heart of our community spirit.

What distinguishes School of Nursing is a 100-year-long legacy that uplifts innovators and national leaders in nursing and also empowers graduates to make meaningful change in the everyday moments of care. Our alumni drive patient- and family-centered care with knowledge, compassion, and resilience—whether at the bedside, leading community health initiatives, or advancing clinical research.

The School, under the stewardship of Dean Lisa Kitko and the SON National Council, espouses Choice, Courage, and Commitment—a shared framework that unites us as nurses, educators, researchers, and friends. Each of you embodies these values—the choices you’ve made, your courage to act on those choices, and your commitment to building healthier communities.

As our inaugural dean Loretta C. Ford reminded us, “I am the ghost of our historical (or hysterical) past… and you are the present and future.” And she added with a smile, “But beware—I will return from the fires below and haunt you!” Let us honor her legacy by ensuring that the next century of University of Rochester nursing graduates have the tools, support, and inspiration they deserve.

I hope you will join us—by giving, mentoring, or advocating—to strengthen our School for decades to come.

With gratitude, Nancy

Co-Chair, University of Rochester School of Nursing National Council

Member, University of Rochester Campaign Steering Committee

I hope you will join us — by giving, mentoring, or advocating — to strengthen our School for decades to come.

10. This School of Nursing master’s program, which prepares nurses to improve patient care at the point of care delivery, was one of the first of its kind in the U.S. and remains the only program of its kind in Upstate N.Y. today. Clinical Nurse Leader (CNL)

FOR EVER BETTER LAUNCHES AT MELIORA WEEKEND

Comprehensive campaign seeks to raise $1.75 billion for the University’s future while expanding alumni and community engagement

By Kristine Kappel Thompson

For 175 years, the University of Rochester has advanced discovery, supported communities, and educated the most exceptional students. This fall, as the University marked that milestone, it also launched For Ever Better: The Campaign for the University of Rochester—an effort to raise $1.75 billion to fund research, to expand access to education, healthcare, and the arts, and to engage alumni and friends around the world in the next five years.

The announcement of the public phase of the campaign came during Meliora Weekend 2025, when more than 12,000 alumni, families, and friends returned for reunions, lectures, performances, and celebrations—linking the University’s past to its future.

As part of the campaign, the School of Nursing aims to raise $30 million to strengthen programs, research, and student support. The Medical Center as a whole will play a central role in the campaign, with a commitment to raise $850 million—half of the overall fundraising total.

“The For Ever Better campaign will define our future and extend our legacy as a community that embraces opportunities and challenges with bold ideas and an optimistic vision,” says President Sarah Mangelsdorf. “With this campaign, I look forward to advancing knowledge, enhancing care, and creating environments where everyone connected to Rochester can thrive.”

School of Nursing Dean Lisa Kitko, PhD, RN, underscores the importance of the For

Campaign regional launch events

We’re taking For Ever Better on the road in 2026. Full details online at everbetter.rochester.edu.

PALM BEACH January 20, 2026

NAPLES January 22, 2026

NEW YORK CITY February 26, 2026

SAN DIEGO March 4, 2026

LOS ANGELES March 5, 2026

WASHINGTON, D.C. April 29, 2026

Sponsored by the Office of Advancement

Ever Better campaign.

“The future of healthcare depends on the nurses we educate today,” she says. “With the right support, we can prepare a new generation to lead with skill, compassion, and resilience—where they’re needed and when it matters most.”

The campaign comes at a time when higher education faces significant headwinds—from financial pressures and demographic shifts to challenges in effectively communicating its relevance and impact. In this environment, the For Ever Better campaign underscores the importance of collective effort. Through actions both large and small, and contributions from individuals and groups, it advances a shared mission to improve humanity.

BUILDING FROM STRENGTH

The For Ever Better campaign enters its public phase with momentum. Leading up to the campaign’s launch, Rochester secured more than $880 million in commitments supporting students, faculty, research, and facilities.

Thomas Farrell ’88, ’90W, senior vice president for University Advancement, says the campaign is both purposeful and urgent.

“We have made remarkable progress, with three record fundraising years in a row and the highest levels of engagement in our history,” he says. “Now we’re inviting the entire University community to help shape what comes next.”

Overall campaign priorities include creating 150 endowed professorships, supporting more than 500 scholarships and fellowships, and making investments that reinforce Rochester’s leadership in research, healthcare, and the arts. Farrell adds, “A cornerstone of this campaign is balancing philanthropy and engagement—we hope to raise significant funds for our priorities while strengthening the culture of ownership among our volunteers and all those who care about the University.”

MORE THAN FUNDRAISING

While the $1.75 billion target is historic, leaders stress that For Ever Better is about people first. The campaign seeks to engage 250,000 alumni, parents, students, grateful patients, faculty, staff, and friends worldwide. It will inspire giving, energize volunteerism, bring people together at events— both in person and virtual— and strengthen connections. Volunteer leaders at the helm of the Medical Center’s

campaign say they are motivated by a desire to make an impact in the community. “As proud alumni and community members, the University and its Medical Center have played a meaningful role in our lives,” say Peter Landers ’83 (MS) and Kathy Landers ’82, URMC Campaign Co-Chairs. “We have experienced firsthand the compassion, expertise, and dedication that define URMC. Supporting its mission honors the care our family has received while helping ensure future generations experience the same excellence, comfort, and hope.”

University Trustee Kenneth Ouriel ’77, ’86M (Res), ’87M (Flw), and Joy Bracker Ouriel P’08S, fellow URMC Campaign Co-Chairs, underscore this: “Supporting the University is our way to pay it forward. It’s about creating possibilities for those with the same mindset as us—those whose mission is to make life better and healthier for others.”

A MOMENT OF MEANING

Launching during Meliora Weekend carried special resonance: 2025 also marks the centennials of the School of Nursing, School of Medicine & Dentistry, and Strong Memorial Hospital. Together with the 175th anniversary, these milestones underscore how Rochester has always grown by seizing opportunities at the right time—and how this campaign represents the next step.

The weekend’s energy—emanating from full lecture halls, reunion celebrations, and sporting events— underscored a common purpose: extending the Rochester spirit toward the next generation.

DEFINING ROCHESTER’S NEXT CENTURY

The campaign’s goals are ambitious. But leaders emphasize the true measure will be how fully alumni, families, and friends stay connected with the University and help carry its mission forward.

“Our For Ever Better campaign is less about the total dollars raised and more about what those resources and the engagement make possible,” adds Farrell. “It’s a chance to show that the community that has sustained Rochester since its founding is ready to help define what the University can be in its next century.”

