FALL 2025 THE MAGAZINE OF THE UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND SCHOOL OF NURSING IT’S A MATTER OF WHEN
A SWEET NEW SIM SUITE
In January, UMSON debuted a nearly 1,500-square-foot hospital simulation suite in Baltimore, creating a versatile setting that expands the School’s capacity to support practice and assessment of students’ skills, critical thinking, and clinical decision-making. It’s equipped with the same technology found in the most contemporary clinical settings (such as IV pumps, electronic medication dispensing machines, and educational electronic health records software), and a mechanical dividing wall transforms the space from two individual rooms into a two-bed room for students to care for multiple patients at once. A control room features advanced
audiovisual equipment and software that allow for high-fidelity simulation as well as real-time feedback from simulation technicians and the recording of events in the simulation space. The suite also includes two debriefing rooms providing a comfortable environment to support students in their reflection of the simulation experience, using evidencebased debriefing practices.
Since the suite’s opening:
• Number of students served: 823
• Number of hours used for simulations and skills assessments: 392
PHOTO: CHRIS HARTLOVE
From the Dean
The fall semester is in full swing, and I couldn’t be more thrilled to see our halls alive with students engaging, learning, and building meaningful connections with one another and with our incredible faculty and staff. The joy on the faces of our new students is contagious – it’s a reminder of the transformative journey they’re beginning or continuing. From welcome ceremonies to graduation, these are the moments in which lifelong friendships are formed, mentors are discovered, and bold new paths in nursing begin.
We hope this edition of Nursing For/UM brings you inspiration and hope for the future of nursing. Inside, you’ll find stories of remarkable achievements and milestones. Among the highlights: Our joyful May Convocation celebration, when more than 450 students graduated, and the incomparable Dr. Beverly Malone, president and CEO of the National League for Nursing, was honored with the Dean’s Medal for Distinguished Service. You’ll also read how our researchers are driving innovation and making a profound impact on health, locally and globally. We’re excited to share updates from our population health initiatives, including the Governor’s Wellmobile and Neighborhood Nursing programs. And don’t miss the impressive accomplishments of our alumni, whose leadership in national disaster response and recognition through prestigious awards continue to elevate the profession.
This year, we proudly celebrated our 135th anniversary – a moment to reflect with gratitude and look ahead with renewed purpose. As I think about this milestone, I’m inspired by the generations of brilliant nurses
who have walked our halls and led the way in nursing innovation. Every achievement began with a bold idea and a new opportunity.
The next generation of nurses faces its own challenges and possibilities, and together, we are ready. We’ve rolled up our sleeves and embraced this new season with resilience and resolve, staying true to our mission, vision, and values as we work to serve the public good and improve the human condition.
Our strength and hope for the future lies, in part, with the powerful partnerships and connections we’ve built. From our Board of Advisors and campus colleagues to our community partners, alumni, faculty, staff, students, and clinical collaborators – we are grateful for your support. We also extend our appreciation to leaders at national nursing organizations and others who continue to champion the nursing profession.
The future will demand bold ingenuity, fresh ideas, and unwavering commitment to collaboration. And just as we’ve done for more than 135 years, we will rise to meet the future – together – with excellence, passion, and a steadfast commitment to developing the next generation of nurse leaders in education, research, and practice.
Warm regards,
Yolanda Ogbolu, PhD ’11, MS ’05, BSN
’04,
NNP, FNAP, FAAN
The Bill and Joanne Conway Dean of the University of Maryland School of Nursing and Professor
FALL 2025
NURSING FOR/UM is published by the University of Maryland School of Nursing.
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
Giordana Segneri
ASSOCIATE EDITORS
Jillian Dreicer
Erin Merino
Mary Therese Phelan
EDITORIAL BOARD
Holly Cole
Stacey Conrad
Yvette Conyers
Amy Daniels
Elizabeth Galik
Jana Goodwin
Veronica Gutchell
Charlotte Nwogwugwu
Yolanda Ogbolu
Deborah Prout
Cynthia Renn
Barbara Resnick
Jennifer Schum
Susan Wozenski
CONTRIBUTORS
Holly Cole
Stacey Conrad
Nicole Nash
Deborah Prout
Lorrie Voytek
DESIGN
Skelton Sprouls
We welcome comments, suggestions, and story ideas from alumni, partners, and friends.
Send correspondence to Giordana Segneri, Editor-in-Chief, at nrscommunications@umaryland.edu or 410-706-4115.
As an emerging area of health care, population health focuses on improving outcomes among specific populations. UMSON faculty and students are working with members of these populations to understand their needs and provide the care that fits them best.
UMSON researchers are tackling today’s most pressing health challenges – from dementia care to global disease outbreaks – through critically important, federally funded studies. Their discoveries are transforming care now and shaping a healthier future for all of us.
Shaping Health Policy Preparing Nurses for Compassionate Care New Real-World Data Certificate Addressing the Childcare Problem
Meet Our New Visionary Pioneers Alumni Profile: The Nurse Leading America’s Disaster Response Events
Donor Profile: A Catalyst for Excellence Your Legacy, Their Future
The Pulse
“Policy interfaces with practice, and I don’t think nurses realize that until something impacts them.”
JANET SELWAY
From Baltimore to Annapolis: How UMSON Nurses Are Shaping Health Policy
UMSON faculty and staff bring nursing experience to legislative chambers –and make change happen.
BY EMILY BLEIWEIS
When Janet Selway, DNSc, MS ’88, AGNP-C, CPNP-PC, FAANP, FAAN, associate professor and director of the Doctor of Nursing Practice Adult-Gerontology
Primary Care Nurse Practitioner specialty, was working as a nurse at the University of Maryland Medical Center’s R Adams Cowley Shock Trauma Center in the 1980s, she tried to form a nurse’s union. Ultimately, unionization efforts were unsuccessful, but Selway’s work did contribute to the establishment of governance for the nursing staff. And she didn’t stop there: Selway joined local nursing organizations and began writing letters to the editor to bring awareness to issues nurses were facing.
Four decades later, advocacy for her profession still drives Selway to help effect change for nurses across the state and beyond. She is active in the American Association of Nurse Practitioners (AANP) and is vice chair of its political action committee.
As a member of AANP, she also visits the Maryland State House each year – Selway’s now well versed in the ins and outs of working with legislators, testifying in Annapolis, and helping to shepherd bills through to create a better, safer nursing profession.
She teaches a course on health policy, educating the next generation of nurses about how to advocate for policy changes.
During the 2025 Maryland legislative session, several UMSON faculty and staff, Selway included, were instrumental in helping to advance legislation to improve nursing practice and nursing education. It’s more important now than ever, Selway said, that nursing students and professional nurses understand the role they can play in shaping the future of the profession.
Simply put: “Policy interfaces with practice, and I don’t think nurses realize that until something impacts them,” Selway said.
Selway helped advance Maryland Senate Bill 407/ House Bill 602 by testifying before the Maryland Senate Finance Committee and before the House Health and Government Operations Committee. The bill requires the Maryland Board of Nursing (MBON) to hold discussions with states bordering Maryland to pursue reciprocity agreements for advanced practice nursing licensure and specialty certification. The bill will help make access to health care more accessible, especially related to telehealth.
Yvette Conyers, DNP, RN, FNP-C, CTN-B, CFCN, CFCS, CNE, FADLN, CWCN-AP, assistant professor and associate dean for strategic engagement and impact, helped get House Bill 783 signed into law. This bill establishes a one-time structural racism training requirement for all licensed health professionals, including nurses, in the state. Conyers served as a content expert for the MBON.
“Structural racism talks about the history of racism that has been carried on by systems. Whether you look at financial and banking systems, housing systems, health care systems, food systems – all those things that
have kept people from being able to access what they need in order to have health equity,” Conyers said.
It’s key that nurses are included in policy decisions and hold office at the local, state, and national levels because they are focused on health outcomes and see firsthand the effects of policy on patients and their families, she said.
The advocacy that Theresa Di Seta, DNP ’25, MSN, RN, NEA-BC, NPD-BC, assistant director of student placements for partnership development and community health, engaged in over the past year is an example of why nurses who know the profession need to be
RECOMMENDED READING
“A Dog Walks into a Nursing Home: Lessons in the Good Life from an Unlikely Teacher” by
Sue Halpern
Recommended by Elizabeth Galik, PhD ’07, CRNP, FAAN, FAANP, Professor and Chair, Department of Organizational Systems and Adult Health
Join Pransky, a 7-year-old Labradoodle therapy dog, and her owner, Sue Halpern, as they explore
involved in policy changes. Di Seta collaborated with Maryland District 46 Del. Robbyn Lewis to advance legislation aimed at increasing utilization of Maryland’s income tax credit for nurse preceptors.
A key provision of House Bill 19 amends the Maryland health care preceptor tax credit, reducing the required clinical rotation hours from 100 to 90. Di Seta said this change will help nurses benefit from this significantly underutilized benefit. Last year, only one registered nurse received it.
The original 100-hour requirement did not align with Maryland’s Code of Maryland Regulations (also known as COMAR) or the clinical rotation structure of nursing school programs in Maryland, which requires only 90 hours of precepted clinical instruction. COMAR regulations state that 1 clinical credit is equal to 45 clinical hours – thus, 2 clinical credits equal 90 hours. The former 100-hour requirement could not work mathematically, Di Seta said. By reducing the tax credit requirement by 10 hours, nurse preceptors can now more readily take advantage of the benefit.
But only someone immersed in the field would understand why what appears to be a small change would be instrumental, Di Seta added. That’s why students need to become involved in this type of policy work as soon as possible – and they can start now, she said.
“We have our Nursing Student Government Association. Even at the school level, they can get involved and potentially make changes. When they are nurses and they’re working in the hospital, there are various committees that look at hospital policy, and that’s when they can come in to say, ‘We are on the floor. We know how this works,’” Di Seta said. “Nurses have the ability to make an impact if we just band together and get more involved.”
life, love, loss, and the human condition in the nonfiction book
“A Dog Walks into a Nursing Home: Lessons in the Good Life from an Unlikely Teacher.” Through their weekly visits to a nursing home, Pransky demonstrates for Halpern and for us the comforting presence and affection that the human-animal connection can provide. Pransky, Halpern, the residents, and the staff show us a different side to the
nursing home experience, which we have been taught to avoid and fear. My book club friends finally understand why I have spent most of my nursing career in long-term care. Prepare to laugh, learn, cry, and be inspired.
Have a book recommendation that would appeal to the nursing community? Please let us know at NRSCommunications@umaryland.edu.
l. to r.: Di Seta, Conyers, and Selway
CHRIS HARTLOVE
“We emphasize that these are foundational skills that you will use your entire career, and not just in nursing, but in life, too.”
MELISSA MCCLEAN
Preparing Nurses for Compassionate Care
In the United States, 13 million adults and 700,000 children live with a serious illness, according to the 2024 Serious Illness Scorecard from the Center to Advance Palliative Care. Behind each number is a family navigating medical decisions and questions of comfort, dignity, and what it means to live well to the very end.
Wulf (second from right) leads an in-class palliative care simulation with a standardized patient, an individual trained to portray a real patient in clinical instruction and assessment with students.
That reality is reshaping nursing education. UMSON faculty recognized that preparing new nurses to focus on relieving suffering and improving the quality of life for those with serious illnesses could no longer be optional. They developed a required course for Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) students that embeds palliative and end-of-life care into the core of their skillset.
“Our goal is to strengthen the communication and collaboration skills of new nurses, so they’re prepared for every stage of the patient and family’s journey,” said Melissa McClean, MSN, CRNP, ANP-BC, NP-C, ACHPN, CNE,
clinical instructor. She, along with Hannah Murphy Buc, PhD, RN, assistant professor, co-director of the BSN program, and director of the Restorative Practices program; and Janet Wulf, DNP ’19, MS ’06, AGPCNP-BC, ACHPN, assistant professor and director of the Master of Science in Nursing entry-intonursing programs, created the course, one of the only of its kind nationwide.
Since its launch in 2023, nearly 1,000 BSN students have completed the course and earned an End-of-Life Nursing Education Consortium (ELNEC) certificate for their portfolios. In recognition of its impact, UMSON received the 2024 ELNEC Award of Excellence.
Through online modules, facultyled debriefs, group discussions, in-class simulations, and a project on vulnerable populations, students learn to care for seriously ill patients from diagnosis onward, with the goal of fostering wellbeing and improving quality of life through physical, psychological, social, and spiritual support.
Topics in the course include the nurse’s role in palliative care, communication with families, symptom management, hospice, caregiving, bereavement, and rituals for grief and mourning.
“We emphasize that these are foundational skills that you will use your entire career, and not just in nursing, but in life, too,” McClean said.
—
Mary Therese Phelan
Idzik accepted her award during the University of Maryland Medical Center’s Special Achievements in Nursing Awards ceremony, May 8.
