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January 2024

A New Year's Message from Dean George

Happy New Year! I hope you enjoyed a joyous holiday season with family and friends.


I am honored to announce that 2024 marks the 45th anniversary of the Christine E. Lynn College of Nursing. As we look back over the years, it is remarkable to see how much we have accomplished. We have experienced and enabled countless success stories of students and faculty, and I am deeply grateful to all who have been encouraging of our work and community initiatives.


Last year brought some noteworthy achievements, most recently the opening a new simulation center on FAU’s Davie campus. Access to new technologies will greatly help to prepare students for real-world practice in an ever-changing, complex health care system.


The demands of health care require detailed attention to our academic programs such as updating curriculum, as needed, to ensure students are trained in the latest standards of professional nursing education.


As we kick off the year, I look forward to more exceptional things to come in 2024. Thank you for your continued support of our outstanding college that is grounded in caring science. Here’s to a happy, healthy and prosperous new year!



Dean Safiya George

New Simulation Learning Laboratory Opens on Davie Campus

Dean Safiya George, together with FAU President Stacy Volnick and other university leadership members, officially opened the new Advanced Nursing Simulation and Clinical Learning Laboratory on the Davie campus on Dec. 18. College of Nursing faculty, staff and students gave presentations and demonstrations of the high-fidelity simulators, highlighting the lab's key features. The state-of-the-art lab will give students the high-tech and high-touch skills to help improve patient outcomes in their future nursing careers. Read More

Portrait of Philanthropist Holli Rockwell Trubinsky Unveiled

Dean Safiya George had the pleasure of unveiling the new portrait of Holli Rockwell Trubinsky, philanthropist and former Christine E. Lynn College of Nursing Advisory Board member, on Dec. 12. The portrait honors the transformational estate pledge of $10 million from Holli Rockwell Trubinsky and her husband Joseph Trubinsky to establish the Holli Rockwell Trubinsky Eminent Dean in Nursing.


The Rockwell Trubinsky Estate Gift provides the esteemed dean of nursing with resources to effectively respond to the changing needs of nurses and help transform the dynamic landscape of health care. Additionally, the gift will help sustain excellence in leadership in the college and create a positive and significant impact on the nursing profession. Read More

Fall 2023 College of Nursing Pinning Ceremonies

Florida Atlantic University’s Christine E. Lynn College of Nursing hosted the fall pinning ceremonies for the Accelerated BSN and Second Degree Part-time BSN for Working Professionals tracks on Dec. 14 on the Boca Raton campus. The traditional pinning ceremony symbolizes the start of the students' nursing careers, which the new graduates celebrated with friends and families. Michelle De Vera, Second Degree Part-time BSN Davie campus graduate and Katie Vecchio, Accelerated BSN Boca Raton campus graduate, gave motivational speeches during the events. View Photos


Congratulations to the following fall semester award recipients:

Scholarship

Undergraduate: Giovanny Cherry, Dawn Sutton, Nicole Ramos, Monica Caprio, Lature Allen


Leadership

Undergraduate: Parker Prieschl-Richardon, Mary Saul, Alejandro Castro, Sergei Solomatin

Graduate: Sophie Lanter, Nicole Graziano


T. Touhy Caring in Gerontological Nursing

Graduate: Karrah Barrett

Clinical Excellence

Undergraduate: Amy Averhoff-Laurenceau, Katherine Hernandez, Lature Allen

Graduate: Nikia Phillips, Abbigail Oliver, Abbigail Klein


Caring Award

Lauren Gayoso, Caroline Chica, Jayda Brown, Rabia Javed, Jamie Ramirez


Student News

Last chance to finalize your spring 2024 class schedule! Classes began on Saturday, Jan. 6. Check the schedule and register here.

Florida Atlantic University offices will be closed, and no classes will be held on Monday, Jan. 15, in observance of Martin Luther King, Jr.'s birthday.

If you are interested in learning more about our Freshman Direct Admit track, a full-time four-year program for currently enrolled high school seniors preparing to enter FAU in the fall, join the Freshman Direct information session on Wednesday, Jan. 17, from 3 to 4 p.m. Click here to register

The Graduate College will host a virtual Graduate Information Session on Thursday, Jan. 18, from 5 to 6:30 p.m. This session will include information regarding financial aid, test preparation and graduate admissions. Learn more and register for the event here.

An Accelerated BSN track information session will be held on Tuesday, Jan. 23, from 2 to 3:30 p.m. This limited-access four-semester program is a fast track to a professional nursing career. Sign up for the event here.

