We’re proud to present the second annual edition of our Alumni Newsletter. With this yearly publication, we will keep you informed on alumni, recent graduates, faculty and staff as well as news about your alma mater. Send us updates with your good news! Also, refer any RN’s who may be interested in our program. Students can enroll in the national online track from anywhere in the country!
Featured Graduate:
After being a nurse for 22 years, Beth Jacobs worried whether she would be a successful student if she returned to school. She questioned why having a course like Western Civilization would be helpful as a nurse and whether she could compete with younger students. Four years and 60 credits later, she finished the BSN-LINC Program with a nearly 4.0 average while taking online classes from her home in Ohio.
Beth visited campus for the first time to attend the graduation ceremony. During her stay, she shared how she highly recommends our program, mentioning how supportive the faculty and advisors have been. She realizes how the general education courses advanced her understanding of others and her ability to be a better nurse. Beth hopes to return to school for her Masters in the near future. Keep us posted Beth!
2009-2010 Grads:
Summer of 2009 – Charlotte Ahrens, Holly Barta, Sarah Cherek, and Jodi Space.
Fall of 2009 – Christina Almeida-Kerwin, Greg Barron, Tanya Comyne, Paual Ferron, Margaret Gerwels, Marcia Hermann, Susan Hilsabeck, Martha Krasean, Kimberly Krueger, Crystal Malakar, Kelly Marks, Diane Milson, Sarah Mueller, Ashley Novotny, Kimberly Oninski, Leana Peterson-Leaf, Stanley Sadenwasser, Todd Schmadl, Diane Schubert, Amber Seidler, Stacey Strong, CoraLeah VandenAvond and Valerie Verbist.
Spring of 2010 – Theresa Bilse-Kraft, Carol Cardamone, Chris Charlier, Christine Dahl, Molly Dahlke, Sara DeBauch, Nicole Fedele, Brian Gaspar, Crystal Guns, Stephanie Harju, Stacy Hartlaub, Diane Haszel, Janice Homer, Elizabeth Jacobs, Heather Kalm, Nicole Mann, Michelle Marg, Kim McAllister, Treena Messerschmidt, Jodi Romang, Susan Tebes, Kimberly Thiry, Janette Traurig and Sarah Welter. Congratulations to all of our graduates.
Faculty “Must Read” Recommendation:
This issue’s recommended article from faculty is: “How Nurses and Nurse Educators Are Using Social Media – From blogs to Twitter, social media can give nurses a greater voice” (May 2010) at: http://www.rwjf.org/pr/product.jsp?id=63768&cid=XEM_1186413
Congratulations to our 2009-2010 Scholarship Recipients:
- Gallagher Scholarship – Darcy Overmon; Jennifer Wilson
- Concerned Hearts Club Scholarship – Audra Kunesh
- NEWONS Scholarship – Kathryn Schuster
- Ruby Wolverton Scholarship – Bina Brandkamp
- Lorraine Noll Scholarship – Shreeja Joshi
- Loretta Wells Scholarship – Amy Zabel; Chanthorn Vu
Chancellor’s Medallion Awarded to a Nursing Graduate:
Crystalline Malakar was recognized as a Fall 2009 recipient of the Chancellor’s Medallion for academic excellence and leadership while at UW-Green Bay. Crystal is pictured below (left) with Dr. Vandenhouten (right) at an awards ceremony.
Travel trip to Mexico for students and alumni:
For a second consecutive year, the Professional Program in Nursing will offer RN to BSN students and alumni a travel course to Cuernavaca, Mexico. This 3 week travel course will run from December 27, 2010 – January 17, 2011 (including New Years Eve in Mexico!). Students will learn about Mexican culture and healthcare and take Spanish language immersion classes (tailored to your level of language proficiency). Language class will occur each morning. Afternoons will be spent with speakers and field trips related to culture and healthcare. Cuernavaca is a beautiful city, dubbed the City of Eternal Spring, for its temperate climate. It is located about 90 minutes from Mexico City.