Idzik Honored as Exceptional UMMC Partner
Shannon K. Idzik, DNP ’10, MS ’03, CRNP, ANP-BC, FAANP, FAAN, professor and associate dean for the Doctor of Nursing Practice program, was honored with the University of Maryland School of Nursing Colleague Award during the University of Maryland Medical Center’s (UMMC) Special Achievements in Nursing Awards ceremony, held May 8 during National Nurses Week. Idzik was recognized as an exceptional partner to UMMC.
The event narrative read, “Under her leadership, Dr. Idzik has successfully delivered doctoral-level education for the advanced practice nurse role. She has overseen two curriculum revisions and assures our advanced practice registered nurses are among the best in the nation. As a nurse practitioner for over 20 years, she is a fierce advocate for vulnerable populations, and her practice work exemplifies the values of holistic and quality care for all. Dr. Idzik is the co-lead of the graduate section of the UMNursing partnership. Our faculty/clinical partnership has been modeled across the country. She is an extraordinary leader who embodies the essence of collaboration, leadership, and expertise.”
— Giordana Segneri
Leadership Update
UMSON is pleased to announce an addition to the senior leadership team: Danielle K. McCamey, DNP, CRNP, ACNP-BC, FAAN, FAANP, FCCP, FADLN, assistant professor, has been appointed the School’s inaugural associate dean for clinical partnerships and innovation. In this role, she will lead strategic collaborations with clinical, academic, and community partners and guide the development of innovative programs alongside the dean and leadership team.
UMSON Ranks in Top 10 for Best Graduate Schools
In the 2025 edition of U.S. News & World Report’s “Best Graduate Schools,” among public schools of nursing:
No. 1 Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Adult-Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioner and Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) Nursing Leadership and Management specialties
No. 4 (tied) DNP Family Nurse Practitioner specialty
No. 6 (tied) DNP program overall
No. 7 (tied) MSN program overall
No. 8 DNP Nurse Anesthesia
Advancing a Promising Approach
Leaders, program designers, grantees, mentors, and funders joined together June 6 for a convening of the Global Learning for Health Equity Network (GL4HEN) at the University of Maryland, Baltimore Southern Management Corporation Campus Center. The GLH4EN, built on the belief that interventions designed to eliminate health inequities in other countries may also work in local communities in the United States, aims to build a framework that will support the adaptation of health equity interventions from overseas to U.S. settings. Here, representatives from the network’s 14 organizations visit with one another after a day of panel discussions, breakout sessions, and video presentations. Yolanda Ogbolu, PhD ’11, MS ’05, BSN ’04, NNP, FNAP, FAAN, the Bill and Joanne Conway Dean, serves as the principal investigator on the nearly $1 million grant from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation that funds the network.
A Piece of the Pi
News from Sigma’s Pi at-Large Chapter at UMSON
The Pi-at-Large Chapter of Sigma continued to advance its mission of recognizing excellence in nursing and fostering professional growth through a series of impactful spring initiatives.
In April, the chapter proudly inducted 85 UMSON students, honoring their academic achievement and leadership potential. Nine nursing students from Hood College were also inducted, marking the beginning of a promising interinstitutional relationship. Inductees enjoyed a visit from Florence Nightingale, portrayed by Candy Campbell, DNP, RN, CNL, CVP, LNC, CEP, FNAP (left). Students with a 4.0 GPA received a copy of Campbell’s book, “Channeling Florence Nightingale: Integrity, Insight, Innovation.”
In celebration of National Nurses Week in May, the chapter treated students both in Baltimore and at the Universities at Shady Grove to pizza as a token of gratitude for their dedication to the nursing profession and commitment to excellence during their academic journey.
Additionally, the chapter sponsored a virtual professional development event in May, Celebrating Nurses: Well-Being Strategies for Every Role, on May 13. The webinar featured a panel of esteemed speakers and offered practical tools for fostering resilience and well-being across diverse nursing roles, drawing praise from attendees for its relevance and timeliness.
— Paul A. Thurman, PhD ’18, MSN ’07, RN, ACNPC, CCNS, CCRN, CNE, Assistant Professor and Pi at-Large Chapter President
“This certificate empowers nurses to harness real-world data for meaningful change.”
EUN-SHIM NAHM
New Certificate Will Equip Nurses with Real-World Data and Research Skills
UMSON has launched a new 12-credit, fully online Real-World Data and Pragmatic Research Certificate this fall. The program is designed to equip nurses and health care leaders with tools to drive evidence-based improvements in care.
Health care faces urgent challenges: rising costs, workforce shortages, and demand for highquality, efficient care. Nurses at the forefront of patient care need advanced skills to evaluate and improve systems using real-world evidence. Traditional research methods can fall short in fast-paced clinical settings – that’s where pragmatic research and real-world data come in.
Real-world data comes from routine health care practices, including electronic health records, insurance claims, and wearable devices. This data complements clinical trials by providing insights into how therapies perform in realworld settings.
“Today’s nurse scientists and leaders must implement evidence and scale its impact,” said EunShim Nahm, PhD ’03, RN, FAAN, FGSA, associate dean for the PhD program and co-director of the certificate. “This certificate empowers nurses to harness realworld data for meaningful change.”
Open to Bachelor of Science in Nursing-prepared nurses, doctoral students, and those considering a doctorate, the certificate offers an innovative, practical curriculum. Students will design pragmatic research or quality improvement projects, analyze real-world data using advanced tools, visualize data to support decisions, and apply knowledge in a mentored practicum.
“This certificate equips nurses to harness real-world data to improve outcomes, advance equity, and lead in evidence-based practice,” said Shannon K. Idzik, DNP ’10, MS ’03, CRNP, ANP-BC, FAANP, FAAN, associate dean for the Doctor of Nursing Practice program and the certificate’s other co-director.
Graduates will gain skills applicable across care settings –from bedside to executive leadership – and may apply certificate credits toward a doctoral degree. The program is eligible for federal financial aid.
Learn more at nursing. umaryland.edu/realworlddata. — M.T.P.
How UMSON is Addressing the Childcare Problem
We are in the midst of a nationwide childcare crisis, and Maryland is no exception. The number of children needing care exceeds the number of slots in childcare facilities, and this means parents of young children are feeling the crunch. But this doesn’t affect only those with young children: If parents can’t find care, they can’t work, or at least not consistently, and that leads to loss of productivity and stress on the workforce.
A national survey conducted in November 2023 for Care.com showed that 65% of families with young children had spent time on childcare waitlists. In Maryland, according to a December 2024 report from the state comptroller’s office, the number of childcare workers statewide dropped by more than 26%, one of the sharpest reductions in the nation. Compounding matters, the state imposed a freeze on new enrollments in a childcare scholarship program that the Maryland Department of Education manages; this came after the number of families enrolled in the program tripled, straining the available budget.
According to a report this year from the Maryland Family Network, the estimated cost of childcare in the state is nearly $25,000 a year.
UMSON has stepped in to help its students manage these costs, because a lack of childcare could prevent students from attending classes or completing their degree. Downstream, that’s a
nursing workforce issue. The School is piloting a Childcare Scholarship program funded by a $100,000 gift from Bill Conway through the Renaissance Charitable Foundation in memory of his wife, Joanne Barkett Conway, who died in January 2024.
The program offers up to $5,000 to Bachelor of Science in Nursing and entry Master of Science in Nursing students to help cover childcare expenses, disbursed over the final three semesters of their UMSON academic program.
To be eligible, a student must be the parent or legal guardian of a child under 12 and work more than 20 hours per week. Students must apply for the scholarship, providing documentation and a personal statement.
The goals: Enhance academic performance by freeing up time for studying; alleviate the financial burden of childcare, compounded by the cost of their nursing education; and increase retention and graduation rates, contributing to a more robust and prepared nursing workforce.
“At UMSON, our commitment to students begins the moment they apply and continues through graduation,” said Sheena Jackson, MS, director of admissions and student scholarships.
“The launch of the Childcare Scholarship reflects our promise to meet students where they are, balancing classes, work, and family. We are proud to walk alongside them every step of the way.”
The initial round of five scholarships was awarded this semester, and UMSON plans to offer an additional five scholarships in the future.
— G.S.
“The feedback I get most often is that the faculty love feeling like they’re not alone.”
SUSAN BINDON
Finding Their Footing
Supporting New Nursing Faculty
BY MARY THERESE PHELAN
For Kimberly Hampton, PhD, MBA, MS ’06, RN, assistant professor, stepping into a classroom for the first time to teach was a nervewracking experience. But thanks to UMSON’s Nursing Professional Residency for Outstanding Faculty (N-PROF) pilot program, Hampton has found her footing.
“As a faculty member who is not only new to UMSON but also new to academia, I was excited to learn from more experienced faculty and connect with colleagues through N-PROF,” Hampton said.
Launched in August 2024, N-PROF is funded by a $122,500 Conway Innovation Challenge grant through Bill and Joanne Conway’s Bedford Falls Foundation Charitable Trust, with $22,500 in matching funds from three other donors. The grant was designed to spark scalable ideas that prepare more nurses for faculty roles and expand student enrollment.
N-PROF supports nurses transitioning from clinical practice into academic roles by offering structured guidance and a sense of community. The program helps new faculty develop curricula, teach effectively, advise students, collaborate on research, balance
Fully Reaccredited!
The Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education has fully reaccredited UMSON’s baccalaureate, master’s, Doctor of Nursing Practice, and post-graduate
clinical practice with scholarship, and integrate feedback.
N-PROF aligns with the mission of UMSON’s Institute for Educators to prepare and support nurse faculty across Maryland through education, mentorship, and professional development. The overarching goal, said Susan L. Bindon, DNP ’11, MS ’96, RN, NPD-BC, CNE, FAAN, ANEF, professor, associate dean for faculty development, and director of the institute, is to improve faculty retention by increasing their confidence, competence, connectedness, and contribution.
“Every acute care hospital in Maryland has a one-year nurse residency for new nurses,” Bindon said. “Before N-PROF, there was no residency for new faculty transitioning from practice to academia.”
Last summer, UMSON department chairs nominated about two dozen novice faculty members to join the pilot. Participants meet monthly for group reflection, encouragement, idea-sharing, and presentations on topics such as worklife balance, leadership, research, personal branding, finance, and communication. Guest speakers
APRN certificate programs for 10 years, with the next on-site reaccreditation evaluation scheduled for fall 2034. This accomplishment reflects many months of
often recommend books, so Bindon started a small N-PROF library. She also provides individualized feedback through classroom observations.
A winter retreat, led by outside consultants, encouraged the participants to engage in deeper reflection and camaraderie. Faculty explored how reflective practice –critically examining experiences to improve future performance – can help ease the stress of academic life. “The connection in the room was palpable,” Bindon said.
Participants say N-PROF is making a difference. “It gave me space to examine academic life, understand my teaching strengths, and connect with supportive mentors and peers,” said Caitlin Donis, PhD, MS ’13, AG-ACNP, AACNS-AG, assistant professor.
Hampton agreed. “I’ve received tips on managing time, building my brand, and communication strategies,” she said. “The connections I’ve made across our two UMSON locations have been incredible.”
The pilot may become a model for other nursing schools. “The feedback I get most often,” Bindon said, “is that the faculty love feeling like they’re not alone.”
hard work by faculty and staff to prepare the SelfStudy Report and supporting documentation, followed by several long days of meeting with the site review team
during its visit to UMSON last October.
You can review the SelfStudy Report and learn more at nursing.umaryland. edu/accreditation
above right: Skills she obtained in the N-PROF pilot program have helped Hampton gain confidence in the classroom.
Convocation
“This journey was not easy; in fact, it was the most challenging and the most demanding goal I’ve ever worked toward, and there were many times when giving up seemed like the only option. But we didn’t. We showed grit.”
ALEXA HATCHER, DNP ’25, CRNA, SRNA
“So many of us graduating today have carried invisible burdens. Some of you are immigrants. Some of you are parents, working night shifts and studying between feedings. Some of you have faced loss, anxiety, depression, or financial stress – but still, you showed up.”
HIU YU CHAN, BSN ’25 STUDENT SPEAKER
Don’t tell Hiu Yu Chan, BSN ’25, that the American Dream is dead. As she crossed the stage of Baltimore’s historic Hippodrome Theatre on May 20, one of 454 graduates in UMSON’s Class of 2025, she proved it is alive and well. Chan, student speaker at UMSON’s morning Convocation, came to the U.S. from Hong Kong just four years ago, determined to become a nurse. With English as her second language and little cultural familiarity, she said she often reviewed materials multiple times to understand both the content and the context. But she persisted.
“Today, we celebrate more than just a degree,” Chan said. “We celebrate survival, growth, and resilience. I came to the United States chasing the American Dream, and today, I know that dream has come true.”
UMSON’s two Convocation ceremonies – a morning celebration for Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) and entry-into-nursing master’s graduates and an afternoon event for other master’s and doctoral graduates – highlighted perseverance as the Class of 2025’s defining trait.
