THE OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY
COLLEGE OF NURSING

Earlier this month, we welcomed back to campus many of our Buckeye Nurse alumni for 2015 Homecoming Weekend. Perhaps you were among them!

This year we honored the Class of 1965. It was exciting to see so many of these graduates return to the college and to present them with their 50th year medallions. For some of our alumni, this was their first time back at OSU in 50 years! I also had the pleasure to meet a very special Buckeye Nurse – Betty Kruger – who earned her nursing degree in 1944. We had a great turnout at all of our events, and so many of you shared with me your excitement for all that we're doing here at the college. It was a very special weekend and I know many of us will look back on it with fond memories for years to come. Keep scrolling for more details on Homecoming and photos from the weekend!

I want to thank and recognize our awesome development team, who executed everything perfectly and made sure all events went smoothly. I'd also like to thank all of our faculty, staff, students and alumni who gave presentations and assisted with the festivities. It was a great team effort, and I'm reminded once again how terrific our College of Nursing truly is here at Ohio State. Our team and our alumni keep blazing trails in transforming health and transforming lives, locally to globally.

Go Bucks!

Fondly,

Bernadette Mazurek Melnyk, PhD, RN, CPNP/PMHNP, FAANP, FNAP, FAAN
Associate Vice President for Health Promotion
University Chief Wellness Officer
Dean and Professor, College of Nursing
Professor of Pediatrics & Psychiatry, College of Medicine
The Ohio State University

Buckeye Nurses welcomed "home" for Homecoming

Nearly 250 nursing alumni returned to campus for Homecoming 2015. Festivities kicked off with a breakfast and tour of the New James Cancer Hospital, and concluded with a tailgate brunch at Newton Hall before the Bucks took on the Terrapins. In between, alumni and guests enjoyed tours of the college's Technology Learning Complex, a continuing education session on the Million Hearts® initiative, Dean Melnyk's State of the College address, a healthy cooking demonstration and an all-class alumni social. The Class of 1965 was also invited to a reunion luncheon hosted by the college, and a special celebration of the 50-year class hosted by President Drake. See photos from Homecoming on Flickr.

Nursing students earn OSU Student Innovator Award

Five graduate entry students from the College of Nursing are the recipients of Ohio State's 2015 Student Innovator of the Year award. This award recognizes innovation and entrepreneurship among university students that has contributed to the development or commercialization of a new technology. Our students were selected for developing a mobile app called "MobileYou" that provides Columbus' underserved populations with free, confidential, easy access to community resources such as food pantries, healthcare, mental health services, shelters, transportation and more. Congratulations to Sarah-Jane Baserman, Megan Miller-Lloyd, Phillip Newman, Stephanie Ritchie and Hayley Townsend on this well-deserved honor.

Scholarship reception honors donors, recipients

The CON recently hosted its annual Scholarship Reception which honored scholarship donors and student recipients. Five new scholarships have been created since 2014 and 135 students were awarded more than $500,000 in scholarships for the 2015-16 academic year. View photos from the event on Flickr.

Alumni Society Award winners announced

During Homecoming Weekend, four CON graduates were recognized and honored by their peers. Congratulations to the recipients of this year's Nursing Alumni Society Awards: Adele Webb (MSN '85), John C. Welch (BSN '03), Denise Minor (DNP '11) and Jeri A. Milstead (BSN '75, MSN '76). Read more about each of our winners here.

Pickler joins college as new endowed professor

The college welcomes new faculty Rita H. Pickler, who has joined us as the first-ever endowed FloAnn Sours Easton Professor of Child and Adolescent Health. Pickler is also director of the PhD and MS in Nursing Science programs. Previously, she was a nurse scientist at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center. She has more than 30 years of clinical, teaching and research experience. Her studies focus on effective strategies for preterm infant care as well as women in the prenatal period, particularly the effect of maternal well-being on pregnancy outcomes.

New leadership in Academic Affairs

The college is pleased to announce that faculty Oralea Pittman has been named the new director of the on-campus Family Nurse Practitioner graduate specialty track. This transition occurred following the retirement of Lissa Barker.

Brion receives leadership award

Congratulations to faculty John Brion, who recently received the Frank Lamendola Achievement Award for Nursing Leadership in HIV Care from the Association of Nurses in AIDS Care (ANAC). Brion is an associate clinical professor and director of the colleges Graduate Entry Program. He was honored at the ANAC National Conference in October.

Fitzgerald named Transcultural Nurse Scholar

Associate clinical professor Lizzie Fitzgerald was named a Transcultural Nurse Scholar and will be inducted in November at the Transcultural Nursing Society Annual Conference. Fitzgerald was honored for her work helping refugees and ethnic minorities in the United States, as well as her mentorship of and assistance to foreign healthcare practitioners.

Jeri A. Milstead, PhD, RN, NEA-BC, FAAN

OSU degrees: Bachelor of Science in Senior Nurse Consultant (self-employed); Dean and Professor Emerita (retired), University of Toledo College of Nursing

Professionally, I am most proud of my book, Health Policy and Politics: A Nurse's Guide, which is now in its fifth edition. I believe it has had an impact on the nurse profession in a very real way.

Interesting fact: I make baby comforters for family and friends (and children and grandchildren now). The recipients choose the colors and a theme and I create a comforter with the baby's name and other items (hearts, animals, etc.) satin-stitched across the top. I've done this for more than 30 years.

October is Cancer Prevention Month

Did you know you can lower your risk of cancer by staying physically active and eating a healthy diet? Read more.

Want more wellness? Check out the latest issue of Get up and MOVE – no-nonsense health advice from our dean and Ohio State's chief wellness officer, Bern Melnyk.

10/28

HireOhio Career Fair

Meet with recruiters from leading employers and network with area alumni at this alumni-only career fair, hosted by Ohio State. Click here for details.

10/30

Virtual Speed Networking

This monthly series provides a unique opportunity to connect with people from a variety of different industries. Learn more or register here.

11/6

Virtual Networking for Women

OSUAA will host a one-hour virtual networking event exclusively for women alumni. Register here.

11/12

James Cancer Hospital Discussion + Tour

Join OSUAA for a behind-the-scenes discussion of the James Cancer Hospital from Dr. Ted Teknos, followed by a private tour. To register or learn more, click here.