CAMPAIGN MOMENTUM

UNPRECEDENTED MEDICAL CENTER

SUPPORT: In 2024, transformative gifts from two local Rochesterians made history for the University. A $50 million gift from Tom Golisano to build the Golisano Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Institute was the University’s single largest gift, ever. A $30 million gift from Trustee Emeritus Phil Saunders and the Saunders Foundation to support orthopaedics and nursing was the Medical Center’s second-largest single gift of all time.

MAKING HISTORY: The Strong Memorial Expansion Project—the University’s largest capital project ever—signals a new era in healthcare for the region. “We are literally building the future of medicine right here in Rochester,” says President and CEO of Strong and Memorial Hospitals Kathy Parrinello ’75N, ’83N (MS), ’90W (PhD). Once open, it will expand and improve care across the region.

“After more than a decade as a sign language interpreter, I realized that I wanted to contribute to healthcare more directly. The accelerated program at the University of Rochester’s School of Nursing has given me that opportunity—and the support of professors and clinicians who truly care about mentorship and patient-centered care. It’s shown me that career paths don’t have to be linear, and it’s never too late to pursue meaningful change.”

NORA S. LEWIS ’25N (BS), ’25N (RN)

JOIN THE CAMPAIGN!

Support the people, ideas, and innovations that make our world ever better. There are so many ways to help: Make a gift, get involved, stay connected, and share your Rochester story.

Learn more at everbetter.rochester.edu.

From the Inside Out

By studying the effects of persistent stress, URochester researchers are shedding light on how to be more resilient.

University of Rochester researchers are shedding important light on how stress operates in our lives and, more crucially, how to cultivate resilience. Funded by the university and rooted in Rochester’s history of transdisciplinary research, the new University of Rochester Resilience Research Center (UR³C) brings together a broad team — including nursing, medicine, psychiatry, psychology, genetics, public health, and others — to explore stress and resilience at cellular, individual, and community levels.

It’s not uncommon to hear someone say, “I’m so stressed-out.” A colleague may feel stressed about a hectic work schedule. A teen may be worried about a challenging assignment at school. A loved one may feel overwhelmed with family obligations.

According to the American Institute of Stress, 55 percent of Americans report feeling stressed during the day. Yet while everyone experiences stress, not everyone responds the same way. Some people buckle under pressure, while others seem to rebound more quickly.

At the University of Rochester, researchers are working to better understand stress and why some people recover from stress more easily than others—an ability known as resilience.

Stress:

‘A basic human condition’

“Everyone is affected by stress,” says Jennie Noll, PhD, a professor in the Department of Psychology at the University of Rochester and executive director of the Mt. Hope Family

Center. “Stress is an adaptive response. It is a basic human condition.”

The body’s psychological, behavioral, and biological responses to stress can be beneficial. Stress responses can sharpen focus for an important presentation, for example, or prompt quick action to avoid danger. Chronic and persistent stress, however, can have negative health implications.

“When stress is persistent or overwhelming, such as caring for a loved one with a chronic illness, experiencing the sudden loss of someone close, or being abused in childhood, it can increase vulnerability to disease and undermine overall well-being,” says Kathi Heffner, PhD, a professor at the University’s School of Nursing and the departments of psychiatry and medicine, and the associate chief of research in the School of Medicine and Dentistry’s Division of Geriatrics and Aging.

Heffner and Noll are co-leaders of the University of Rochester Resilience Research Center (UR³C). Using a transdisciplinary research approach, the Resilience Center examines stress and resilience on many levels, including physiological, psychological, and societal.

“By studying resilience, we’re studying how all of these different systems work together, individually and in conjunction, so that we can learn how to stave off some of the effects of stress on health,” says Noll.

Learning more about the biopsychosocial processes of stress and how it is expressed could also help to answer

“We are not just generating knowledge. We are building the scientific foundation for a healthier, more resilient society.”

Kathi Heffner, PhD Associate Chief of Research, URMC Division of Geriatrics & Aging Director, Elaine C. Hubbard Center for Nursing Research on Aging Professor of Nursing, Medicine, and Psychiatry

another important question: Why are some people more resilient than others?

What is Stress? How Does It Affect Us?

Stress is the body’s natural reaction to challenges or pressures. Encountering a stressor—such as a looming deadline — triggers the sympathetic nervous system: heart rate rises, muscles tense, and stress hormones like adrenaline and cortisol surge.

“This ‘fight-or-flight’ response is adaptive in the moment, helping us respond quickly to immediate challenges,” says Heffner.

While these responses helped humans survive threats in ancient times, today the physiological aftermath often lingers. When stress persists, multiple systems — cardiovascular, immune, metabolic, neurological — are affected.

“This leads to what scientists call biological embedding, where stress literally ‘gets under the skin’ and leaves lasting marks on the body and brain,” Heffner says. “Over time, these biological effects can contribute to faster aging at the cellular level, increasing risk for disease and functional decline.”

What is Resilience?

Resilience is the ability to recover from stress or adversity in ways that are better than expected, whether at the level of an individual, a community, or a system.

Researchers at the Resilience Center are exploring why some people bounce back from stress quickly and others do not, and how this could inform better stress management. Their work looks at how resilience can mitigate the stress response and whether people can be taught to regulate their stress

response system before it starts to negatively impact health.

“It might be that some people are just born with a genetic predisposition that helps them fight off a dysregulated stress response system,” Noll says. “There might be people with very good immune systems that aren’t affected by stress in the same way as others. There might be others who have ways in which they’re motivated to make decisions that are healthier.”

The Effects of Stress on Communities

Stress and resilience are not confined to individuals. Economic instability, community violence, and environmental threats contribute to “collective stress,” raising health risks and limiting opportunities across generations, says Elaine Hill, Dean’s Professor in Public Health Sciences. Life expectancy across U.S. neighborhoods now varies more widely than ever, with chronic conditions and substance abuse among the factors driving declines.

Building Resilient Communities

Addressing these complex challenges requires a transdisciplinary approach. The UR³C is designed to foster collaboration between basic science, social science, and clinical experts at Rochester, focusing on solutions at every level — cell, individual, community, and policy.

“It’s understanding stress and resilience at multiple levels, cellular, individual, up to systems and culture,” says Heffner. “These models being developed across disciplines reflect how systems, communities, policies — how these interconnected levels can help ease stress in ways that allow people to maintain their function and thrive.”

Researchers are now working to translate scientific

Resilience is the ability to recover from stress or adversity in ways that are better than expected.

discoveries into practice and public health policy, creating models and interventions that bolster resilience for all.

“It’s hard to imagine a world without stress and trauma,” says Noll. “But I like to imagine a world where everyone has the possibility of reaching their full potential, even in the face of a world that has so many challenges.”

At the University of Rochester, understanding and cultivating resilience is not a single-discipline effort.

The Resilience Research Center exemplifies Rochester’s commitment to improving health and well-being through innovative, multidisciplinary partnerships — and offers nurses, clinicians, and scientists alike a model for tackling adversity and promoting thriving communities, no matter the circumstances.