“You worked hard, you stayed up late, you started your day early. You sacrificed so much,” said Yolanda Ogbolu, PhD ’11, MS ’05, BSN ’04,
NNP, FNAP, FAAN, the Bill and Joanne Conway Dean. “Yes, you truly earned your degree, and you should be proud of your accomplishments.”
The Class of 2025 included 231 BSN, 89 master’s, 126 Doctor of Nursing Practice, two PhD, and six certificate recipients, resulting in 259 new nurses entering the workforce. A record number of graduates earned Latin honors.
The 2025 Dean’s Medal for Distinguished Service, which each year recognizes someone external to the School who has demonstrated an exceptional commitment to advancing UMSON and its mission, was presented to Beverly Malone, PhD, RN, FAAN, president and chief executive officer of the National League for Nursing, who provided the keynote address during the afternoon ceremony.
In her remarks, Malone urged graduates to “pack” what they’ll need for the journey ahead: a GPS for direction, values like caring and integrity, trusted mentors – and to leave behind hesitation and imposter syndrome.
“You need to step into your greatness and say, ‘Look at me!’” she said. “I’m here to serve. I’m ready to be a part of the system.”
— M.T.P.
1. Doctoral graduates recite the Professional Nursing Pledge 2. Morning ceremony student speaker Chan
4. Keynote speaker and Dean’s Medal for Distinguished Service recipient Malone
5. A bachelor’s graduate crosses the stage with her pinner
STUDENT SPEAKER
Vitals
“A nurse practitioner can absolutely lead the team because nurse practitioners can see the needs, identify the solutions, and implement the plan. Go ahead: be bold! Build a cadre of supporters that will help patients reach their best outcomes while learning more about effective communication, engagement, and implementation as a nurse practitioner. You will build from there!”
Bridgitte C. Gourley, DNP ’08, FNP-BC, FACU, FNAP, associate professor; director of the Doctor of Nursing Practice Family Nurse Practitioner specialty; and co-director of the University of Maryland, Baltimore (UMB) Center for Interprofessional Education The Nurse Practitioner, March 2025
The UM Scholars program, a summertime opportunity for University of Maryland, College Park students to collaborate with UMB faculty on research projects, celebrated its 10-year anniversary at UMSON. What began with just two students and two faculty mentors has grown to 12 students placed with seven mentors. Five faculty members have been or soon will be inducted as fellows of national nursing organizations:
• Veronica Amos, DNP, MS ’99, BSN ’85, FNP-BC, FAANP, FAAN, assistant professor and Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Nurse Anesthesia specialty director, and Joan Carpenter, PhD, CRNP, ACHPN, FPCN, FAAN, associate professor: Fellows of the American Academy of Nursing
• Carpenter: Fellow of the Gerontological Society of America
• Gourley: Fellow of the National Academies of Practice
• Danielle K. McCamey, DNP, CRNP, ACNP-BC, FAAN, FAANP, FCCP, FADLN, assistant professor and associate dean for clinical partnerships and innovation, and Veronica Quattrini, DNP, MS ’99, BSN ’85, FNP-BC, FAANP, associate professor and senior director of the DNP program: Fellows of the American Association of Nurse Practitioners.
The annual Maryland Action Coalition Virtual Leadership Summit, which UMSON hosted on June 9, drew 169 attendees statewide The daylong event focused on advancing nursing excellence through innovation and leadership.
Over the past year, 24 faculty members have received a total of $2.9 million in funding from the Nurse Support Program II, which is funded through the Maryland Health Services Cost Review Commission and administered by the Maryland Higher Education Commission.
The University of Maryland Association of Nursing Students collaborated with the American Red Cross to host a blood drive at the Universities at Shady Grove in March, resulting in 52 pints donated, surpassing the goal of 45 pints.
Five DNP students presented posters at the Nurse Practitioner Association of Maryland annual Spring CE & Membership Meeting in April.
During the 2024 - 25 school year, the Office of Strategic Engagement and Impact trained the School’s firstever seven Restorative Practices (RP) Student Leaders and hosted 97 RP Circles. UMSON is a national leader in its RP program, which provides a structured conflictresolution framework focusing on restoration and healing through collaborative engagement and community-building opportunities with all stakeholders.
— Compiled by Jillian Dreicer
Ebangwese is shown in front of “The World’s Largest Puzzle,” a 60,000-piece puzzle hanging outside of the University of Maryland, Baltimore’s Center for Global Engagement in the Southern Management Corporation Campus Center. It was completed by Gina Dreyer, associate director of the center, between October 2022 and September 2023.
Impact Breaking Ground, Crossing Borders
Abaneh Ebangwese
BY MARY THERESE PHELAN
For PhD student Abaneh Ebangwese, Cert ’24, BSN ’15, RN, CCRN, acceptance into the prestigious Fulbright U.S. Student Program – as the first UMSON student ever to have been accepted – runs in the family. The Fulbright is a scholarship granted by the U.S. Department of State that supports research, study, and teaching opportunities in more than 140 countries.
It was Ebangwese’s younger sister, Santita, a Fulbright Scholar in France during the 2022 - 23 academic year, who encouraged Ebangwese to apply. As part of the 2025 - 26 Fulbright program, Ebangwese is headed in late December to Yaoundé, the capitol of Cameroon, where she will spend nine months conducting research to identify and analyze cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors among adults there. In preparing her Fulbright application, she discovered that Cameroon’s most recent peer-reviewed data on CVD prevalence dates back to 2017. Her work will involve partnering with local health facilities and community stakeholders to collect survey and biometric data on health
indicators such as blood pressure, glucose, cholesterol, diet, physical activity, smoking, sleep, and body composition. She will also use statistical methods to examine how these risk factors occur individually and in clusters within this population. This will provide insight into patterns of CVD vulnerability in an underresearched region of Sub-Saharan Africa, Ebangwese explains.
Ebangwese’s family is originally from Cameroon; she is firstgeneration American. Her interest in CVD is reflected in her PhD dissertation, which examines CVD risk factors among U.S. long-term care workers, a group considered marginalized due to systemic challenges such as low wages, physically demanding work, limited access to health care, and high occupational stress, she explains.
While enrolled in the PhD program, Ebangwese also earned UMSON’s Global Health Certificate, designed to prepare health professionals for global health practice, education, and research.
After completing the monthslong application process, in late May
Ebangwese received the email informing her she was a Fulbright finalist.
“Honestly, I couldn’t believe it. I was just like, ‘No way!” she recalls. Ebangwese’s passion for public and global health began as an undergraduate at the University of Rochester (New York), where she earned a degree in health and society (now public health), participated in several community health projects, and studied abroad in China. A mentor later suggested that a nursing degree would give Ebangwese a stronger clinical foundation in public health, advice that led her to UMSON.
With the Fulbright, “I’m kind of doing a 180, coming back to community and public/global health because when I studied abroad, I had an amazing experience,” she says.
Applying for the Fulbright “was an opportunity that kind of just fell into my lap,” Ebangwese says. “I thought, ‘This is my chance. Let me just go ahead and apply.’”
Ebangwese will travel to Cameroon as part of the Fulbright program.
“I thought, ‘This is my chance. Let me just go ahead and apply.’”
ABANEH EBANGWESE
“It is important that patients have the ability to advocate for themselves as much as possible.”
SARA ROBINSON
Why Medication Reconciliation Matters
BY JILLIAN DREICER
OUR EXPERT
Sara Robinson, DNP, RN, PMHNP-BC
The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality’s Patient Safety Network estimates that nearly half of the medication errors that occur in the United States are potentially preventable. Medication reconciliation involves reviewing and verifying a patient’s complete medication list, during which health care providers can identify and resolve discrepancies that might otherwise lead to errors.
“Completing periodic medication reconciliation beyond the medications that we directly prescribe is imperative for many reasons, including potential drug interactions, duplicative prescribing, and many other treatmentaffecting scenarios,” Sara Robinson,
DNP, RN, PMHNP-BC, assistant professor and director of the Doctor of Nursing Practice Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner specialty, said in an article published in Psychiatric Times in January. Robinson shares her expertise on how to conduct an effective medication reconciliation that not only enhances patient safety but also improves treatment outcomes
1 Do it regularly.
“Ideally, medications and any changes should be asked about at every visit, but realistically there may not be time to complete a thorough review,” Robinson says. Aiming to review a couple of times a year and after any notable events, such as a hospitalization or a new provider consultation, is best. Be sure to document the date that the review was completed and the sources of information used.
2 Ask specific questions.
“Simply asking whether a patient is currently taking other medications may not prompt them to relay a comprehensive list,” Robinson wrote in the Psychiatric Times article. A patient may omit over-the-counter (OTC) medications and supplements when listing their medications, or patients may be using OTC medications more often than is clinically indicated. There can be potential drug interactions with supplements or OTC medications, and it is important to ask about them, even if they are not prescribed.
3 Clarify discrepancies.
This may include conflicting dosages or a medication that was supposed to be discontinued or changed in some way. For example, a time-limited prescription, such as a course of antibiotics, may end up “stuck” on a medication list because it was not formally discontinued. Or outdated prescriptions can remain on file at the pharmacy despite a change and may end up being filled.
4 Cross-check available data.
Utilize available information through electronic health records, state monitoring databases, pharmacies, and frequent care coordination with other providers to ensure that discrepancies are identified. This may require obtaining written permission from patients through a release of information form to gather medical records from other agencies.
5 Educate patients. Inform patients about their medications and encourage them to maintain an updated list to share with their providers. “It is important that patients have the ability to advocate for themselves as much as possible,” Robinson says. “As health care encounters grow briefer, there can be barriers for both providers and patients to support the level of collaborative care we would ideally like to see.” It is important that patients are able to point out discrepancies in medication lists or other records.
“Much of population health is oriented toward preventing problems before they start or screening for problems after they’ve already occurred so we can intervene.”
MEGAN DOEDE
THE POTENTIAL OF POPULATION HEALTH
UMSON faculty and students seek to transform health outcomes through this emerging specialty.
BY MEREDITH LIDARD KLEEMAN ILLUSTRATIONS BY CARLA MCRAE
The term “population health” isn’t well defined. It is often interchanged with community and public health. As an emerging area of health care, the definition is still open to interpretation.
Most clinicians agree that population health focuses on the health outcomes of a community of people defined by demographics, geography, or disease condition, while community and public health is often defined by its focus on improving the health of communities and reducing health disparities through direct interventions.
At the University of Maryland School of Nursing, faculty and students work with a variety of populations, including people experiencing homelessness, low-income older adults, and families participating in federally funded educational programs.
“Population health refers to caring for people in the aggregate,” says Megan Doede, PhD, MS ’13, RN, assistant professor and community nurse at Paul’s Place, a human services outreach center in Southwest Baltimore, just a few blocks from UMSON. The School has partnered with Paul’s Place to provide nursing services for nearly 40 years. “Much of population health is oriented toward preventing problems before they start or screening for problems after they’ve already occurred, so we can intervene,” Doede explains.
Despite the amorphous nature of population health as a concept, it’s important for nurses and other providers to understand population health “so we can provide preventative measures,” Doede says. These can take place in multiple contexts: with individuals in the community, through community-based interventions, and through laws and regulations.
Improving health outcomes is paramount, but offering appropriate and effective services requires understanding what the individuals in a specific population want and need. That’s why rigorous research with well-constructed methods must become part of population health initiatives, says Marik Moen, PhD ’18, MPH, RN, associate professor.
“Our health is just about the most important thing. And health is affected by so many factors, like being able to meet basic needs – so we need to know what we’re
doing,” she says. “You need to know what levers to push to influence and improve health outcomes.”
Moen serves on the steering and research advisory committees for the Baltimore Young Families Success Fund (BYFSF), a guaranteed income pilot project launched through the Baltimore City Mayor’s Office of Children & Family Success with the CASH Campaign of Maryland as the implementing partner. Working with fellow advisory committee and Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health colleagues, Moen has conducted a qualitative study and a literature review that informed the BYFSF and similar programs throughout the United States.
“With guaranteed income, it can be super effective at improving people’s lives in many ways. We still lack an understanding of how guaranteed income affects various aspects of health and how people think about income’s effect on health,” Moen says. “Research is important to be able to know that what you’re doing has an effect and for whom it has an effect.”
UMSON faculty and students are involved in a variety of population health initiatives, and here, we’ll define who the population is that they are serving, what services they’re providing, where these initiatives are taking place, and why they’re important. We also delve into how these critical services are being delivered and supported.
Public health funding is under threat at the federal level, but the University and its local and state partners are working to ensure that these essential programs can continue operating.
Funding issues are concerning to some graduate students, Doede says, and students worry about what the job market might look like after graduation. “The work still needs to be done, regardless of who funds it,” she says. Local and state public health agencies may be cutting jobs, but there are still positions for nurses with master’s degrees in community and public health.