There is no language requirement for this travel course. Alumni will need to complete an application as “Special Students” to take this course. All participants need to have passports. The exact cost and final details will be available soon. (Anticipated total cost is about $3000.) Contact Ruth Pearson (920-465-2826 or pearsonr@uwgb.edu) if you are interested in this exciting opportunity.
More International:
Drs. Derryl Block and Susan Gallagher-Lepak offered an online course in Spring with students from Universidad Nacional de Tumbes in Peru and UW-Green Bay. Communications were posted in both Spanish and English. (Thank goodness for “Google Translate”!) Another course will run Fall of 2010 titled “Nursing Diagnosis Across the Globe”. The course will feature guest instructor Heather Herdman, PhD., Executive Director of NANDA International. For information, please contact Jennifer Schwahn at schwahnj@uwgb.edu.
Drs. Janet Reilly and Susan Gallagher-Lepak travelled to Finland in May of 2009 as part of an interdisciplinary team from UW-Green Bay. They met with education and nursing professionals and hosted a group from Finland at UW-Green Bay in October, 2009. Discussions centered on international nursing and healthcare in Finland.
Faculty Notes:
- Dr. Derryl Block was named the Interim Dean of the School of Professional & Graduate Studies in July of 2009.
- Dr. Susan Gallagher-Lepak was named the Interim Chair of Nursing in July, 2009. She was promoted with tenure to Associate Professor in June, 2010.
- Dr. Mary Jo DeVillers was awarded the degree of Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D), from the Loyola University Chicago Nursing Program in July 2010.
- Dr. Christine Vandenhouten was elected to the National Board of Directors of the Association of Community Health Educators. She also presented at the June Annual Conference and serves as the editor of the web based members resource Innovative Teaching Strategies.
- Lecturer Brenda Tyczkowski is currently enrolled in the Doctorate of Nursing Practice Program at Kansas University Medical Center.
- Instructor Rebecca Hovarter received the APHN RNBC credentials after passing the ANCC Advanced Public Health Nurse exam in Fall of 2009.
- Dr. Mimi Kubsch: Our heartfelt condolences to Mimi whose husband passed away unexpectedly in December of 2009.
Alumni Updates:
Margie (Determann) Hale (2007) is completing her MBA/MSN Degree and is the Director of Nursing at Iowa City Ambulatory Surgical Center. Margie writes “UW-Green Bay certainly provided me with an edge over the other students in my masters program. I’m proud to have graduated from the UWGB nursing program.”
Andi (Vierck) Foley (2000) completed her MSN in 2008 from St. Joseph’s College in Maine. She returned to school for her CNS certificate from Florida Southern College and is an Education Specialist for Lakeland Regional Medical Center in Lakeland, FL.
Fay (Schmitz) Fritsch (2006) graduated from UW-Oshkosh, Family Nurse Practitioner Program and passed her APNP exam in summer of 2009. Fay is employed by Green Bay Emergency Medical Services.
Carol (Coapman) Miles (2006) continues to be active with Vital Links for Humanity, having been in Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam from June 1-16, 2010. The team from Vital Links delivered needed medical equipment, supplies and textbooks. They also secured grant funding for a new dining room for a handicapped orphanage and had three pharmacy students join them to present classes on Infection Control, Medication Safety and Medical Terminology. The students brought donated resuscitators and school supplies. Carol, keep up the good work!
Bernadette Simon (2003) recently came to campus as a volunteer for her daughter, Jennifer Wilson who is a current student in the Health Assessment Class instructed by Dr. Mimi Kubsch. Jennifer works at Bellin Hospital Maternity unit in Green Bay and has 3 children. Bernadette is a nursing supervisor at St. Vincent’s Hospital in Green Bay and has 22 grandchildren. Dr. Kubsch taught both mother and daughter. The three are pictured below, Bernadette (left), Jennifer (center) and Dr. Kubsch (right).
Published July, 2010
We want to hear from you: Please tell us of your professional accomplishments including new jobs, publications, successes at work, degrees after graduation, etc. Please send information updates to: nursing@uwgb.edu.