“This is hope in a bottle ... For patients who are told they have to cope with a constant stress on their system or that they have a genetic predisposition to post-traumatic stress disorder — we’re injecting hope.”

Jennie Noll, PhD

Executive director with Mt. Hope Family Center and Co-lead of the Resilience Research Center

Ever Wonder: What Makes Someone Resilient?

Resilience Strategies from UR³C Experts

Small resets: Even a few minutes of deep breathing, mindfulness, or stepping outside helps the body reset.

Movement: Physical activity reliably reduces stress and builds resilience.

Connection: Supportive relationships are one of the strongest buffers against stress. Even brief moments of pleasant engagement with other people can increase feelings of connection and reduce loneliness, and bolster stress resilience.

Rest: Prioritizing restorative sleep strengthens the body’s defenses.

Perspective: Reframing challenges and focusing on what is within our control can turn stress into an opportunity for growth.

55% of Americans report feeling stressed during the day, according to the American Institute for Stress

$2 million Funding for UR³C’s five-year mission

20+ faculty from across the University in the School of Nursing, School of Medicine & Dentistry, School of Arts & Sciences, Warner School of Education & Human Development

Fall Convocation Celebrates Student Excellence

The School of Nursing community celebrated student award winners and welcomed its newest students, faculty, and staff during its annual Convocation ceremony. More than 230 new students joined the School community this fall, representing 15 states and six countries.

“From the very beginning in 1925, nurses have been at the center of education, discovery, and care here at the University of Rochester,” said Dean Lisa Kitko, PhD, RN, FAHA, FAAN. “This year, we celebrate our past and build our future.”

The following students were celebrated for exemplifying the School’s commitment to excellence in research, education, and practice:

• N’Kulu Kibwe ’25N, a student in the 12-month bachelor’s program, received the Clare Dennison Prize, which recognizes an undergraduate student for outstanding proficiency in general care. Kibwe, of Bridgeport, Connecticut, plans to start his career in cardiac nursing at Strong Memorial Hospital.

• Olga Osores, BSN, RN, RNFA, CNOR, who is pursuing her Master’s in Nursing Education, received the Eleanor Hall Award. The honor recognizes an outstanding master’s student. Osores also works as a RN First Assistant in the main operating room at Strong.

• Casey Gorton, BSN, RN, a master’s student in the Clinical Nurse Leader program, received the Michele Unger Leadership Award. Gorton is the assistant director of nursing for the Cardiac Catheterization and Electrophysiology Lab at Strong.

• Erin Vernetti, MS, RN, a PhD candidate in Nursing & Health Science, received the Jill Thayer Dissertation Award in recognition of her work to address knowledge gaps in the study of female rape survivors by exploring the impact of stigma on their health outcomes. Vernetti is an operating room nurse at Thompson Health.

• Rachelle Buchanan, ’20N, ’22N (MS), PMHNP-BC, a student in the Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) program, received the George Spencer Terry Jr. B’49 Endowed Fund in Nursing Award, which is given to a DNP student who is developing innovative solutions to challenges in healthcare. Buchanan is a psychiatric-mental health NP in the final year of her doctorate, focusing on supporting children and families with autism spectrum disorder and ADHD. She co-owns Equilibrium Psychiatry and Integrative Medicine in Pittsford, New York.

This year, we celebrate our past and build our future. Dean

Lisa Kitko, PhD, RN, FAHA, FAAN

1. The first occupant of the School of Nursing’s building was a horse that belonged to one of the construction workers.

2. How many students were in the School of Nursing’s inaugural class in 1925? 16

Meeting the need for nurse anesthetists

Alison Henry leads development of School of Nursing’s CRNA program

When Alison Henry, CRNA, DNPc, MSN, was starting her nursing career as a cardiac step-down unit nurse in North Carolina, she aspired to become an acute care nurse practitioner.

That was until she started to get to know the daughter of one of her patients, who worked as a certified registered nurse anesthetist, or CRNA. She asked Henry about her future career plans, and when Henry told her she planned to become a cardiac NP, her response was, “You don’t know it yet, but you want to be a CRNA,” Henry recalled.

Henry accepted an invitation to shadow her at work on a day off, and it changed her career path. More than a decade after that interaction, Henry now serves as Chief CRNA at Golisano Children’s and Strong Memorial hospitals, and

the director of the School of Nursing’s upcoming CRNA program. The School aims to welcome its first CRNA cohort in Summer 2027.

“It’s an honor and a privilege to be able to build our CRNA program from the ground up, and to captain the ship as the program director,” Henry said. “I have the opportunity to take all the knowledge that I have and create a team of highly intelligent, competent colleagues — with expertise in nursing, anesthesia, finance, administration, and leadership — and bring them all together in one room and build a fantastic curriculum, program, and experiences for our future students. I’m excited about the program we’re bringing to fruition, and the opportunities we’re going to have for our CRNA students and faculty.”

“The development of our CRNA program is an exciting

moment in the School of Nursing’s rich history, reflecting our continued commitment to addressing our community’s most urgent health concerns and creating new opportunities for nurses to advance their careers,” said School of Nursing Dean Lisa Kitko, PhD, RN, FAHA, FAAN. “Under Dr. Henry’s leadership, and with support and collaboration across our academic medical center community, we are well-positioned to prepare future nurse anesthetists to deliver safe, effective, and compassionate care.”

Addressing

a demand for anesthesia providers

Anesthesiology is one of the most in-demand subfields in the healthcare industry, but faces severe shortages across the U.S. Employment for the nurse anesthetist role is expected to grow by 38% by 2032, the American Association of Nurse Anesthesiology (AANA) reports. This increase in CRNAs would be especially impactful for rural counties in the U.S., where CRNAs make up about 80% of anesthesia providers and shortages hit residents the hardest.

“To best serve our surgical service patients, we must come together to produce physicians and nurse anesthetists in a meaningful, thoughtful way. We want to have graduates who are ready to take the world by storm as clinicians, academics, leaders, and administrators,” Henry said.

Henry attributes growing interest in the role partially to CRNAs’ ability to practice at the top of their licensure, as well as rare opportunities to not only develop complex skills, but utilize them regularly.

“You’re working at the top of your scope of practice, taking everything you’ve learned in your career, and putting it into practice. You get the opportunity to care for people across the lifespan, to critically think every day, and recognize, diagnose and treat an issue as one person with no middleman,” Henry said of the role.

Looking ahead to the CRNA program’s continued development and launch, Henry sees her role not only as a job, but as a service to the Rochester community.

“It is a service to champion this program for our community, and to ensure that those in Rochester and our surrounding areas have the access to care they need.”

Getting to know Alison

Henry credits her mother, a fellow nurse who recently retired after 42 years of service, for inspiring her to join the profession. They even spent a year working together as emergency room nurses.