“You can do many types of leadership work in health care in which a population health background would be beneficial,” Doede says. “Community-based agencies like Paul’s Place, Healthcare for the Homeless, and Chase Brexton Health Care have a need for nurses who understand population health.”
COMMUNITY
AND PUBLIC HEALTH ENVIRONMENTAL INITIATIVE (CPHEI)
Who: Children (0 - 3 years old) and their families in Early Head Start (EHS) centers; this population includes low-income families, pregnant women, children in foster care, and children experiencing homelessness. What: Health care screenings, well-child exams, health education
Where: Baltimore City’s 11 EHS centers, some Head Start (HS) centers, and Maryland State Department of Health Patty Centers (former Family Support Centers) in Baltimore City, Annapolis, and Frederick, Maryland.
Why: “Ninety percent of a child’s brain development happens before the age of 5,” says Laura Allen, DNP ’24, MA, MS ’15, BSN ’06, RN, NEA-BC, assistant professor and director of CPHEI. “Health care screenings and frequent well-child exams are crucial for young children to identify and address any developmental delays, health conditions, or other concerns early on to ensure timely interventions and keep children healthy and ready to learn.”
How: UMSON bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral students provide health oversight and clinical services to children, their families, and staff members in EHS and HS centers. UMSON established CPHEI in 2016, when it was initially funded by a gift from the Mary Catherine Bunting Foundation. It continues to be supported by the foundation and other grants, with guaranteed funding through 2026.
“Health care screenings and frequent well-child exams are crucial for young children.”
LAURA ALLEN
PAUL’S PLACE COLLABORATION WITH JACQUES INITIATIVE
Who: People at risk for HIV and Hepatitis C
What: Paul’s Place offers on-site HIV and Hepatitis C testing through the JACQUES Initiative, a program of the Institute of Human Virology at the University of Maryland School of Medicine.
Where: The Washington Village/Pigtown neighborhood in Southwest Baltimore
Why: “HIV and Hepatitis C screenings are really important for my guests that inject drugs, as injection drug use is a major risk factor for infection,” Doede says. (Staff and providers refer to Paul’s Place clients and patients as guests because “we see people in our building as dignified human beings,” Doede says.)
How: Screenings are offered twice a month. If a patient tests positive on a rapid test, a nurse practitioner initiates lab work and develops a care plan. Hepatitis C is treatable through a short course of daily antiviral medication. Doede helps guests manage their daily medication when they come in for meals. “I might see them more frequently than if they go into another clinic, and if they’re unstably housed, that’s huge,” she says. People experiencing housing insecurity may have difficulty maintaining medication regimens and keeping follow-up appointments, Doede explains; a nursing resource at a place someone visits for daily necessities can make a big difference.
THE GOVERNOR’S WELLMOBILE
Who: Uninsured adults and children in Maryland
What: Three trucks staffed by a nurse practitioner, an outreach worker, and a driver delivering primary and preventive care services four days a week
Where: Designated schools and community centers in Prince George’s County, Maryland
Why: The Maryland Total Cost of Care Model supports uninsured and underinsured Marylanders, and the Governor’s Wellmobile assists the state in reaching as many residents as possible. “We have a lot of incentives to keep populations of folks healthy,” says Veronica Gutchell, DNP ’13, RN, CNS, CRNP, assistant professor; director of the Governor’s Wellmobile program; and chair of the School’s Department of Partnerships, Professional Education, and Practice. “We try to work with people to stay as healthy as possible so they’re not consuming expensive health care dollars in the emergency department.”
How: In addition to delivering primary and preventive care to uninsured Marylanders, the Governor’s Wellmobile also serves as a clinical learning site for UMSON students. Individuals make appointments by phone for services that include managing chronic conditions such as hypertension, diabetes, and high cholesterol. Preventive care services are also available, including health education, blood pressure and blood glucose monitoring, cervical cancer screenings and breast exams, and referrals for free mammography and
“We try to work with people to stay as healthy as possible so they’re not consuming expensive health care dollars in the emergency department.”
VERONICA GUTCHELL
colonoscopy screenings. Through a one-time, $1,000,000 state allocation, UMSON recently received two new Wellmobile vehicles, replacing older ones that required significant maintenance and repair. The new Wellmobiles are outfitted with solar panels for power generation; expanding sides for comfortable intake areas; mechanized stairs and awnings; and new exam equipment, including electric tables, otoscopes, and ophthalmoscopes.
NEIGHBORHOOD NURSING
Who: Individuals living, working, and playing in designated neighborhoods in West Baltimore
What: In this pilot program collaboration among UMSON and the Johns Hopkins School of Nursing, the Morgan State University Department of Nursing, and the Coppin State University Helene Fuld School of Nursing, in partnership with community organizations, interprofessional teams of registered nurses and community health workers visit homes, schools, libraries, faith-based organizations, and local businesses to connect people with primary care and social services and make progress toward community health goals. The initiative aims to develop a statewide infrastructure that offers all people universal access to health and social services through in-person and digital connection with Neighborhood Nursing teams via telehealth, home visits, and community-based programs that can build on their strengths while addressing health and social needs.
Where: The Sandtown-Winchester and Harlem Park neighborhoods in West Baltimore
Why: “It allows the School to further extend the work that we’re already doing in West Baltimore, by bringing services to the locations where people live and visit,” says Rachael Holton Parran, MS ’14, BSN ’03, BA, RN, clinical instructor and the principal investigator and project director for Neighborhood Nursing at UMSON.
How: The pilot program received funding for three years through a grant from various donors in the Maryland Philanthropy Network. “It’s a historic collaboration between four well-known nursing schools in Baltimore, two of which are historically Black universities,” Parran says.
BALTIMORE YOUNG FAMILIES SUCCESS FUND
Who: 200 low-income Baltimore parents, 18 - 24 years old, and their children
What: Moen has conducted a qualitative study and a literature review that informed the development of the BYFSF, a guaranteed income pilot program, and can inform similar programs across the United States. According to Moen, guaranteed income provides continuous, predictable, and unconditional cash transfers to individuals or households. Recipients use their supplemental income amounts to best suit their needs. Along with community partners and colleagues at local universities and public health institutions, Moen is preparing a research project to analyze health insurance claims data from 70 BYFSF recipients to establish whether the effects of cash transfer programs can be detected in health care claims data, including utilization data, costs, and types of health care services received.
“As a nurse, I’ve learned that you can’t disentangle having what it takes to be healthy and having basic needs met.”
MARIK MOEN
Where: Baltimore City
Why: “As a nurse, I’ve learned that you can’t disentangle having what it takes to be healthy and having basic needs met,” Moen says. “We want to know if guaranteed income is an effective way to help people meet basic needs and if that shows up in health indicators.” Moen and her colleagues are investigating what’s most important to recipients. For example, which health indicators – such as clinical visits, medications, or diagnoses (heart health, diabetes, mental health) –do they care about? “We need to see what markers –like billings for services – are available in the claims data and then ask participants which of these do they care most about, and which do they think are most affected by guaranteed income?” Moen says.
How: The young parents in the program received unconditional cash payments of $1,000 per month over 24 months in 2022 - 24. The money for the payments came from American Rescue Act funds allocated by Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott. Baltimore’s guaranteed income program is unique because of its enhanced focus on health data collection. Moen and a colleague at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health were instrumental in urging and supporting that focus. Alongside other committee members, they included extra data collection elements that focused on child and family health as part of the program’s evaluation forms.
Although the field of population health lacks a succinct definition for now, Gutchell’s work, she says, seeks to answer the question: “As a community, how do we live and stay healthy together?”
When the population is a community defined by proximity or geography, programs that offer immunizations and preventive care can help achieve the goal of staying healthy together. And while health care providers can offer interventions to achieve that goal, neighbors are stakeholders in population health, too.
“I see population health in the best interest of all of us,” Gutchell says.
COVER STORY
BREAKTHROUGHS CAN’T WAIT
BY MARY THERESE PHELAN
ILLUSTRATION BY ISTVÁN SZUGYICZKY
PHOTOGRAPHY BY CHRISTOPHER MYERS
UMSON researchers are tackling real-world challenges, making a lasting impact on lives today that improve the future for everyone.
“Our work strengthens global health systems and capacity to protect all of us.”
VERONICA P.S. NJIE-CARR
im Mooney-Doyle, PhD, RN, CPNP-AC, associate professor, remembers a bright, 8-year-old child lying in the bone marrow transplant unit 20 years ago, slowly losing developmental milestones to a rare neurodegenerative disease. The child’s immune system left them vulnerable to one infection after another. On one side of the bed sat the parents with central lines in their necks, donating stem cells to help their child. On the other side of the bed, doctors were wrestling with whether prolonging life was causing undue suffering and distress. Nurses whispered, “What are we doing to this child?”
Mooney-Doyle recalls a nurse’s haunting words: “There are some things worse than being dead.” The weight of that statement settled deep.
“But I thought about the parents, what is it like for them, watching their child suffer and feeling powerless? There was this deep chasm between the clinicians and the family – a gap where compassion needed to grow,” says Mooney-Doyle, associate professor. She is one of several nurse researchers at UMSON who, thanks to grant funding – nearly $5 million of it from federal sources in FY 24 – are making innovative, critical breakthroughs that not only improve patient outcomes but save lives and reduce suffering. This research affects everyone, everywhere and ensures more effective, compassionate, and humane care for all.
Mooney-Doyle’s experience with the young patient became the catalyst for her career dedicated to understanding and supporting families navigating serious pediatric illness. Today she leads National Institutes of Health (NIH)-funded research exploring how family communication affects adolescent siblings of seriously ill children, developing interventions that ease long-term distress.
Mooney-Doyle’s story sets the stage for a broader narrative about the vital role of nursing research in transforming
health care, locally and globally. At UMSON, nurse scientists are advancing rigorous inquiry and innovative strategies to improve lives today and into the future.
Veronica P.S. Njie-Carr, PhD, RN, ACNS-BC, FWACN, professor, understands the power of building research capacity. Awarded $1.18 million in 2022 by the NIH Fogarty International Center, Njie-Carr is leading a fiveyear program strengthening capacity in health research ethics and methodology in The Gambia. Collaborating with Gambian colleagues at the University of The Gambia and the Medical Research Council, Njie-Carr educates health professionals and research scholars to address diseases such as cardiovascular illness, diabetes, cancer, and emerging threats such as mpox.
“Our work strengthens global health systems and capacity to protect all of us,” Njie-Carr says.
This program is crucial in a region burdened by high disease rates but limited research infrastructure and capacity. By enhancing ethical standards and scientific rigor, Njie-Carr’s team ensures local scholars can conduct research that respects communities, prevents errors, and informs effective interventions. Regional partners from Nigeria and Ghana also contribute, creating a network of expertise across West Africa.
The impact is tangible. Scholars contribute to the drafting of a national ethics framework, and during the recent mpox outbreak in The Gambia, clinicians quickly identified and contained transmission, preventing wider spread.
Without this investment, outbreaks would spread faster, cross borders, and ultimately reach us here at home. Her work isn’t only about saving lives in West Africa –it’s about protecting families in Baltimore and beyond. Nursing research keeps communities everywhere safer.
Without Njie-Carr’s work, “limited training and understanding will lead to uncontrolled and uncontained outbreaks, and it is not a matter of if, but when, the outbreaks occur,” she says.
Njie-Carr emphasizes that preparing for the next outbreak means investing in public health systems that can contain disease at its source. “If capacity development work is not taking place in other countries, we then open doors for diseases to cross borders,” she adds.
Back in Baltimore, Barbara Resnick, PhD ’96, RN, CRNP, FAAN, FAANP, professor and associate dean for research, is changing how we care for nursing home residents with dementia through a $2.13 million grant from the NIH’s National Institute on Aging. Her research focuses on improving pain assessment and management, often
l. to r.: previous page, Ian Kleckner, Colloca, and NjieCarr; at right, Amber Kleckner, Resnick, and Mooney-Doyle
“Without this research, the needs of sick children and their families remain invisible.”
KIM MOONEY-DOYLE
overlooked in this vulnerable population. Much of her prior research has focused on optimizing function and physical activity among older adults.
“Nursing research helps us understand not just disease but how people cope with symptoms and maintain health across the life span,” Resnick explains. “It’s about engaging individuals in preventive behaviors to avoid decline and unnecessary suffering.”
From the age of 16, when she started working as a nursing assistant in a nursing home, Resnick believed in the value of older adults engaging in physical activity, particularly those who were institutionalized, often restrained and left immobile.
“Later in my career, I noticed that health care professionals would give up on patients who were not motivated to participate in physical activity, and this upset me,” she says. “We treat disease, and I believed we need to treat lack of motivation. And so, I began my research journey. I see the benefit of physical activity, and I see what happens without it. This is what keeps me going.”
Resnick’s research career has centered on motivating and engaging older adults and helping their caregivers involve them in healthy behaviors, particularly physical activity but also immunization and management of pain and behavioral symptoms associated with dementia.
