| |
College
of Nursing celebrates 50th anniversary and Connelly Foundation endowment
 The
College of Nursing’s yearlong celebration of its 50th anniversary
culminated with festivities April 25 - 27. The events reflected the theme
of the anniversary—A Heritage of Distinction: Transforming Hearts
and Minds. One of the most notable moments came during the gala on April
26 when University President Rev. Edmund J. Dobbin, O.S.A. announced the
Connelly Foundation’s $4 million endowment of the College’s
initiatives to the nearly 450 guests. 1
This gift has resulted in the establishment of an endowed dean of the
College of Nursing. Dean M. Louise Fitzpatrick is the first to hold this
deanship. Her visionary leadership over the last 25 years was cited several
times during the celebration weekend. This portion of the endowment provides
the resources needed to enhance curriculum development, support professional
development of students and faculty, and greatly assist in keeping the
College’s programs responsive to the ever-changing and challenging
needs of the health care system and the profession.
The Connelly Foundation endowment will also be used to enhance technology
and laboratory equipment and to provide additional support to the Connelly-Delouvrier
Scholars Program for nursing students. The Connelly-Delouvrier Scholars
Program was established by the Connelly Foundation in 1999 to provide
international study opportunities for Villanova students. The nursing
scholars will be supported for both international experiences and multicultural
experiences in the United States.
This latest in a series of gifts to the University from the Connelly Foundation
was timed to mark the 50th anniversary of the founding of the College
of Nursing. During her remarks on behalf of the Foundation, established
in 1955 by her parents, the late John F. and Josephine C. Connelly, former
University trustee Emily C. Riley summarized the Foundation’s evaluation
of the College’s graduates, indicating that they are well-educated
and highly regarded.
As a token of the University’s gratitude, Father Dobbin presented
the Connelly Foundation with a crystal plaque, highlighting the vision
that the Foundation has shown in its support of the College. Father Dobbin
said this 50th anniversary celebration and the endowment reflect the leadership
of the College and the enormous impact of the College on the University.
He anticipated a “wholesome and rich future” for the College.
Fitzpatrick presented the 50th Anniversary College of Nursing Medallion
to the Foundation, thanking the Connelly Foundation for its understanding
of the needs and goals of nursing education, as well as the vital role
nurses play in society. Fitzpatrick described the endowment as representative
of the Foundation’s support of the values that motivate it as well
as the University and College, ultimately leading to positive influences
on patient care.
At the gala, the College also honored enduring partnerships with clinical
agencies, several of whom have been associated with the College of Nursing
since its founding. They received a crystal flame etched with the 50th
anniversary logo. Other organizations such as the Order of St. Augustine,
the United States Army, the United States Navy, and professional organizations
were similarly recognized for their support and longstanding relationship
with Villanova Nursing.
 Those
attending the gala viewed congratulatory letters, historical displays
and a commemorative oil painting of the late founding co-director Sr.
M. Alma Lawler, RSM. This painting, by the Rev. Richard G. Cannuli, O.S.A.
was donated to the College by the Nursing Alumni Society.
An anniversary Mass preceded the gala, with more than 20 priests concelebrating
with Father Dobbin. Sr. M. Margarella O’Neill, OSF, one of the founding
co-directors of the College, was in attendance. Members of the College’s
faculty, staff, students, and alumni participated in the Mass, as did
Campus Ministry and its pastoral musicians. In his homily, Father Dobbin
drew attention to the College’s anniversary theme. He said transforming
hearts and minds is at the core of the College of Nursing, describing
its alumni as skilled professionals and caring individuals who are recognized
as such around the world.
At the awards ceremony during Mass, Assistant Professor Elise Robinson
Pizzi was recognized for her 25 years of service. She was described by
Fitzpatrick as “an exemplar for her students and peers…an
excellent teacher and clinician.” Pizzi’s use of her expertise
in gerontology through teaching and service activities was cited as greatly
influencing the care of older adults.
The College also commissioned a unique 50th Anniversary Medallion to be
struck and presented to Dr. Donna Zimmaro Bliss. As Fitzpatrick stated,
“Nursing is a caring profession but it is also an intellectual pursuit—Donna
exemplifies both.” Bliss is an outstanding 1981 alumna of the undergraduate
program and is currently the Professor of Long-Term Care of Elders and
the Horace T. Morse-Alumni Association Distinguished Teacher, at the Center
for Nursing Research on Elders at the University of Minnesota. She is
recognized nationally and internationally for her teaching, clinical expertise,
scholarly publications, and well-funded research.
Alumni and friends of the College from around the country and the globe
also took part in a two-day conference by Villanovans, for Villanovans.
Titled “Advancing Nursing Scholarship, Education, and Leadership:
Fifty Years of Achievement,” the conference showcased alumni successes
in the area of research, clinical practice, management, nursing education,
and military and public service. A consistent theme heard throughout the
sessions was the solid preparation in knowledge, skill, and service that
each graduate received within the Villanova ethical framework. While they
have gone on to distinguished careers, it was their Villanova nursing
education and values that aided in their success.
The weekend-long celebration closed with a brunch sponsored by the Alpha
Nu Chapter of Sigma Theta Tau International, nursing’s honor society.
Alumna Brigadier General (Retired) Hazel Johnson-Brown, Ph.D., RN, FAAN,
former Chief, Army Nurse Corps and former University trustee spoke to
those assembled about her own career path, imparting the wisdom she gained
during many years of professional service in the military and later in
nursing education. Associate Professor Emerita Julia Paparella, a retired
Army Nurse Corps colonel, was honored for her military service and influence
on the development of the College of Nursing.
Each event attracted participants with varied backgrounds
and areas of expertise—weaving together a unique fabric of people
emblematic of the 50-year history of the College and those who have influenced
it. It also foretells the extraordinary future to come. Fitzpatrick has
described the last 50 years as “an odyssey of uninterrupted progress.”
As the College of Nursing develops its new doctoral program, creates new
opportunities for international study, and expands its programs at all
educational levels, it remains committed to its values and embraces its
future in shaping nursing, health care delivery, and our social fabric.
|
|