“She has the strongest work ethic, and I remember her being so smart and so well-respected by her physician colleagues,” Henry recalled.

Outside of work, Henry is a proud cat parent who has fostered several cats for the Humane Society, and she has previously raced competitively in Ironman triathlon events. She and her wife, Carly, a fellow nurse who she met in the operating room, recently celebrated their first wedding anniversary.

Originally from nearby Canandaigua, New York, Henry enjoys the natural beauty of the Finger Lakes, as well as Rochester’s food scene and cultural events.

The School of Nursing’s Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA) program is expected to launch in 2027, pending accreditation by the Council on Accreditation of Nurse Anesthesia Educational Programs (COA).

Jeff Houck leads development of DPT program

Creating a pathway to physical therapy careers

Paving the way for new PTs

After joining the Navy at age 18 and achieving the rank of 2nd class petty officer as a quartermaster, Professor Jeff Houck, PT, PhD, was wondering what he’d do next. While on deployment on the Indian Ocean, he went to the ship’s library, a closet-sized room filled with macho westerns and murder mysteries, and found a book on career choices. Houck remembers narrowing his options down to three professions that “combined science, people, and a balanced life.”

“The winner was physical therapy.”

That choice led Houck on a remarkable bi-coastal career, which has included teaching and conducting research at nearby Ithaca College for 13 years, serving as program director for a new physical therapy program at George Fox University in Oregon, publishing more than 90 peer-reviewed articles, and leading NIH-funded studies to improve care for hip fractures and tibial tendon problems.

Houck’s leadership, teaching, and research in physical therapy eventually led him back to New York for a new opportunity: helping the School of Nursing develop and seek accreditation for a Doctorate of Physical Therapy (DPT) program, with plans to welcome its first cohort in 2028.

“Part of the reason I came to Rochester is its innovative approach to practice, education, and research,” Houck said. “Being able to evolve new treatments from an idea to a reality in patient care is the golden opportunity for physical therapy as a profession, and it’s rare to be part of a place where that process is so seamless.”

The DPT program would arrive at a crucial time for healthcare. The demand for physical therapists is expected to grow over the next decade, driven by an aging population and increased survival rates for people with chronic conditions and injuries. Nationally, PT is the fifth largest healthcare profession. UR Medicine performs more than 200,000 physical therapy encounters each year. Over 1,500 licensed physical therapists serve the Finger Lakes region, but most are based in Monroe County. The upcoming DPT program aims to address the high demand for care, especially in rural areas where physical therapy care is harder to access.

Future physical therapy students will benefit from access to the University’s wide range of clinical specialties, interdisciplinary research, educational expertise, and growing employment opportunities. The Saunders Center for Orthopaedics and Physical Performance became the largest and most comprehensive facility of its kind in the Northeast when it opened in 2023. The DPT program will partner with UR Medicine to expand access to PT care at the Saunders Center, and in cardiology and geriatrics.

Dean Lisa Kitko, PhD, RN, FAHA, FAAN, and Director of URMC Enterprise Rehabilitation Services Kostantinos Vasalos, PT, CSCS, MSBA, championed the DPT program and laid the foundation for establishing a new program before recruiting Houck to join the faculty.

“The addition of a DPT program helps us address our region’s evolving health needs and ensure that our community can access high-quality therapeutic care,” Kitko said. “As our School grows across disciplines, we are eager to make the most of our strengths in research, education, and practice to improve lives. We look forward to welcoming future physical therapists to pursue their career goals in an environment where collaboration and interprofessional education truly thrive.”

Vasalos, who proposed the idea for a DPT program more than a decade ago, helped the University develop post-professional residency and fellowship programs for PTs,

create pathways for clinical teams to pursue terminal degrees, and generate enthusiasm for education and research in the field.

“It has been a long-time vision of mine to have an academic program here, and I’m confident that we have all the right ingredients to be a nationally leading program,” Vasalos said. “The scale and size of our clinical programs, combined with the research we’ll be able to do, will give us an advantage that will instantly put us in the top caliber of DPT programs.”

Vasalos looks forward to having Houck at the helm of the new program.

“Jeff exceeded all of the credentials you would expect in a program director,” Vasalos said. “He’s extremely intelligent, knowledgeable, and easy to get along with. Not only does he have the academic, research, and professional credentials, but he has the charisma and engaging personality to lead this new program.”

Returning to Rochester

Houck’s new role is also a return to his career’s Rochester roots. Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery Judith Baumhauer, MD, MPH, recruited him for his first faculty position at Ithaca College Rochester following his doctoral studies in biomechanics at the University of Iowa.

“From the moment I met Jeff, it was clear he had a rare combination of scientific rigor, curiosity, and genuine commitment to improving patient care. Watching his career come full circle in Rochester is incredibly gratifying,” Baumhauer said.

Houck spent his early years studying applied three-dimensional motion analysis techniques to advance care for patients with ACL injuries, tendinopathies, and hip fractures with collaborators from Ithaca and Rochester. Several students from his lab went on to earn doctorates in Health Services Research — now known as the PhD in Nursing and Health Science program — at the School of Nursing.

As a program director, he’s confident that the University is the perfect place for a DPT program to thrive.

“I am excited about building a DPT program at a Tier 1 research institution that embraces the challenges we face in delivering and improving medical care,” he said.

Houck is especially excited to develop collaborations both within the School of Nursing and across the University. He looks forward to teaming with nurse practitioner students and faculty, and exploring where NP and PT models of care and training overlap. Beyond nursing, he is championing future faculty collaborations across several clinical specialties and the Biomedical Engineering department.

“I’ve always thought of interprofessional experiences as trading superpowers,” he said. “We all benefit from it, and the community benefits from it.”

Getting to know Jeff

In addition to his roles at the School of Nursing and UR Medicine, Houck is active in leadership and research. His passion for leadership emerged when he volunteered to lead medical trips to Ghana and Uganda. He now serves as president of the PROMIS Health Organization (patient-reported outcomes measurement information system), and is part of the Institute for Scholarly Inquiry Task Force for the American Council of Academic Physical Therapy. His work with the NIH-supported PROMIS program, has led to collaborative retrospective studies with providers across several specialties. Most recently he helped develop the Motion Analytics Laboratory at UR Medicine, and led falls prevention seminars for older adults. Outside of work, Houck and his wife, real estate broker Jamie Columbus, enjoy an active lifestyle. Both are artists, creating pieces and sculptures using a variety of mediums. They participate in team sprint-triathlons, traveling, and outdoor activities. Houck is a through hiker, having completed backpacking trips in the Sierra Nevada Mountains with his family. He and Columbus love spending time and adventuring with their children, Cosmo, Mercedes, Max, and Lily.