“Without this work, there would be fewer nurses helping older adults across all settings of care be physically active,” she says. Her research has raised awareness about motivating even those resistant to movement, ultimately preventing falls, hospitalizations, and functional decline.
“It is only through research that we learn the most appropriate ways in which to allocate resources for care,” Resnick says. In other words: These studies shape the policies and practices that determine how your parent, grandparent, or even you will be treated in moments of vulnerability. Without this research, health care becomes guesswork.”
Nutrition also plays a role in patient well-being, as Amber Kleckner, PhD, assistant professor, demonstrates through her NIH-funded studies on cancer-related fatigue. Her research tests whether time-restricted eating –limiting food intake to daytime hours – can mitigate fatigue and improve quality of life for cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy. Many are eager to make dietary changes to help themselves heal, and in addition to providing biological benefits, controlling one’s diet can be very empowering.
“Nursing research is extremely important because it improves quality of life and helps people live the lives that they want to live.”
AMBER KLECKNER
“There is a lack of evidence-based dietary recommendations for patients undergoing chemotherapy,” Kleckner says. “There is a need for rigorous, randomized controlled trials to generate such recommendations.” In the absence of these recommendations, patients may be gathering information from the internet via search engines and AI chatbots, and this information may not be applicable to the reader or worse, may be harmful.
Though she’s not a nurse, Kleckner’s focus on symptom science aligns with UMSON’s mission of improving the way we live and if and how we recover from illness.
“My research is focused on the patient experience and symptom science,” Kleckner says. “Nursing research is extremely important because it improves quality of life and helps people live the lives that they want to live.”
“Without funding, nutrition guidelines for cancer patients will continue to be vague, and people will continue to get their information from unreliable sources,” Kleckner says.
Another UMSON researcher, Luana Colloca, MD, PhD, MS, professor and director of the Placebo Beyond Opinions Center, has secured eight NIH awards, including five as a principal investigator, during her 10-year appointment at UMSON.
Amber Kleckner explores mitochondrial mechanisms underlying cancerrelated fatigue in her lab.
“This research is critical to improve quality of life and make sure that tomorrow’s medical care is better than today’s.”
IAN KLECKNER
“Nursing and health-related research are the engines that drive evidence-based care,” says Colloca, an international expert in the fields of placebo and nocebo research. “We examine not only what treatments work, but for whom, in what context, and why. It’s especially vital in areas like pain management, where patients’ lived experiences, expectations, and vulnerabilities must be considered.”
Her research is especially urgent amid the country’s opioid crisis, as she seeks alternatives that reduce reliance on addictive medications. For families who have lost loved ones to addiction – and for patients in pain looking for safer relief – this work offers hope. Without it, the cycle of dependency and loss may continue.
By studying placebo effects and, more recently, immersive, virtual reality (VR)-based interventions, she aims to understand why some people respond better to certain treatments than others.
“I’m inspired by the potential of VR and digital therapeutics to provide both relief and a sense of agency,” she says. “This work is about giving people back control over their health.”
Without this research, health care professionals will continue to offer quick fixes to complex problems, Colloca says, noting the consequences are visible in the ongoing opioid crisis, in underserved populations without access to comprehensive care, and in the lack of sustainable, innovative options for pain management.
“We would miss the opportunity to build a new standard of care, one that combines technology, neuroscience, and pain medicine to mitigate chronic pain and reduce unnecessary opioid exposure,” Colloca explains.
Exercise is also a promising strategy in managing pain and cancer treatment side effects. Ian Kleckner, PhD, MPH, associate professor and director of the Symptom Science Using Neuroscientific and Psychological Approaches (SYNAPSE) Center, leads an NIH-funded, nationwide clinical trial investigating exercise’s effects on chemotherapy-induced peripheral neurotoxicity (CIPN), a nerve condition causing numbness, tingling, and sometimes pain in nearly half of patients receiving chemotherapy.
“CIPN can force patients to stop treatment early because the pain and sensory loss can become debilitating and too hard to treat,” Kleckner explains. “Our research tests whether walking and resistance training can reduce symptoms and improve balance, mood, and even brain function.”
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Dive into inspiring stories of innovation from across the University of Maryland, Baltimore’s seven schools, including the School of Nursing. See and hear how our researchers are addressing today’s most pressing issues — fueled by the critical support of government funding that drives progress forward.
Visit www.umaryland.edu/breakthroughs or scan the QR code.
While not a nurse, Kleckner draws upon his background in physics, biophysics, psychology, neuroscience, and public health in his research seeking to prevent, treat, and predict symptoms – all core elements of nursing science. A key part of nursing research, Kleckner says, is studying how better to prevent, treat, predict, and describe the symptoms that people experience.
“This research is critical to improve quality of life and make sure that tomorrow’s medical care is better than today’s,” he says.
Were the funding to cease, he says, scientists will fail to make progress on one of the most important and increasingly prevalent health issues facing our world: cancer.
“If funding for this type of research ends, our children will grow up in a world where medical care is no better than what we have today, coupled with increasing rates of chronic illnesses,” Kleckner continues. “I think this possible future is at odds with America’s key strengths: innovation and progress.”
And when it comes to American families, MooneyDoyle’s research recognizes that adolescent siblings of seriously ill children often face increased risks of anxiety, depression, and social withdrawal. Nearly 200,000 U.S. children live with siblings who have life-limiting illnesses, and family stressors can worsen these effects.
“When we invest in children, we invest in our future,” Mooney-Doyle says. “Part of investing in the health of children is investing in their families.”
Her NIH-funded project uses surveys and interviews with parents and siblings to design family-focused interventions. It aims to make visible the struggles families endure and the strengths they draw from to create tools to build resilience.
“Without this research, the needs of sick children and their families remain invisible,” Mooney-Doyle says.
The common thread running through all these projects is a commitment to rigorous, ethical research that advances nursing science and transforms patient care. These studies build capacity – whether by educating researchers in The Gambia, engaging older adults in physical activity, improving symptoms for cancer patients, innovating pain management, or supporting vulnerable families.
As Njie-Carr reflects, “I am motivated by knowing that in my own small way, I am helping to build stronger health systems – because health knows no borders. Investing in nursing research is investing in a healthier world for all of us.”
FROM THE UMSON ARCHIVES
A Glee-ful History
The University of Maryland, Baltimore’s Glee Club was founded in 1947, when Dean Florence Gipe led the School of Nursing. The recreational activity, under the direction of V.A. Lawder, was first listed in the University’s 1950 - 51 yearbook. Lawder was a credit manager at what was then University Hospital, now the University of Maryland Medical Center. The club, composed of students from all disciplines on the Baltimore campus, practiced on Monday nights for an hour at the Second Evangelical Lutheran Church on Lombard Street next to Parsons Hall, which served as nursing student housing.
After Lawder’s tenure ended in the early 1950s, choir director Charles Haslup, who was an instructor in the Music Department at the University of Maryland, College Park and then a member of the music faculty at the State Teachers College at Towson, led the members in singing a variety of songs from hymns and Christmas carols to popular music of the time.
The Glee Club participated in many activities, including Convocation, visits to other hospitals and colleges, and caroling during the holidays. Over the years, the club expanded and remained active through 1975; Haslup directed the group until then.
This 1959 photo shows members of the club singing with glee during one of their many practices.
– J.D.
Class
Notes
Let your fellow alumni know what’s happening in your professional life. Submitting an update to Class Notes is easy; just visit nursing.umaryland.edu/ classnotes or contact us at alumni.nursing@umaryland.edu or 410-706-7640. You can also send mail to Holly Cole, Director of Alumni Engagement, 655 W. Lombard St., Suite 516, Baltimore, MD 21201.
As we are unable to confirm all credentials, only UMSON degrees and graduation years are included.
1970s
Arlene Burman, MS ’00, BSN ’78, has worked for 46 years at the National Institutes of Health, where she serves as a supervisory research nurse specialist at the National Cancer Institute.
1980s
Beth King, MS ’80, received the Excellence in Academic Leadership Award from the Association of Black Nursing Faculty of the Nursing Organizations Alliance. King is a tenured professor at Florida Atlantic University, where she directs the psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner program.
Gena Stanek, MS ’85, BSN ’80, has retired from the University of Maryland Medical Center (UMMC) in Baltimore after 44 years, 27 of them at the R Adams Cowley Shock Trauma Center. She co-led the hospital’s Resilience in Stressful Events (RISE) program and was dedicated to peer support nationwide.
Eileen Vorbach Collins, BSN ’83, published “Love in the Archives: A Patchwork of True Stories About Suicide Loss” after losing her 15-yearold daughter to suicide. The essay collection was a Foreword INDIES finalist and the recipient of the Sarton Women’s Book Award for memoir. As an author and freelance writer, Collins’ essays have received several literary awards and two nominations for a Pushcart Prize.
Beverly Lang, BSN ’85, served as the executive director of the Nurse Practitioner Association of Maryland Inc. from 2013 until July 2024. She continues to be involved in the association’s Legislative Committee and the Conference Planning Committee.
1990s
Margaret B. Hammersla, MS ’05, BSN ’95, received the 2025 American Association of Nurse Practitioners (AANP) State Award for Outstanding Contributions. She was also elected to serve on the board of the National Organization of Nurse Practitioner Faculties and has collaborated with the University of Washington on an American Heart Association grant to bring management of hypertension out of the clinic and into communitybased settings.
Deborah Schofield, DNP ’09, MS ’95, is a senior nurse practitioner and operations expert at UMMC.
Malinda M. Peeples, MS ’97, a clinical nurse specialist and certified diabetes care and education specialist, spoke at the 2025 Florida Diabetes Symposium in May. She shared insights on “Digital Health Solutions and Their Impact on Patient Outcomes” and participated on an expert panel, “Using Technology in the Delivery of Successful Diabetes SelfManagement Education and Support.”
George Zangaro, PhD ’05, MS ’98, started a new position as the associate director of the Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) post-master’s programs at the Johns Hopkins School of Nursing in Baltimore.
HONORING A TRAILBLAZER IN INFORMATICS
Susan K. Newbold, PhD ’06, MS ’83, received the 2025 Friends of the National Library of Medicine (NLM) Nursing Informatics Award, recognizing her contributions to the field of nursing informatics, her leadership in integrating technology into nursing practice, and her dedication to advancing health care through education and innovation.
Newbold hosts the Nursing Informatics Boot Camp multiple times a year and teaches informatics across all levels of nursing education. She has co-edited five books and authored numerous articles on informatics topics. Her influence extends internationally, as she has been a keynote speaker at nursing informatics conferences held in many countries worldwide.
She is the founder of CARING (Capital Area Roundtable on Informatics in Nursing), one of the first organizations dedicated to advancing nursing informatics and fostering collaboration among professionals in the field. Under her leadership, CARING grew into a national organization, now known as the American Nursing Informatics Association, which has played a pivotal role in shaping nursing informatics as a recognized specialty.
Newbold was presented with the award at the 2025 Friends of the NLM Awards Gala on Sept. 8 in Washington, D.C.
2000s
Suzanne Lutz, BSN ’00, retired after 10 years at Luminis Health Anne Arundel Medical Center in Annapolis, Maryland.
Tracie Schwoyer-Morgan, DNP ’10, MS ’00, is the director of palliative support services at Greater Baltimore Medical Center (GBMC)’s Gilchrist Elder Medical Care in Towson, Maryland. She was awarded the GBMC Women of Impact – Mentor Award, which honors those whose outstanding contributions uplift the GBMC community.
Desireé M. Clement, MS ’03, BSN ’01, received the AANP State Award for Outstanding Contributions on behalf of her work in Georgia. Clement started a new position in June as assistant dean for academic operations at the Emory University Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing in Atlanta.
Anna Schoenbaum, DNP ’16, MS ’01, was promoted to vice president and chief digital application officer at Penn Medicine: University of Pennsylvania Health System in Philadelphia. In this role, she is focused on providing strategic direction in the electronic health record system and further developing digital health care.
Gloria Moretz, MS ’02, retired as a nurse practitioner from MedStar Health: Primary Care at MedStar Franklin Square Medical Center in Baltimore and is moving to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.
Florence Nwoga Okafor, MS ’08, BSN ’07, graduated from The Ohio State University in May with a Doctor of Nursing Education degree. She is also a member of the Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi.
2010s
Mark Walker, PhD ’20, MS ’11, is an assistant professor at Towson University in Maryland. His areas of expertise include critical care, medical/surgical, cardiac nursing, nursing leadership, and simulation.
Stephanie Dawson, DNP ’24, MS ’16, BSN ’12, is an informatics nurse specialist at MedStar Franklin Square Medical Center in Baltimore.
Helena Jenkins, DNP ’22, MS ’12, started a new position last fall as assistant professor of nursing at Salisbury University in Maryland.
Cynthia M. Class-McGrew, MS ’13, graduated with a Master of Business Administration Health Care Management degree from the University of Delaware in May and started a new role as a primary care practice provider program manager at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center.
