Dear Alumni, Colleagues, and Friends of the Ross and Carol Nese College of Nursing,
I invite you to join me in congratulating the recent 2020 College of Nursing graduates and welcome them to the highly coveted Penn State Alumni Association! Despite an unorthodox ending to their academic year and a challenging transition to virtual learning, our faculty and students finished with great poise and excellence. To celebrate the graduates, the Ross and Carol Nese College of Nursing Alumni Society supported graduation boxes filled with different goodies and Penn State swag to show support for the class of 2020 as they transition to the working world in such a turbulent time.
Our faculty and students have also continued to shine throughout this difficult time, earning funding awards and other acknowledgements exemplifying their hard work. Exemplars include Assistant Professor, Oluwamuyiwa “Winnie” Adebayo, and her team who were awarded funding by the Social Sciences Research Institute and the Huck Institutes for the Life Sciences for their work researching COVID-19 public health messaging, as well as BSN student, Mia Campanella, who continued classes while volunteering to help at the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center Hospital during the height of the coronavirus pandemic.
But, most importantly we all want to recognize and thank the nursing heroes on the frontlines of this pandemic – you. Undoubtedly, the education received here at the Ross and Carol Nese College of Nursing has equipped you all with the knowledge and leadership to go above and beyond during this great time of need. Our communities are a stronger and safer place because of your selflessness and dedication to fighting this pandemic. We have loved featuring you in our social media and College publications. Please continue to connect with us and tell us about what you are doing.
Looking forward, we are working diligently to ensure student and employee safety as we plan for Fall 2020 return to campus. Along with a focus on virtual adaptability and providing both in person and remote learning experiences we will be responsive to the University commitment to change with a renewed focus on equity, inclusion and diversity as an important priority in our college. While we know nurses are some of the most ethical individuals out there, we do believe in continually building a more inclusive and diverse organization. To help spearhead these efforts, we are moving to hire an Assistant Dean for Diversity and Inclusion. We look forward to your participation and support as we move forward.
Thank you for your unwavering support and involvement in the Alumni Society and the Ross and Carol Nese College of Nursing. Please stay connected with us on our social media pages to follow all of the great work our college is continuing to achieve in the Year of the Nurse despite the COVID 19 challenges we are all facing!
Be well,
Laurie Badzek
Laurie Badzek, LLM, JD, MS, RN, FNAP, FAAN
Dean and Professor
College of Nursing