A Lasting Tribute to Dean Emerita Kathy H. Rideout

In September, the University of Rochester School of Nursing dedicated a new courtyard fountain honoring the life and legacy of Dean Emerita Kathy H. Rideout, EdD, PPCNP-BC, FNAP (1957–2025).

For more than 35 years, Dean Rideout devoted herself to the University community — as a nurse practitioner, educator, scholar, and dean from 2011 to 2022. Her

leadership was marked by compassion, humility, and a steadfast belief in the power of nursing to heal and transform lives.

The fountain now offers a space for reflection and renewal — a symbol of her enduring influence and the countless lives she touched with kindness, wisdom, and grace.

Faculty and Staff Honors & Awards

Faculty, Alumni Champion Quality Improvement

Faculty and alumni were recognized at an October event celebrating a decade of success for the University of Rochester Medical Center’s Resuscitation Quality Improvement (RQI) Program, as learner competency across the health system has continued to increase for each resuscitation skill. URMC was an early adopter of the program, which was developed by Laerdal Medical and the American Heart Association in 2015.

Tara Serwetnyk, EdD, RN, FNAP, NPD-BC, director of assessment and academic innovation, was honored with an RQI Champion Award alongside Kellie Murphy, MS, RN, assistant director of Learning & Development at URMC. Serwetnyk was praised for her work to lead the introduction of the RQI program at URMC, laying the foundation for its success. Alumni Emily Topnick ’20N, a nurse at Strong’s Heart Center, and Jeff Walent ’05N, a nurse at Wilmot Cancer Institute, were recognized as RQI Super Users for their work to educate and encourage consistent training in their clinical areas.

Abu-Ba’are Appointed to AIDS Commission

Assistant Professor and Harriet J. Kitzman Endowed Fellow in Global Health Research Gamji Rabiu Abu-Ba’are, PhD, MA, was appointed to the Ghana AIDS Commission, joining an interdisciplinary team of experts to coordinate, oversee, and evaluate his home country’s response to HIV and AIDS.

Al-Zaiti Named Heart & Lung Editor, Selected for CDMA Study Section

Professor and Independence Foundation Chair in Cardiovascular Nursing Salah Al-Zaiti, PhD, RN, CRNP, ANP-BC, FAHA, was appointed as the new editor-in-chief of Heart & Lung: The Journal of Cardiopulmonary and Acute Care. Al-Zaiti, who has secured more than $8 million in funding for his research initiatives and has published more than 250 articles in esteemed journals, brings a wealth of expertise and a vision for innovative research in nursing and healthcare technology.

In Summer 2025, he was appointed a member of the NIH Clinical Data Management and Analysis (CDMA) Study Section, joining an interdisciplinary team that reviews applications that develop computing technology, simulation and data models, data analytics, and technical software for eventual translation of research for clinical use.

Carey, Carno Recognized by Alma Maters

Two School of Nursing faculty members were each recognized

by universities they attended as outstanding alumni.

Professor of Clinical Nursing Margaret Carno, PhD, MBA, MJ, RN, PNP-AC/PC, CNE, ATSF, FAAN, was named the 2025 recipient of the University of Pittsburgh School of Nursing’s Distinguished Alumni Practice Award. Professor Mary Carey, PhD, RN, FAHA, FAAN, was named the University at Buffalo School of Nursing’s Distinguished Alumni Award recipient.

Faculty Awarded University Funding for Studies in Mental Health, Machine Learning

Assistant Professor Yang Yu, PhD, MPH, MSN, an emerging expert in disordered eating behaviors, weight management, and obesity, received a University Research Award for her proposal “Understanding the Impact of Semaglutide on Mental Health through the Lens of the Stress Response System.”

Assistant Professor Sukardi Suba, PhD, RN, received an award from the University’s Valerie and Frank Furth Fund. His proposed project, “Forecasting Cardiorespiratory Decompensation in Telemetry Patients,” will leverage existing NIH-funded data to develop machine-learning models capable of predicting acute clinical deterioration among patients in hospital step-down units.

Simulation Team Earns National Recognition, Advanced Credentials

Assistant Director of Simulation Kimberly Buholtz, EdD, RN, PED-BC, CNEcl, CHSE-A, was elected by colleagues in the International Nursing Association of Clinical Simulation and Learning (INACSL) to chair its Endorsement Standing Committee. She will assume the role of chair in Summer 2026.

Last fall, Buholtz and Director of Simulation Erin Baylor, DNP, RN, PCPNP-BC, ONP, FNAP, CHSE-A, became two of only 103 individuals across the world to hold advanced certifications as healthcare simulation educators from the International Society for Simulation in Healthcare.

Building on the School of Nursing’s leadership in the field of healthcare simulation, two members of the simulation team also earned new credentials: Assistant Professor of Clinical Nursing Dee Dee Rutigliano, MS, RN, CHSE, became a certified simulation educator, and simulation technician Will Secules, CHSOS became a certified simulation operations specialist (CHSOS).

Lisa Brophy Named Associate Dean for Academic Affairs

As she assumes the role of associate dean for academic affairs, effective Nov. 1, Lisa Brophy, EdD, MSBA, MS, RN, CNE, brings over 30 years of experience across clinical nursing, education, and academic administration.

Brophy, who previously served as interim associate dean, will oversee academic operations across the School’s programs and simulation education. Dean Lisa Kitko praised her as “uniquely equipped to foster collaboration and academic excellence across all levels of study.”

Before her leadership roles at Highland Hospital and the School of Nursing, Brophy began her career in critical care and perioperative nursing at Strong Memorial and Rochester General Hospitals. A graduate of the University of Rochester’s EdD in Higher Education Leadership, she also holds advanced degrees in nursing education and medical management.

With the School recently ranked among the top nursing programs nationally, Brophy’s leadership will help sustain this momentum. “I am proud to join the leadership team at this critical moment for nursing and healthcare,” she said.

I look forward to strengthening our academic programs and supporting students and faculty as we prepare nurses

for tomorrow’s challenges.”

Rebecca Tucker Appointed Chief Wellness Officer, UR Medicine Employee Wellness

A dedicated clinician, educator, and researcher, Rebecca Tucker, PhD, MEd, ACNPC, RN, has been named chief wellness officer of UR Medicine Employee Wellness, succeeding founder Lisa Norsen, PhD, RN, ACNP.

“Her vision and energy will help us expand our impact and innovate in how we support the well-being of our community,” said Renu Singh, CEO of UR Medicine Employee Wellness.

Tucker, an associate professor of clinical nursing, draws from two decades in cardiovascular care and nursing education. She will continue her clinical work at the Heart Center at Strong Memorial Hospital to ensure that the program’s offerings reflect evidence-based, person-centered care.

“In many ways, this position brings me back to my first love — helping people enhance their quality of life so they and their families can thrive,” Tucker said.