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Alisha Hackeny, PhD ’18, BSN ’13, received the Above and Beyond Award from Littleton Regional Healthcare in New Hampshire for her outstanding contributions to the team and consistently exceeding expectations of success.
Siomara Z. Parada, BSN ’13, is a registered nurse at Kaiser Permanente in Maryland.
Melat Tessera, MS ’15, BSN ’13, is a clinical informatics specialist at MedStar Health in Silver Spring, Maryland.
Kendra Burch, DNP ’22, BSN ’14, is a pediatric nurse practitioner at MedStar Health in Perry Hall, Maryland.
Leeza Constantoulakis, MS ’14, has been named chief nursing officer for Drive Health, a leading Agentic AI health care startup.
Kristen Rawlett, PhD ’14, UMSON associate professor, serves as the AANP State Liaison for Maryland and participated on the Nurse Practitioner Expert Panel at the AANP Corporate Council Luncheon during the annual conference in June.
Salina Bastian, DNP ’22, BSN ’15, is a nurse anesthetist at the University of Maryland St. Joseph Medical Center in Towson.
Sabrina L. Bielefeldt, PhD ’24, MS ’15, is an associate professor at Montgomery College in Rockville, Maryland.
Megan Brady, MS ’15, is a nurse practitioner at UMMC. She also presented at the AANP national conference in June and spoke on workplace wellness to prevent nurse practitioner burnout. She is a student in the DNP program at UMSON.
Karli M. Goodman, BSN ’15, and her husband, Justin Goodman, a registered dietitian, co-own and operate Gro, an outpatient mental health practice in Baltimore, with a focus on mental, behavioral, and food therapies.
Celebrating Nursing Excellence
Congratulations to the following alumni who were honored with Baltimore magazine’s Excellence in Nursing awards in May:
Patricia Guthrie, BSN ’82 Perioperative Services
Vicki Lowe, BSN ’84 Pediatrics
Connie Gibbons, BSN ’88 Informatics
Kim Caldwell, BSN ’95 Cardiovascular
Carolyn Cash, BSN ’99 Educator
Maria Julienne Diloy, MS ’10, BSN ’04 Educator
Fely Carillo, BSN ’06 Intermediate Care
Eyerusalem Hagos, MS ’08, BSN ’06 Hospice/Home Health/ Palliative Care
Jeanne Delaney, MS ’19, BSN ’10
Operating Room
Leslie Taylor, MS ’11 Management/Nurse Executives
Andrew Fausto, BSN ’12 Psychiatry
William Shannon Trainor, MS ’14 Surgical Intensive Care
Stacy Fisher Hill, MS ’15 Supply Chain
Lindsay Sneller, BSN ’15
Pediatrics: Neonatal
Christie SimonWaterman, DNP ’16
Occupational Health
Kasey Mundell, MS ’17 Educator
Ben Timsuren, MS ’17 Interventional Pulmonology
Edwin Juma, DNP ’19
Neurology/Psychology/ Behavioral Health
Jennifer Knox, BSN ’19
Pediatrics: Non-Neonatal
Jake Allam, BSN ’21 Operating Room
Sarit Fleishman, MSN ’22 Educator
Gail Zephyr, MSN ’22 Medical-Surgical Nursing
Heidi Ransford, BSN ’23
Women’s Health: Labor and Delivery
Christina Interrante, MSN ’24
Trauma/Surgery
Ashley Brown, MS ’16, joined UMSON as a clinical instructor.
Diana Cangelosi, MS ’18, serves as a wound care nurse at Parkland Health in Dallas.
Theresa Nowak, DNP ’18, retired from the U.S. Army in August; she had served in several roles, including health care operations director, clinical nurse specialist, and director of health care recruiting. She is now a trauma clinical nurse specialist at North Memorial Hospital in Minnesota.
Caroline Wettengel, DNP ’18, is a board-certified family nurse practitioner for Allergy & Asthma of Central Maryland and an adjunct faculty member in the Department of Nursing at Towson University.
2020s
Keely J. Hollyfield, BSN ’20, is a Clinical Nurse II at Georgetown University Medical Center in Washington, D.C., and a student in UMSON’s Master of Science in Nursing specialty in Nursing Informatics.
Dmitry Bederak, DNP ’21, is a gerontology nurse practitioner at GBMC’s Gilchrist Elder Medical Care in Towson and has expertise in treating dementia, kidney disease, and depression.
A LIVING LEGEND
The American Academy of Nursing honored Phyllis Sharps , PhD ’88, BSN ’70, RN, FAAN, professor emerita at the Johns Hopkins School of Nursing and an UMSON inaugural Visionary Pioneer and Board of Advisors member, as one of its 2025 Living Legends — the academy’s highest recognition, celebrating trailblazers who exemplify the resolve and ingenuity of the nursing profession and who have made significant impacts on health systems and health policy.
A prominent nurse scientist, educator, and policy advocate, Sharps’ revolutionary work over four decades has advanced maternal and infant health, particularly for women of color affected by intimate partner violence (IPV). She is best known for developing Domestic Violence Enhanced Home Visitation Intervention, an NIH-funded, nurse-led, community-based program that addresses IPV during pregnancy and empowers women to make informed safety decisions in collaboration with prenatal providers and domestic violence advocates. In addition to her research and advocacy, Sharps has mentored hundreds of students and faculty from underrepresented backgrounds, helping to shape the future of the nursing profession.
SAVE THE DATE!
Saturday, April 25, 2026
UMSON in Baltimore
All alumni are invited to a day filled with networking, reminiscing, and lots of UMSON spirit! Milestone classes ending in “1” and “6” will be recognized, including the 50th reunion class of 1976. You can be a class representative and have an impact on alumni engagement! Contact Holly Cole, director of alumni engagement, at hcole@umaryland.edu.
More details to come soon! Stay tuned for updates:
• visit nursing.umaryland.edu/reunion or scan the QR code above
• email alumni.nursing@umaryland.edu
• call 410-706-7640.
All UMSON alumni are invited to celebrate at Reunion 2026!
For 70 years, the University of Maryland School of Nursing’s psychiatric mental health nursing program has been at the forefront of shaping this vital field, from its earliest days as UMSON’s first master’s specialty to today’s Doctor of Nursing Practice specialty. Join us for a celebration and conference uniting alumni, esteemed preceptors, and industry leaders to honor the program’s legacy and explore the future of psychiatric mental health and advanced practice nursing. Register today to be part of this milestone event!
Friday - Saturday, Nov. 7 - 8, 2025
UMSON, Baltimore
Learn more and register at nursing.umaryland.edu/pmh70 or scan the QR code at right.
Happenings at UMMC
Congratulations to the alumni whose excellence in their work at UMMC was recognized at the hospital’s annual Special Achievements in Nursing awards ceremony, May 8.
DAISY Award
Danielle Kasoff, MS ’17
Anthony Ingram, MS ’18
Benjamin Obando, BSN ’21
Ian Boyd, BSN ’23
Excellence in Leadership
Matthew A. Adome, MS ’20, BSN ’15 (finalist)
Rebecca A. Stecher, MS ’15 (awardee)
Excellence in Clinical Leadership
Jessica L. Manning, MS ’11 (finalist)
Jennifer M. Hoskinson, BSN ’22 (finalist)
Excellence in Nursing Practice
Ashleigh Bohn, MSN ’21 (awardee)
Excellence in Advanced Practice Nursing
Sherla S. Farrell-Sealey, MS ’07 (finalist)
Julieann Zviman, DNP ’18 (finalist)
Excellence in Quality and Safety
Kylene M. Broadwater, MS ’09 (awardee)
Shyla N. Herndon-Dye, BSN ’19 (finalist)
Vivian Chan, BSN ’23 (finalist)
Art of Caring
Brooke J. Risdell, MS ’08 (awardee)
Contagious Positive Attitude
Eliana Berman, BSN ’19 (awardee)
Melissa Rabinowitz, BSN ’22 (finalist)
Excellence in Precepting and Mentoring
Eileen M. Girling, MS ’17 (finalist)
Samuel Kwarko, BSN ’19 (finalist)
Excellence in Education
Stefhan M. Dassoulas, BSN ’16 (awardee)
Jessica Brenner, MSN ’23 (finalist)
CNO Award for Team Excellence
Neonatal Intensive Care Unit Team; Treza James, MS ’05, BSN ’96, Nurse Manager
Congratulations to the following alumni, who have recently received promotions:
SENIOR CLINICAL NURSE I
Melissa Weygant, BSN ’05
Samantha M. Neilson, BSN ’14
Eileen M. Girling, MS ’17
Agnes Kim, BSN ’17
Elizabeth Phillips, BSN ’17
Elizabeth A. McCollum, BSN ’18
Cara Caccamisi, BSN ’19
Lilliany Graciano, BSN ’19
Catherine Johnson, BSN ’19
Samuel Kwarko, BSN ’19
Hyeyoung Min, BSN ’19
Malgorzata M. Chavis, BSN ’20
Amanda Meissner, BSN ’20
Jessica Sweeney, BSN ’20
Caitlin Toner, BSN ’20
Christine Vaaler, BSN ’20
Sydney G. Behling, MSN ’21
Sharla Chinniah, BSN ’21
Amy Nguyen, BSN ’21
Alexis Saunders, BSN ’21
Jennifer M. Hoskinson, BSN ’22
Kirthika Ramakrishnan, BSN ’22
SENIOR CLINICAL NURSE II
Brenda Johnson, BSN ’64
Stefhan Dassoulas, BSN ’16
Christopher Steets, MS ’16
Sujata Chapagain, MSN ’24, BSN ’17
Megan Homme, BSN ’18
Alexia Owusu-Sakyi, BSN ’20
Kelsey Bickley, BSN ’22
Dakyra Blount, BSN ’24
We’re Big FAANs!
Congratulations to the seven alumni (including one UMSON faculty member) who will be inducted as 2025 Fellows of the American Academy of Nursing in October. They join a community of more than 3,000 fellows worldwide.
Vicki Freedenberg, PhD ’13, BSN ’80, electrophysiology nurse scientist, Children’s National Hospital and George Washington University School of Medicine
Veronica Amos, MS ’07, MS ’00, BSN ’99, assistant professor and director, Doctor of Nursing Practice Nurse Anesthesia specialty, UMSON Kami Cooper, MS ’05, behavioral health and wellness chief, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
Young Ji Lee, MS ’09, vice chair for administration and associate professor
In Memoriam
of nursing and medicine, University of Pittsburgh School of Nursing
Helga Scharf-Bell, DNP ’16, director, National Disaster Medical System, and chief nursing officer, Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
Gee Su Yang, PhD ’17, assistant professor, University of Connecticut School of Nursing
Jennifer Moon, DNP ’20, chief nurse officer, U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps
Remembering Faculty Member Carol O’Neil
Carol O’Neil, PhD, RN, CNE, associate professor, joined UMSON in 1997 and then served as a faculty member in the Institute for Educators, which she co-directed following its founding in 2004. She also served as co-developer of the Teaching in Nursing and Health Professions Certificate program the same year. Always focused on advancing and educating nursing faculty, O’Neil received a nearly $4 million, five-year grant in 2020 to expand the state’s Cohen Scholars initiative to enhance the expertise and resources within the Institute for Educators and to formalize a mentorship process to support future nurse educators.
O’Neil died July 30. Arrangements were being made at the time of publication, and additional information about O’Neil and her legacy will be published in the next issue of Nursing For/UM.
In Memoriam
YOU WE NEED YOU
SHARE YOUR TIME AND TALENT HOW AND WHEN YOU CHOOSE
SPOTLIGHT ON CLASS
REPRESENTATIVES
The next All-Alumni Reunion will be here before we know it, in spring 2026!
A successful, meaningful event requires broad participation from all our alumni: across every degree, every graduation year. You can join in connecting with your fellow alumni to share the news about this important annual event, which provides an opportunity to network and engage with your fellow UMSON alumni.
How can you help?
Class representatives serve as liaisons with fellow alumni in their graduating class and encourage participation and attendance at reunion and other upcoming alumni programs and events. Let’s get together and create memorable opportunities for UMSON alumni.
For more information and to participate in reaching out to your fellow alumni, contact Holly Cole, director of alumni engagement, at hcole@umaryland.edu or 410-706-0674.
