NEWS
Outstanding Students Recognized at Opening Convocation Ceremony The University of Rochester School of Nursing recognized some of its leading scholars at its convocation on Sept. 5. More than 175 students and faculty packed the auditorium in Helen Wood Hall for the official event kicking off the 2017-18 academic year. They were greeted with welcome speeches from UR President and CEO Joel Seligman, Medical Center CEO and Dean of the School of Medicine and Dentistry Mark B. Taubman, MD, and School of Nursing Dean and URMC Vice President Kathy Rideout, EdD, PPCNP-BC, FNAP. Seligman, in an emotional address, reflected on the loss of a close friend’s adult daughter and stressed the tremendous impact that nurses and health professionals have on the lives of patients and their families. “You have a chance to touch human lives in a way that few other people do,” he
said. He also praised the School of Nursing’s commitment to achieving a truly diverse student body, and by extension, nursing workforce. “From my perspective, we want the best people Sheniece Griffin (left), a student in the Clinical Nurse Leader program, was to be our honored with the Michele Unger Award at convocation. DNP student Denise nurses,” he Burgen (right) was presented with the George Spencer Terry Jr. B’49 Fund in said. “GenNursing Entrepreneurship Award. der should never be tation, culture, and learning differences we all have is an issue, abilities,” said Rideout. “It’s critical.” nationality should never be important for us to not only Lydia Rotondo, DNP, RN, an issue, immigrant status appreciate the diversity of CNS, associate dean for should never be an issue, our classmates, faculty, and education and student affairs sexual orientation should never be an issue. We simply colleagues, but to really learn in the School of Nursing, from and about each other. presented six awards to want the best.” Whether you’re preparing returning undergraduate and “I’m very proud of the to be clinicians, health care graduate students. overwhelming diversity of leaders, or scientists, underour students in race, ethnicity, gender, faith, sexual orien- standing and enjoying the
Convocation Award Winners Kathyrine Resurreccion, an APNN student, was awarded the Clare Dennison Prize for outstanding proficiency in general nursing care. Christina Dopp, a student in the Adult Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner program, was honored with the Eleanor Hall Award as an outstanding master’s degree student. Dillon Dzikowicz received the Loretta C. Ford Fellowship, given to a student entering the doctoral program in nursing who demonstrates the highest potential for academic and professional success.
16 NURSING 2018 Volume 1
Jahaira Capellen was the winner of the Jill Thayer Award, presented to the doctoral student whose research demonstrates a commitment to personalizing or enhancing access to health care. Denise Burgen was awarded the George Spencer Terry Jr. B’49 Fund in Nursing Entrepreneurship, given to a graduate student to support the design of innovative approaches to improve patient outcomes. Sheniece Griffin, a student in the Clinical Nurse Leader program, was honored with the Michele Unger Leadership Award.