The UR Medicine Employee Wellness program supports over 70,000 individuals across 90 regional organizations, providing biometric screenings and personalized condition management programs. Under Tucker’s leadership, the initiative aims to expand its partnerships and continue demonstrating measurable health outcomes.

I am excited to build on the strong foundation of this program, working alongside a passionate team to expand access and foster new partnerships.”

Laurie Athans Named Chief Nursing Officer at Golisano Children’s Hospital

When Laurie Athans, DNP, RN, CNL, CCRN-K, talks about her vision for care at Golisano Children’s Hospital (GCH), it starts — ironically — with a desire to admit fewer patients.

I wish children didn’t have to come to the hospital,” said the assistant professor of clinical nursing and four-time alumna. “The reality is some will, and we’ll always be there for them. But we should also ask what we can do outside these four walls to improve their health.”

That philosophy aligns closely with GCH’s mission to help all children reach their full potential. Athans will now lead that charge as GCH’s new Chief Nursing Officer.

As CNO, she wants to build capacity to meet the evolving needs of child health, noting rising rates of obesity, type 2 diabetes, hypertension, and mental health concerns. She plans to strengthen community partnerships, expand preventive-care

outreach through initiatives like the Mobile Health Clinic (launching 2026) and school-based telemedicine programs, and tackle the social factors that influence children’s well-being.

“Laurie has earned enormous respect across GCH for her steady leadership, insight, and genuine care for our teams,” said Jill Halterman, MD, MPH, physician-in-chief of GCH. “She combines systems thinking with a deep compassion for patients and staff — a combination that will help move our mission forward both inside the hospital and in the broader community.”

“Laurie’s collaborative approach and openness to feedback have stood out throughout her interim role,” said Kate Valcin, DNP, MBA, RN, NE-BC, chief nursing executive for URMC. “She has been an exceptional colleague in addressing opportunities and driving improvements, and I look forward to continuing our work together as she assumes this new role.”

Athans earned her bachelor’s in nursing, Doctor of Nursing Practice, and master’s degrees in the Clinical Nurse Leader and Leadership in Healthcare programs.

Caroline Nestro Retires After 45-Year Career

Caroline Nestro, PhD, RN, ’91N (MS), director of engagement and enrichment at the School of Nursing, retired at the end of December, concluding a distinguished 45-year career that spans more than 40 years in nursing and mental healthcare at the University. A School of Nursing alum and leader in psychiatric nursing, Nestro has dedicated her career to fostering well-being, connection, and reflection across the community — work that has made a lasting impact on students, faculty, staff, and patients alike. Pictured with Telva Oliva, MD, a longtime colleague in the Department of Psychiatry, who said,

Caroline has had a remarkable career with a passion for representing the most vulnerable in our system. No one has ever understood patient-centeredness more than she.”

UNITY Initiative Educates Next Wave of Mental Health Professionals

In New York State, depression, anxiety, trauma, substance use, and suicidality among youth are rising concerns, especially in rural areas with limited access to care.

The University of Rochester School of Nursing received a $2.4 million grant from the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) to address critical shortages in the behavioral health workforce for youth in these rural and under-resourced communities.

The new initiative, titled Uniting Nurses and Integrating Therapists for Youth (UNITY), will prepare 48 master’s-level psychiatric mental health nurse practitioners (PMHNPs) and mental health counselors over the next four years. In many of the regions served by the new initiative, there are an average of 550 residents for each mental health provider — compared to the statewide average of 350.

The project is led by Susan Blaakman, PhD, RN, PMHNP-BC, FNAP, FAAN, a professor of clinical nursing and the specialty director of the Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner program at the School of Nursing, with project coordination by Hennessey Lustica, PhD, an assistant professor of counseling and human development and the director of the advanced certificate programs in mental health counseling at the Warner School of Education and Human Development.

Graduates of the UNITY program will be equipped to provide high-quality, culturally responsive, interprofessional care to youth at risk for mental health, trauma-related, and behavioral disorders.

“Receiving the HRSA grant marks a transformative opportunity for our PMHNP program at the University of Rochester,” Blaakman says. “It empowers us to develop interprofessional partnerships that will expand students’ clinical and experiential learning, support underrepresented and rural populations, and cultivate future leaders equipped to deliver care where it’s needed most.”

Key components of UNITY include the following:

• Interprofessional education, robust clinical placements, and ongoing professional development

• Specialized training in trauma-informed care, substance use disorders, pediatric service collaboration, and mind-body wellness

• Internships at five high-need sites serving disadvantaged youth, including the University’s Mount Hope Family Center, Delphi Rise, Villa of Hope, Seneca County Community Counseling, and Family Counseling Services of the Finger Lakes, among others across New York State

The project also addresses non-academic barriers to success for students, including financial support through

stipends, flexible training options, and access to mental health and wellness resources. A new three-credit interdisciplinary master’s-level course titled “Sustaining Interdisciplinary Excellence in Child and Adolescent Mental Health” will be developed to ensure the program’s impact endures beyond the funding period.

“This grant is truly life-changing for our mental health students,” Lustica says. “It not only reduces financial barriers but also opens doors to rich, hands-on training experiences in

schools and communities that desperately need more mental health support. By investing in these future professionals, we’re creating a stronger, more compassionate workforce ready to meet the complex needs of children and families across our region.”

Embedding Trauma-Informed Care in PMHNP Education

Advance trauma-informed Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse

Practitioner education with this free, evidence-informed toolkit for faculty, preceptors, and clinicians.

The Project ENACT Toolkit offers adaptable curricular guides, standardized patient cases, reflective learning tools, capstone exemplars, and implementation strategies to support integration of trauma-informed principles across didactic, simulation, and clinical learning.

Use the QR code to download the toolkit and strengthen trauma-informed, culturally responsive PMHNP preparation at your school, practice site, or clinical training program.

Caring for Classrooms Nursing Students Partner with Local Schools to Boost Rural Health

There’s much more to a school nurse’s daily work than bandages and ice packs. The age-old stereotype about school nursing is especially far from the truth in rural areas, where access to care is often limited and nurses are at the front line of supporting hundreds of students’ well-being.

Piloted over the past year, a blossoming partnership between the University of Rochester School of Nursing and Wayne County Community Schools (WCCS) is offering aspiring nurses an inside look at the role of nurses in schools and communities while improving health literacy among K-12 students.

Since last fall, accelerated bachelor’s (ABSN) students have hosted health fairs at schools and summer programs across Wayne County, led educational sessions on topics like personal hygiene and puberty, and assisted nurses in conducting state-mandated health, vision, and hearing screenings.

“School nurses work autonomously, caring for 300-400 kids and addressing physical, social and mental health needs. They are the ones who take care of the child with cancer, or the child with juvenile diabetes,” said Assistant Professor of Clinical Nursing Leann Patel, MSN, RN, who coordinates community health clinical experiences for ABSN students. “These nurses do good, hard, and necessary work. It’s powerful for nursing students to have this exposure to the roles of school and community health nurses.”