Elizabeth S. Dixon, BSN ’45
Mary J. Reiblich, DIN ’47
Eleanor M. Riordan, BSN ’47
Dolly C. Taylor, DIN ’48
Jane B. Clemmens, DIN ’50
Joan V. Juvan, BSN ’54
Mary Helen Staley, BSN ’54
Gwendolyn E. Waters, BSN ’54
Mary Gormley, BSN ’56
Helen M. Huffard, BSN ’56
Joanne Kreh Todd, BSN ’57
Bonnie W. Ellis, BSN ’62
E. Maxine Fritz, MS ’62
Katie L. Kinzie, BSN ’62
Janice H. Newcomb, MS ’62
Daniel J. O’Neal III, BSN ’62
Virginia Ida Ritchie, MS ’62
Katharine K. Spiegel, BSN ’62
Bonnie M. Horman, BSN ’63
Sondra J. Fox, MS ’64
Peggy E. Heffner, BSN ’64
Nancy J. Bitner, MS ’70
Patricia E. Estrada, BSN ’72
Jane Bacon Arnold, MS ’73
Suzanne M. Grieve Brauer, MS ’74
Valerie A. Jewell, BSN ’74
Agnese Neumann, BSN ’75
Von Best Whitaker, MSN ’75
Dorothy J. Solick, BSN ’77
Beverly M. Anderson, BSN ’84
Donna L. Hargett, MS ’86
Sandra A. Kennedy, BSN ’86
Cassy D. Pollack Pickard, PhD ’98
Edward P. Tabor, BSN ’98
Stacey L. Wolfe, BSN ’09
This list includes notices the School of Nursing received Jan. 16 - Aug. 15, 2025.
Remembering Rosetta Sands, 1931 - 2025
Rosetta Ford
“Isabella” Sands, PhD, MS ’70, BSN ’66, former UMSON faculty member and the School’s first Black assistant dean, came to Baltimore from her native Florida and attended Frederick Douglas High School, which was then still segregated. She earned a diploma in nursing from the Harlem Hospital School of Nursing in New York City before returning to Baltimore and continuing her education at UMSON, earning her BSN and master’s degrees. She later earned a PhD in Public Health Administration and Curriculum Development from Union Graduate School in Cincinnati.
Early in her teaching career, Sands taught in several Baltimore-area nursing programs, including at Baltimore City Hospital, Sinai Hospital of Baltimore, and Coppin State University. In 1970, she joined the UMSON faculty and was promoted to assistant professor the following year. As a young faculty member, she asked that a committee be formed to focus on recruitment of minority students. In 1974, she was appointed assistant dean for undergraduate curriculum, and in 1977, she was granted tenure.
While at UMSON, she was a steadfast advocate for equal opportunity in health
care education, led efforts to broaden access to nursing education, and developed recruitment and retention strategies to support a more diverse student body. She also led curricular advances, including launching a course in 1978 on the Principles of Cross-Cultural Nursing, and incorporated class sessions on the social determinants of health.
In 1983, Sands left UMSON to become the third dean of the School of Nursing and Allied Health at Tuskegee University, one of the nation’s oldest historically Black universities and the first nursing school in Alabama. In 1987, she was named the dean of health professions and nursing at William Paterson College (now William Paterson University) in New Jersey, where she established the Center for Research to expand faculty scholarship and interdisciplinary research. Following a reorganization of the school, she became dean of the School of Science and Health while also serving as acting dean of the School of Education. She retired in 1993.
For more than 50 years, Sands was an active member of Chi Eta Phi Sorority, including leadership roles for the Northeast Region and Gamma Chapter and spearheading support for nursing scholarships and community outreach efforts.
Sands died April 8 at the age of 93.
Meet Our New Visionary Pioneers
They are groundbreakers and trailblazers: These nurses have shaped health care through their pioneering efforts in nursing informatics, forensic and psychiatric nursing, aging research, and a lifelong commitment to public service. They have transformed health care systems on a global scale and worked tirelessly to improve quality of patient care. They advocate for equity, diversity, and cultural competence in academic and clinical settings. They are accomplished mentors preparing the next generation of nurses. And their spirit and determination reflect those of the School of Nursing during the past 135 years.
We honor our five newest Visionary Pioneers, alumni who have made a significant impact on and contribution to the field of nursing based on their leadership, innovation, or entrepreneurship. They join the 30 other members of this prestigious group, named during the 125th and 130th anniversary celebrations. These five inspirational nurses were honored during a gala, Leaders Who Illuminate: Celebrating 135 Years and UMSON’s Visionaries, on Sept. 18.
Compiled by Stacey Conrad, Jillian Dreicer, and Giordana Segneri
ANN WOLBERT
BURGESS, DNSc, MS ’59, RNCS, FAAN, is a pioneer in forensic and psychiatric nursing who has shaped the understanding and treatment of trauma survivors. An internationally recognized expert, her career has centered on the psychological impact of violence, especially among crime victims, children, and the elderly. Burgess collaborated with the FBI to study serial offenders, linking child abuse and juvenile delinquency to future criminal activity. Her research expanded to include the traumatic effects of cyberstalking, internet sex crimes, and elder abuse. Known for her influential courtroom testimony and described as a “nursing pathfinder,” Burgess continues to teach forensic science and mental health at Boston College.
WANONA “WINNIE”
FRITZ, EdD, MS ’78, NEA-BC, has dedicated her career to transforming health care systems on a global scale. From Vietnam War field hospitals to boardrooms in 24 countries, she has improved care delivery, strengthened leadership, and built health systems that serve both people and purpose. As chief operating officer and senior vice president of operations and clinical services at HCCA International, a health care management and operations organization, Fritz directs organizational turnarounds, hospital redesigns, and workforce development initiatives across the globe. A decorated Army nurse and Vietnam veteran, Fritz earned her pilot’s wings and the Bronze Star while serving in combat and humanitarian care units.
J TAYLOR HARDEN, PhD, MS ’77, BSN ’72, FGSA, FAAN, is a nationally recognized leader in gerontological nursing, minority health, and research administration, whose career reflects a deep commitment to public service, inclusion, and advancing
the science of aging. Her landmark contributions at the National Institute on Aging, where she served for 14 years, including as acting deputy director, transformed how aging research addresses equity, diversity, and career development. As executive director of the John A. Hartford Foundation’s Building Academic Geriatric Nursing Capacity program, Harden helped launch the careers of nearly 300 nurse scholars and faculty, shaping the next generation of gerontological leaders.
MARY ETTA C. MILLS, ScD, MS ’73, BSN ’71, RN, NEA-BC, FAAN, has been at the forefront of nursing informatics and health systems leadership for more than four decades. A visionary academician and administrator, she transformed how nurses use technology to enhance care and lead change in complex organizations. Mills held numerous leadership roles at UMSON and served as vice president for nursing at the University of Maryland Medical Center, where she helped lead clinical and operational transformation. Widely considered one of the founding architects of nursing informatics, she led the development of the world’s first master’s and doctoral programs in that field at UMSON.
SHIELDA RODGERS, PhD ’92, MS ’83, RN, has championed equity and inclusion in nursing education for more than 40 years, building environments where students from all backgrounds feel seen, supported, and empowered to succeed. Her work as a faculty member, mentor, and academic leader has transformed not only individual lives but institutional culture. Rodgers is a professor and associate dean for collective well-being at the UNC School of Nursing. Her leadership has shaped national policy conversations, informed American Association of Colleges of Nursing initiatives, and supported faculty in integrating cultural sensitivity into the classroom and clinical settings. She is also a deeply beloved mentor.
The Nurse Leading America’s Disaster Response
Helga Scharf-Bell, Cert ’22, DNP ’16
BY MARY THERESE PHELAN
As a young girl, Helga Scharf-Bell, Cert ’22, DNP ’16, FNP-BC, MSN, NHDP-BC, FAAN, would often pretend to be a nurse, providing gentle care to her Barbie dolls, painting wounds she’d tend to on their plastic skin, creating casts out of adhesive bandages to heal their broken legs, and cutting their hair off to prep them for imaginary surgery.
Those childhood games were more than make-believe – they foreshadowed a lifelong calling that would take her from the bedside to the nation’s front lines in disaster care. Scharf-Bell is the director of the National Disaster Medical System (NDMS) within the U.S. Department of Health and Human
“If there’s one thing we need in this country right now, it’s people willing to help other people.”
HELGA SCHARF-BELL
Services’ Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response (ASPR). She is the first nurse and first woman to hold the position. Established in 1984, NDMS supports state, local, territorial, and tribal authorities following disasters and public health emergencies by supplementing local health and medical systems and response capabilities. NDMS also supports high-profile events, such as the presidential Inauguration, the United Nations General Assembly, and the State of the Union Address.
As director, Scharf-Bell leads a core staff of 35 and more than 3,800 federal intermittent employees (civilians who are federalized when activated for deployment), managing teams dispersed across the country to respond to disasters and large-scale events. These include Disaster Medical Assistance Teams, Disaster Mortuary Operational Response Teams, a Trauma Critical Care Team, a National Veterinary Response Team, and a Victims Identification Center team.
“All of these people are just trying to help somebody else,” she says. “If there’s one thing we need in this country right now, it’s people willing to help other people.”
Her instinct to care began early, shaped by stories of her father’s aunts in Germany who served as nurses and midwives during wartime.
“It almost just felt natural that I would become a nurse,” says Scharf-Bell, who was recently inducted as a Fellow of the American Academy of Nursing. “I never thought of doing anything else. I always had this calling.”
Her career in disaster response began when she worked as a trauma nurse at Westchester Medical Center
in New York, and she answered a call for those in trauma care to join NDMS. She first served as an intermittent employee for the New York 2 Disaster Medical Assistance Team and later became the team’s leader before joining NDMS as a full-time ASPR employee in Washington, D.C, several years later. In D.C, she advanced through roles including section chief, emergency operations specialist, and supervisory program manager.
Over her 25-plus years in NDMS, Scharf-Bell has deployed to more than 35 events, including the 2023 Maui wildfires and the 2025 crash of American Airlines Flight 5342 into the Potomac River. Other assignments have included national memorials, high-security celebrations, and global summits.
After Hurricane Milton struck North Carolina in 2024, she led NDMS in setting up a base of operation outside emergency rooms.
“We took a lot of the overflow from their emergency rooms, because they were at 150% capacity,” she recalls.
When the NDMS director position opened, Scharf-Bell twice stepped in as acting director – first for three months, then for two and a half years – before deciding to apply to the permanent position. She was named director in 2023.
Having a nurse in the top role, she says, is crucial.
“Nurses understand the importance of the dynamics that you learn in nursing school: how to work within groups, how to look at a situation and think outside the box, how to make things work,” she says.
“Sometimes, when you don’t have all the resources, you have to figure out how to make do with what you have.
above: As director of the NDMS, Scharf-Bell leads a core staff of 35 and more than 3,800 employees.
opposite: Scharf-Bell leaves a Base Operations tent, set up to support patient care during events and deployments.
And nurses are especially good at that, because so many times they’re put into situations of not having enough staff, not having enough equipment, but they make it work, and they still support the patient.
“I think it’s also really important to show that nurses can be leaders not only on a local and state level, but they can also be leaders in a federal government setting.”
Nurses are well suited for disaster response medicine, she says.
“It’s fast-paced. You have to think
top right: Scharf-Bell (foreground) shakes hands and gives challenge coins, which symbolize achievements, to officers prior to deployment for Inauguration Day.
bottom right: Scharf-Bell (second from right) and NDMS teams participate in a refresher training on medical equipment.
on your feet. You’re moving quickly all the time. These are all things nurses do,” she says. “You have a chance to save someone’s life.”
Scharf-Bell also provides mentorship in public health and disaster response to UMSON Doctor of Nursing Practice students.
“Emergency management has often been male dominated,” she says. “Hopefully, I’ve broken down that ceiling. I want nursing students to know there is no ceiling.”
American Association of Colleges of Nursing Student Policy Summit Washington, D.C., March 25
Pi-at Large Chapter of Sigma Induction UMSON
Baltimore, April 8
Pie Your Professor UMSON Baltimore, May 1
Conway Scholars Luncheon USG, April 1
Institute for Educators Nursing Education Conference UMSON Baltimore, April 25
Doctor of Nursing Practice Poster Day UMB, May 5
PHOTOGRAPHY: MATTHEW D’AGOSTINO/UMB, AL GENERAL, SID KEISER, JEFF KENTON, OTHERS SUBMITTED
Nurses Week UMSON Baltimore (top) and USG (bottom), May 6 - 12
Entry-into-Nursing Evidence-Based Practice Poster Days
UMB, May 13
USG, May 14
Donor Appreciation Reception Hidden Waters, Baltimore, July 10
Save the Dates
State of the Maryland Nursing Workforce Symposium Friday, Oct. 24
Psychiatric-Mental Health Nursing Program 70th Anniversary Friday, Nov. 7 - Saturday, Nov. 8
Graduation Friday, Dec. 12
All-Alumni Reunion 2026
Saturday, April 25
All alumni are welcome to attend!
Learn more about these events and others: nursing.umaryland.edu/events
Welcome Ceremonies USG, Aug. 12 (top) UMSON Baltimore, Aug. 14 (bottom)
A Catalyst for Excellence Advance
James “Jim” Melonas, MBA, is a Marylander through and through, a product of City College High School and Loyola University of Maryland in Baltimore and of the University of Maryland, College Park. But his career has been international, spanning five decades in telecom, technology, and business development.
He is the president of Spartan Allied Group, an advisory firm, and he drives advancements in smart cities, cybersecurity, and emerging technologies.
