The Emerging Professional Award, established in 2021, will be presented annually by the Penn State Nursing Alumni Society and will recognize a Ross and Carol Nese College of Nursing graduate of the past 10 years who is a registered nurse working in a clinical or academic setting who demonstrates potential to significantly impact the nursing profession. This award recognizes nurses who demonstrate exemplary professional practice and community engagement/advocacy on behalf of the nursing profession and the communities of interest.
Criteria
- Must be a graduate within the past 10 years of the Ross and Carol Nese College of Nursing.
- Must not be a current board member or officer of the Nursing Alumni Society.
- Must currently be active in the profession.
Submit a nomination
Nomination Deadline: September 30, 2026
If you wish to submit a nomination, please complete the Nomination Form.
Nomination materials must include the following in order to be considered complete:
- Nominee name, email, graduation year, job title, business/organization
- Name and email address of a reference that could discuss the nominee’s qualifications for this award if contacted
- Rationale for the nomination in 500 words or less
- how the nominee has or has the potential to significantly impact the nursing profession
- how the nominee demonstrates exemplary professional practice
- how the nominee demonstrates the ability to advocate on behalf of the nursing profession and in the best interest of the community
- Link to nominee’s LinkedIn profile, if applicable
- Optional: Information supporting the nominee’s outstanding qualities (news articles, research articles, CV/resume, awards, etc.). This is not intended to be a letter of support.
If you have any questions about the nomination process, please email us at conalumni@psu.edu.
Current Recipient
Dr. Kaléi Crimi ’20 DNP ‘24
Dr. Crimi is a graduate of the Penn State Nese College of Nursing, where she earned her PhD, and has built an impressive career spanning clinical practice, research, education, and healthcare leadership. She has served in roles that support both nursing education and scholarly inquiry while continuing to practice as a registered nurse, reflecting her strong commitment to advancing knowledge and improving patient outcomes.
She currently serves as Director of Quality, Safety, and Emergency Preparedness at The Wright Center for Community Health and The Wright Center for Graduate Education, where her leadership strengthens quality of care and supports the readiness of healthcare teams. In less than a decade as a registered nurse, Dr. Crimi has distinguished herself through her accomplishments, her passion for the profession, and her dedication to excellence.
Past Recipients
2025 – Parker Rohrbaugh ’17
2024 – Jill Orr-Russell ’19
2023 – Julia Lucas ’17