Nationally, rural school districts face significant disparities

in school health services, with just over half of rural public schools employing full-time nurses, according to the National Association of School Nurses.

For ABSN students, who spend most of their program training in hospital settings, the experience is both an opportunity to explore a different path in the nursing profession and a reminder of school nurses’ significant role.

“The school nurse’s office is often the first place a child will go because they feel safe there. It could be that food insecurity or housing stability is an issue for their family, or they’re having a mental health issue,” said WCCS Health Integration Specialist Jill Harper, RN, who has more than 20 years of experience as a school nurse. “We have to have knowledge in mental health, physical health, and assessment skills, and to be able to build long-standing relationships.”

“Working with the School of Nursing has been a mutually beneficial experience,” she added. “Not only are students helping nurses with days’ worth of work, but it’s also an opportunity to talk about why we as school nurses really love what we do — the ability to educate and work with our students, and to build relationships with families.”

Looking ahead, faculty are currently planning to incorporate the School of Nursing’s RN-to-BS and master’s programs into the partnership, and to serve additional school districts.

“The sustainability of these relationships is testimony to great work our students are doing out in the community,” Patel said.

Anna LaPoint ’25N looks forward to applying what she learned from her clinical experience with WCCS as a practicing nurse.

“In Rochester, we get used to being at a large school with access to a lot of resources, technology, and people to support us,” LaPoint said. “The social determinants of health that communities and families face on a day-to-day basis can be very different from what we experience here.”

Over the Summer 2025 semester, LaPoint was one of 10 students in her cohort to visit the Norman R. Kelley School, an elementary school in Newark about 50 minutes away from UR Nursing. She and her classmates prepared lessons for more than 70 summer program students on topics such as sun safety, wearing helmets, oral hygiene, self-esteem, and screen time and visual safety.

“Throughout the course, we came to realize that it’s important for nurses to know how to educate, to help prevent future diseases and complications, and to provide holistic care in the community,” she said.

LaPoint has spent years working with kids as a swim coach, nanny, and babysitter, but found herself learning new lessons during her time in Newark.

“Something I learned from this experience is that everyone has a different background and different story, and that influences how kids learn,” she said. “The range of questions students asked us showcased the different levels of health literacy that exist in the community. Going into my future practice with unbiased, cultural humility is going to be essential.”

Fellow ABSN alumna Julia Boran ’25N shared a similar sentiment, having gained a better understanding of nurses’ impacts and responsibilities in schools and community health settings. As part of her clinical experience, she worked with a partner to develop presentations targeting various age groups ranging from 7 to 12 at a school summer program.

“As nursing students, we were able to supply current, up-to-date information and answer pertinent questions in a client-friendly manner,” Boran said. “This helped me gain insight on meeting students where they are at and providing education in a manner that they can understand and relate to.”

Being able to provide tailored patient education is an essential skill Boran plans to take with her going forward, and one that proved to be useful during her time in Newark.

“My group noted that individuals in this area encountered higher incidences of exposure to harmful chemicals related to farming. Based on this, we discussed sun exposure education and included education regarding harm reduction, exercise, and lifestyle planning,” she recalled.

Meeting nurses like LaPoint and Boran has also enhanced career awareness. About 25% of Wayne County residents have a bachelor’s degree education, according to NIH data, and many pursue technical careers in farming communities.

The partnership’s creators hope that ABSN students’ presence will empower WCCS students to think about their own futures.

“A lot of our children don’t know something else exists yet,” Harper said. “When our students see nursing students in their scrubs, have a chance to ask them questions, or even meet men who are nurses, it’s an eye-opening experience, especially for our older students to think, ‘This is something I could see myself doing.’”

Nineties & Y2K Nostalgia

Picture it: Grunge music and combat boots. Baguette bags and butterfly clips. Music videos on MTV. The teal and purple jazz design on paper cups. In this edition’s From the Archives, photos from the 1990s and early 2000s share a look at student life in the Y2K era – both on campus, where Strong Memorial Hospital’s café still had leather booths, and out and about in the Finger Lakes region enjoying hikes and ski trips.

If you see yourself and your classmates here, reach out to us at SON-Communications@urmc.rochester.edu or send us a message on our social media channels – @urochesternursing on Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn – to share information about these photos and the nurses featured in them!

Professor Emerita Elaine C. Hubbard, EdD, RN, ANP-C, a larger-than-life nursing leader who laid the foundation for the vast reach of today’s clinical services offered by the University of Rochester School of Nursing, died Dec. 9, 2025. She was 98.

A passion for primary care and caring for the elderly were hallmarks of Hubbard’s influential 40-year career as a nurse, faculty member, and departmental administrator. She joined the newly independent School of Nursing in 1975, serving as the first associate dean for undergraduate studies, and later, the architect and first director of the Community Nursing Center (CNC) – the precursor to the current Center for Nursing Entrepreneurship, which helped to launch the school’s community-based Passport Health travel clinic and Center for Employee Wellness.

As director of the Robert Wood Johnson Nurse Faculty Fellowship Program in primary health care from 1976 to 1981, she helped advance the role of nurses and nurse practitioners in primary care. Under Hubbard’s direction, 25 fellows completed the program and became primary care NPs. Hubbard herself also practiced in the Department of Medicine as an adult NP.

“Elaine Hubbard was a visionary leader whose dedication helped shape the foundation of the University of Rochester School of Nursing,” said Dean Lisa Kitko, PhD, RN, FAHA, FAAN. “Her deep commitment to advancing nursing education, care, and research continues to guide and inspire our work today. We are grateful for her lasting impact on our students, faculty, and the generations of nurses who will follow in her footsteps.”

After retiring in 1990, Hubbard remained active with the University as a volunteer and generous donor. As a board member for the Visiting Nurse Service (now UR Medicine Home Care), she collaborated with Vicky Hines, MHA —

Remembering Elaine C. Hubbard 1927-2025

then the VNS president and CEO and a former associate dean for administration and finance at the School — to develop the organization’s first telemedicine program in home care. They believed that patients who participated actively in their daily care would experience better health and wellness outcomes.

“Elaine was a force of nature,” Hines said. “I never worked with someone more passionate about the role of nurses and nurse practitioners as primary care providers. She was a trailblazer in that regard and worked tirelessly to impact policy and belief systems to strengthen the role of primary care providers in caring for patients.”

In recognition of her extraordinary service and leadership and her commitment to the school, she was awarded the Dean’s Medal by the University in 2013. The Elaine C. Hubbard Center for Nursing Research on Aging, named in her honor in 2006, now serves as a hub for pioneering research dedicated to promoting healthy aging, advancing geriatric care, and improving the well-being of older adults through innovative and community-engaged science.

