Dear Alumni, Colleagues, and Friends,
As our latest newsletter has reached your inbox, we are preparing our classrooms and campuses for the fall semester. With all that has happened over the last several years, I am hopeful for a robust academic year and have the greatest faith in our communities to lead with compassion and understanding.
Just as it is a time for transformation in healthcare, it is also a new chapter at Penn State.
After welcoming our new president, Neeli Bendapudi, and her leadership team to Happy Valley, we are comforted by her candor and commitment to our students with her fresh perspective. We are working closely with her in determining our next steps, but they will not be successful without you and your support.
While change is inevitable, few things remain constant. For example, our steadfast approach to delivering our curriculum across the state will ensure all our Penn State nurses have access to the most comprehensive nursing curriculum we can deliver. This is thanks in large part to our faculty, regardless of geographic location, and the college aims to support them in all their endeavors. As well, our friends at the National League for Nursing have recognized our efforts by designating us as a Center of Excellence.
Additionally, atop our list of constants, is our drive to making the Ross and Carol Nese College of Nursing accessible and equitable. A lofty goal, yes. A common goal, I hope. We have more than doubled our scholarship offerings over the last few years, we’ve launched programs aimed at improving academic readiness, and our students have initiated programs to create communities around each other.
Finally, in a world of continuous change and unending uncertainty, we find comfort and acceptance in each other. Our faculty, staff, alumni, students, and friends come together because of a shared appreciation and devotion toward each other, nursing, Penn State, and our future. For this, I am thankful and find myself welcoming our new chapter with excitement and pride!
Be well,
Laurie