What does any of this have to do with nursing?
Melonas is a member of UMSON’s Board of Advisors, tied to the School through his wife, Jacqueline “Jackie” Marie Melonas, JD, MS ’79, BSN ’73, who died in 2021. In addition to being a two-time graduate of UMSON, Jackie Melonas earned her JD from the University of Maryland Francis King Carey School of Law, part of the University of Maryland, Baltimore (UMB), and became a leader in providing risk management services to thousands of psychiatrists nationwide.
Upon Jackie Melonas’ death, Jim Melonas created an endowed scholarship in her name, supporting pediatric and psychiatric mental health doctoral nursing students. The scholarship will be awarded for the first time this academic year
UMSON recognized Jim Melonas’ contributions last spring when he was named a UMB Catalyst for Excellence Award winner. “Jim’s service, generosity, and dedication to the School of Nursing reflects his own deeply held values and honors the enduring legacy of Jackie’s passion for nursing education and practice and for health care advocacy,” said Yolanda Ogbolu, PhD ’11, MS ’05, BSN ’04, NNP, FNAP, FAAN, the Bill and Joanne Conway Dean, during a “Celebrating Excellence” event in April.
Melonas says his philanthropy and involvement in the School continue to be driven by his wife’s love of nursing and UMSON. “Jackie’s degrees from the University of Maryland School of Nursing were the strong foundation of all she would accomplish throughout her career,” he says. “She always wanted to be a nurse, and she truly loved this School. The endowed scholarship in her name is very important to me and our family. It is the most tangible way we have to keep her memory alive and a way to support future nursing leaders.”
The Louisa Parsons Legacy Society
The School of Nursing’s Legacy Society is named in honor of pioneering nurse and philanthropist Louisa Parsons, the University of Maryland School of Nursing’s first superintendent; she made the first planned gift to the School in 1916. The Louisa Parsons Legacy Society comprises people who, like Parsons, are committed to supporting future generations of students and nurses by providing funding for scholarships, research, faculty positions, and other critical needs. Joining the Louisa Parsons Legacy Society allows you to make a significant difference to future nursing students without impacting your current lifestyle.
To learn more about making a planned gift, contact Stacey Conrad, associate dean for development and alumni relations, at sconrad@umaryland.edu or 410-706-7640.
Kathleen Absalom, BSN ’98
Estate of Myrtle Ageton, DIN ’44, and Robert Ageton
Janet D. Allan
Anonymous
Floraine B. Applefeld
Estate of Carolyn V. Arnold
Jeanne Ascosi, BSN ’74
Estate of Zabelle S. Howard Beard
Deborah S. Beatty, MS ’96
Abbe R. Bendell, BSN ’74
Estate of Ann F. Bennett, MS ’69
Marjorie Stamler Bergemann
Estate of Jean L. Bloom, DIN ’46
Estate of Margaret Brandt, DIN ’50
Estate of Mary J. Brewer
Estate of E.L. Bunderman, DIN ’31, and Clarence Q. Bunderman
Melonas (center) accepting his Catalyst for Excellence Award from UMB President Bruce E. Jarrell, MD, FACS, (left) and Ogbolu (right)
Estate of Ann Ottney Cain
Estate of Dorothy C. Calafiore, BSN ’51
Estate of Shirley E. Callahan, BSN ’52
Sharon A. Childs, MS ’91
Estate of Avon B. Chisholm
Marlene H. Cianci, MS ’66, BSN ’65
Estate of Gladys B. Clagett and Lansdale G. Clagett
Estate of Bonnie L. Closson, BSN ’61, and Jon B. Closson
Claudette C. Clunan, BSN ’72
Steven S. Cohen
Regina M. Cusson, MS ’79
Estate of Mary Jane Custer
Jill A. DeCesare, BSN ’69
Carol Distasio, MS ’73, BSN ’71
Nancy Donovan, BSN ’76
Susan G. Dorsey, PhD ’01, MS ’98
Carol Drake, BSN ’68*, and Francis D. Drake
Celeste A. Dye, BSN ’66
Kathleen F. Edwards, BSN ’67
Estate of Barbara Elgin, BSN ’54, and Lee Elgin
Estate of Lura Jane Emery, MS ’79
Julie C. Fortier, MS ’68
Judith A. Freitag, BSN ’77
Beth Ann Gan, BSN ’77
Estate of Mary H. Gilley, DIN ’44
Debbie Gilbert Glassman, MS ’79, BSN ’75
Estate of Judah Gudelsky
Carolyn Cook Handa, BSN ’63*
Laurette L. Hankins
Sharon Hanopole, BSN ’66
Phyllis B. Heffron, BSN ’74
Barbara R. Heller
Estate of K. Cornelia Hesselbach
Estate of Marie L. Hesselbach
Estate of Kjerstine K. Hoffman, DIN ’47
Carol A. Huebner, PhD ’90, and Michael F. Huebner
Margaret H. Iles, DIN ’53
Catherine Ingle, BSN ’61
Estate of Mary McCotter Jackson
Estate of Jeanette A. Jones, MS ’70
Estate of Jean W. Keenan, DIN ’48
Jane M. Kirschling and Robert Flick*
Anita M. Langford, MS ’79, BSN ’77
Cynthia P. Lewis, BSN ’58, and Jack C. Lewis
Estate of Phyllis R. Luckenbaugh, MS ’79, BSN ’72, and Paul Luckenbaugh
Estate of Ann Madison, BSN ’62
Estate of Mildred Madsen, BSN ’73
Estate of Rita Malek, DIN ’49
Myrna E. Mamaril, MS ’93
Estate of Demetria Manandic, BSN ’54
Estate of Lois Marriott
Joan Nicholason Martellotto, BSN ’66
Margaret A. McEntee, MS ’73
Estate of Wealtha McGurn
Beverly J. Meadows, PhD ’06, MS ’84, BSN ’69
Norma J. Melcolm, MS ’69
Estate of Joan L. Meredith, BSN ’62
Sharon L. Michael, BSN ’71
Nancy J. Miller, BSN ’73
Patricia Gonce Morton, PhD ’89, MS ’79
Sondra M. Mroz, BSN ’66
Elizabeth A. Ness, MS ’93
Evelyn Norwitz
Elizabeth G. O’Connell, MS ’74, BSN ’73
Daniel J. O’Neal III, BSN ’66
Harriet Palmer-Willis, MS ’70, BSN ’68
Barbara J. Parker, PhD ’86, MS ’76
Charlene M. Passmore, BSN ’77
Thomas S. Paullin
Margot A. Regen, MS ’79
Estate of Mary J. Reiblich, DIN ’47
Ann E. Roberts, BSN ’93
Estate of Margaret Robinson
Linda E. Rose, PhD ’92, and William G. Smillie
Estate of Amelia Carol Sanders, DIN ’53
Patricia A. Saunders, BSN ’68
Estate of William Donald Schaefer
Estate of Phyllis J. Scharp, BSN ’50
Sandra A. Schoenfisch, MS ’76
Eleanor B. Schron, PhD ’08, MS ’79, and Spencer R. Schron
Estate of Alta Fay Schuster, BSN ’54
Estate of Beverly Seeley
Christine K. Shippen, MS ’98, BSN ’73
Martha J. Shively, BSN ’72
Deborah K. Shpritz, MS ’82, BSN ’78, and Louis Shpritz
Estate of Betty Lou Shubkagel, BSN ’54
Estate of Anna Mae Slacum
Estate of Connie Slewitzke, BSN ’71
Rebecca S. Stanevich, BSN ’73
Barbara A. Stepura, MS ’85
Estate of Marie V. Stimpson, MS ’89, BSN ’84
Jacquelyn M. Jones Stone, MS ’71
Estate of Sandra Sundeen, MS ’68
Estate of Ginger V. Swisher, DIN ’49
Susan L. Tancredi, MS ’79, BSN ’69, and Peter Tancredi
Courtney Ann Kehoe Thomas, BSN ’66
Diane L. Thompkins, MS ’84
Virginia D. Thorson, BSN ’55
Estate of Norma C. Tinker, BSN ’48
Estate of Martha C. Trate, BSN ’48
Marion Burns Tuck, MS ’80
Robin Varker, BSN ’75
Elena V. Virts, PhD ’15, BSN ’00
Joella D. Warner, BSN ’64
Estate of Helen Parker Wear
Doris Baumgardner Webb, BSN ’59, and John H. Webb*
Margaret C. Wilmoth, MS ’79, BSN ’75
Susan Dorsey Wilson, BSN ’66
Estate of Patricia Yow
As we are unable to confirm all alumni credentials, only UMSON degrees and graduation years are included.
The Honor Roll of Donors is now online only. Visit nursing.umaryland.edu/honorroll or scan the QR code to see the full list of donors who have supported UMSON’s community members and their important work between July 1, 2024, and June 30, 2025.
Behind every page in this issue is a connection.
A student’s story, a faculty achievement, a community partnership – each one traces back to a dedicated network of alumni and friends who believe in the power and possibility of UMSON. From new scholarships to expanded work in population health, the momentum here is real, and your support is at the heart of it. Whether you’ve made a gift, mentored a student, served on a board, or joined us at an event, you’ve helped cultivate a community that is generous, compassionate, and deeply committed to advancing our mission.
For many years, the fall issue of Nursing For/UM has included our Honor Roll of Donors, celebrating those whose philanthropy fuels this important work. In keeping with our move toward more sustainable and accessible practices, the Honor Roll is now presented fully online. Though no longer in print, it remains a powerful tribute to the supporters shaping UMSON’s future. We invite you to visit nursing.umaryland.edu/honorroll or scan the QR code above to explore the community of donors that continues to move us forward.
As we look to the months ahead – filled with milestones, fresh initiatives, and bold new directions –I hope you continue to see yourself in UMSON’s story. Behind every page, every achievement, and every step forward, there’s you.
With gratitude,
Stacey M. Conrad, MBA Associate Dean for Development and Alumni Relations sconrad@umaryland.edu
| 410-706-7640
P.S. Whether you’re nearby or oceans away, there’s always a place for you at UMSON. Visit nursing.umaryland.edu/alumni, connect with us on social media, or drop us a note at 655 W. Lombard St., Baltimore, MD 21201 – we’d love to hear from you!
Your Legacy. Their Future. Our Commitment.
At the University of Maryland School of Nursing, our commitment extends beyond delivering excellence in education and research — it includes you, our valued supporters, and the future we’re building together.
By including UMSON in your estate plans, you help create a community where aspiring nurses feel they belong, students have access to transformative opportunities, and hope thrives through innovation and care.
A planned gift is more than a financial decision — it’s a reflection of your values and your belief in nursing’s power to change the world. Whether you choose to support scholarships, research, or other educational programs, your legacy will inspire and empower future generations of nursing leaders.
We’d be honored to help you explore how a planned gift can reflect your vision, create a lasting impact, and provide potential financial benefits for you and your loved ones. Together, we can shape a healthier, brighter future for all.
Most Common Types of Planned Gifts
• Bequests
• Charitable Gift Annuities
• Appreciated Securities
• Retirement Plans
To learn more about this opportunity, contact Stacey Conrad, associate dean for development and alumni relations, at sconrad@umaryland.edu or 410-706-7640.
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OUT OF THE CLASSROOM
A week in Costa Rica can offer future nurses invaluable insights into global health and the complex realities of health care delivery in underserved settings. During a global field experience in June, led by Karen E. Scheu, DNP ’12, FNP-BC, assistant professor, in partnership with the InterAmerican Center for Global Health (CISG), three Bachelor of Science in Nursing students engaged with Costa Rican rural communities, deepening their understanding of global health and the critical intersection of health care and social determinants of health.
In collaboration with CISG and Carlos Faerron Guzmán, MD, MSc, associate professor of global health at the University of Maryland School of Graduate Studies, the students visited rural regions to observe primary care in resource-limited settings, explored cultural adaptations in health care within indigenous territories, and examined the living and working conditions of migrant laborers on coffee farms. Here, student Liz Sebastiao is on a coffee plantation where seasonal workers from Panama harvest coffee beans.
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655 W. Lombard St. Baltimore, MD 21201 nursing.umaryland.edu
“Inspired by both my own experiences and the health care disparities I’ve seen across Baltimore, my career goal is to become a nurse leader who advocates for equitable, evidencebased care in underserved communities. This scholarship has directly empowered me to pursue this goal with greater confidence and clarity.”
Wade Preston,
BS Master of Science in Nursing Entry-into-Nursing Student
Wade’s nursing education is supported in part by the Mary Catherine Bunting Scholarship Endowment. Bunting, MS ’72, CRNP, RN, pledged $1 million in 2009 to support Maryland residents in UMSON’s master’s entry-intonursing program, paving the way for those with bachelor’s degrees in a discipline other than nursing to enter the nursing profession at the master’s level.
MAKE YOUR GIFT TODAY at nursing.umaryland.edu/give