“The vision Dr. Hubbard championed lives on in the work we do every day at the Center,” said Professor Kathi Heffner, PhD. “Her dedication to fostering nursing discoveries that advance healthy aging and her drive to innovate care continues to shape our priorities, inspire our science, and deepen our commitment to communities we serve.”

Read more about Hubbard’s remarkable life and legacy at urson.us/ech-tribute.

1970s

Ann M. Dozier ’77N, ’80N (MS), ’96N (PhD), a three-time University of Rochester School of Nursing alumna, retired this December after 50 years of service to the University and is becoming a professor emerita. Over her career, she has served as a bedside nurse, clinical nurse specialist, hospital administrator, evaluator, researcher, educator, division director, department chair, and most recently as the Albert D. Kaiser Chair of Public Health and Preventive Medicine in the Department of Public Health Sciences at the School of Medicine and Dentistry. She credits trainees, staff, and senior colleagues with shaping her professional and personal growth and calls her time at Rochester “an amazing ride.” In retirement, Ann will stay involved with select projects and advisory committees, while traveling, spending time at her Myrtle Beach home, and exploring new interests.

1980s

Patricia R. Lawrence ’87N was inducted into the 2025 Class of Fellows by the American Academy of Nursing. The 2025 Class of Fellows represent practitioners and leaders from 42 states, the District of Columbia, and 12 countries. Their selection underscores the continued leadership role of nurses in fostering innovative, evidence-based solutions that support health and well-being in care systems and communities.

Lisa J. Kent Abel, DNP ’89N (MS) accepted the position of Associate Dean for Nursing Programs at Seattle University College of Nursing and Health Sciences in Seattle, WA on July 1, 2025.

1990s

Felena (Kaba) Finley ’98N published a new book, Courage: The Ready Force Concealed, which tells the story of a man’s journey through an intense period of discouragement, learning lessons, and rebuilding his life.

She shared that she could not have written this book without having been a nurse.

2000s

Lina Najib Kawar ’02N (PhD) was inducted into the 2025 Class of Fellows by the American Academy of Nursing. The 2025 Class of Fellows represent practitioners and leaders from 42 states, the District of Columbia, and 12 countries. Their selection underscores the continued leadership role of nurses in fostering innovative, evidence-based solutions that support health and well-being in care systems and communities.

Kathleen Peterson-Sweeney ’06N (PhD) has been named inaugural dean of SUNY Brockport’s new School of Nursing that launched on July 1, 2025. Peterson-Sweeney has been with the school’s nursing program for 40 years, and she most recently served as its dean since 2010. She was also named to the Rochester Business Journal’s 2025 Health Care Power List.

Laurie (Isaacson) Damsky ’08N shares that she has co-founded an innovative, first-of-its-kind, mental health residential program that focuses on metabolic psychiatry. The program’s goal is to improve mental health using metabolic pathways when medication hasn’t been enough.

2010s

Kamila Barnes ’11N (MS), ’13N (DNP) received Binghamton University’s Decker College of Nursing and Health Sciences Accomplished Alumni Award during the annual homecoming brunch which was held in September. The award recognizes those who demonstrate excellence in clinical practice, research, health policy, health education or health administration, provide exemplary service to humanity or have distinguished healthcare careers.

Kelly Malepe ’23N, a palliative care nurse at Highland Hospital, was recognized with a DAISY Award for delivering compassionate, expert care for a family who’s loved one passed away. They praised Malepe’s unwavering presence, critical thinking,

and extraordinary compassion made a lasting impact. From managing pain with incredible attentiveness to offering gentle guidance and emotional support, she exemplified the very heart of nursing. “Kelly is an angel sent down from Heaven for this job,” the family shared.

Kelly Malepe

In Memoriam

1950s

Janeen (Lane) Fowler ’52, ’53N passed away on Aug. 18, 2025.

Helen J. (Powell) Bellanca ’54N passed away on April 29, 2025.

Nancy (Jones) Dainty ’54N passed away on May 23, 2025.

Jane (Strother) Hill ’56N passed away on Aug. 1, 2025.

Virginia Katherine (White) Clark ’59N (DPL) passed away on Aug. 21, 2025.

Patricia (Meland) Bond ’58N passed away on May 31, 2025.

Marsha (Steininger) Ford ’58N passed away on July 1, 2025.

1960s

Judith (Grant) Forbes ’62N passed away on Aug. 11, 2025.

Joyce (Pilkington) Brown ’62N passed away on July 17, 2025.

Suzanne (Gimple) Goodman ’63N passed away on April 10, 2025.

Leslie (Jaffe) Miller ’69N passed away on April 12, 2025.

Kathleen M. (Stoeckl) Neuner ’69N (MS) passed away on March 19, 2025.

1970s .........................................................................

Kristen New ’25N (MS) joined Noyes Primary Care and Pain Management at St. James Hospital as a family nurse practitioner, bringing a strong background in emergency medicine, internal medicine, and women’s health to the team.

Kristen New ’25N (MS)

Terry (Baker) Grissing ’74N passed away on March 19, 2025.

Bonnie (Smith) Doell ’74N, ’88N (MS) passed away on Aug. 5, 2025.

Kathleen Margaret Thaney ’75N (MS) passed away on Sep. 2, 2025.

Catherine (Shear) Craw ’76N passed away on May 7, 2025.

Patricia Mary Mallon ’77N, ’85N (MS) passed away on July 25, 2025.

1980s

Laverne Ann (Woods) Poindexter ’80N passed away on July 13, 2025.

1990s .........................................................................

Kathleen Marie Meeusen ’90N (MS) passed away on Aug. 4, 2025.

Toni J. (Osso) McGhan ’94N (MS) passed away on Sep. 1, 2025.

2000s

Karen A. Miller ’06N passed away on May 6, 2025.

Calling

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Words of Wisdom

Behind every great nurse is a journey of compassion, resilience, and purpose. As our newest nursing graduates step into this calling, they’ll mark the moment with a special pinning ceremony.

You can be part of this meaningful milestone. Share your words of encouragement, inspiration, or wisdom. Your message will be passed on to our graduates during the ceremony, offering support and strength as they begin their careers.

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Rochester Roots

Rochester Nursing’s impact runs deep for Judith Barker Lovaas ’60, ’61N, ’64N (MS) and her family. Lovaas’ niece, current 24-Month Accelerated Bachelor’s student Allison Leadley ’99M (MPH), created a meaningful moment for the alumna and former clinical instructor by taking her on a tour of Helen Wood Hall and its expanded facilities in August. They bonded over their shared experiences as nursing students, and Lovaas recalled memories of playing cards in the lounge and interacting with then-Department of Nursing chair Eleanor Hall, RN, MA. The visit was further enhanced by the School of Nursing simulation team, who prepared an interactive experience in which Lovaas could interact with a patient mannikin.