The College of Nursing Career Fair will take place on Tuesday, Feb. 6, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the college's Atrium, Boca Raton campus. This is a great opportunity for students to practice answering interview questions, network with college clinical partners and meet with FAU Career Center advisors. There will also be a photo booth set up to take professional photos.

Students, faculty and staff are invited to attend the Breezeway Dialogue "Whose Knowledge Is of Most Worth?" on Wednesday, Feb. 7, from 12:30 to 2 p.m. in the Social Science Rotunda (SO-44), Boca Raton campus. Dr. Joy Longo will be one of the event debaters. Read More

The FAU Career Center can help you discover the keys to unlocking your professional potential! Their award-winning staff is always ready to share valuable resources, expert insights, success stories and engaging activities to help you navigate your career journey. Make an appointment today or view the latest jobs in Handshake.

Two FAU College of Nursing Ph.D. students, Ibtisam Almashni and Jamilah Fallatah, virtually presented their posters at the 2023 National Center for Gerontological Nursing Excellence Annual Conference. Both students graduated from their programs in December 2023.

Congratulations to our fall graduates who received their diplomas on Dec. 15! Welcome to the Florida Atlantic University Alumni family!

Alumna Spotlight: Jany Guedes

Learn more about Jany Guedes, a new DNP College of Nursing graduate. Currently, she's completing a CCNE-accredited Mental Health Nurse Practitioner Residency Program at the Malcom Randall Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Gainesville, FL. She pursued this residency following her DNP program so she can specialize in veteran-focused care in her nursing career. Read More

News and Events

Faculty, staff and students! Check your email for Wellness Sessions this semester facilitated by Dr. Miriam Ismail, professional development and self-improvement coach, and Drs. Laurie Martinez and Dawn Hawthorne. The sessions include areas such as breath work, meditation, energy healing, mindfulness exercises, healing modalities and holistic and wellness topics.

Nursing is more than a job – it’s a calling. The Lamplighter and While Coat scholarships were created to help our aspiring students afford the extra costs required to study nursing. Supporting these students will help them achieve their full potential for academic success. The Lamplighter Reception will be held on Wednesday, Jan. 24 in the college Atrium on the Boca Raton campus. To support scholarships in nursing, contribute here!

Dean Safiya George and Drs. Lisa Wiese and Sareen Gropper delivered presentations at the Rotary Club of Boca Raton meeting on Dec. 6. Their talk covered important topics such as nutrition, brain health, Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias and the benefits of lifelong learning.

Together with Dean Safiya George, several faculty attended the Nursing Consortium of South Florida conference on "Clinical Excellence: Caring to Provide the Best in Patient Care" on Dec. 8, in Pembroke Pines. Read More

Dr. Christine Toledo represented the College of Nursing at the 10th annual Holiday Homestead/Florida City WIC Health and Resource Fair on Dec. 9. The college was pleased to support this event in the South Dade community, which provides food, free toys and books for children, as well as resources and education on nutrition, health, safety and wellness.

Thanks to our outstanding alumni who attended the Toast to the Grads and FAU vs. FIU men’s basketball watch party on Dec. 13! College of Nursing Alumni Network Co-President Marva Harris was also there to congratulate our graduating nurses. Go Owls!

Thank you to all who contributed to this year's holiday gift drive for Boca Helping Hands. On behalf of the organization, Suzan Javizian, director of administrative services, was grateful for the many donations and generous support. The gifts were delivered to children throughout the community on Dec. 18.

The College of Nursing is accepting applications for its Accelerated BSN track on FAU's Davie campus for the fall 2024 admission cycle. The Bachelor of Science in Nursing Accelerated track (BSN) is specifically designed for the student with a baccalaureate degree in another field who wants to become a Registered Nurse. Deadline to apply is Monday, March 4. Learn More

Research News

Dr. Ruth Tappen and her team, including Drs. Maria Ortega and David Newman, have been awarded $350,000 from the Florida Department of Health’s Ed and Ethel Moore Alzheimer’s Disease Research Program for their grant proposal titled “Online Screening for Older Drivers with Cognitive Decline.” This project is expected to run from March 1, 2024 through February 28, 2027.

 

The purpose of the Ed and Ethel Moore Alzheimer’s Disease Research Program is to fund research leading to prevention of, or a cure for, Alzheimer’s disease by pursuing the following goals: 1) Improve the health of Floridians by researching better prevention and diagnoses of, and treatments and cures for Alzheimer’s disease; 2) Expand the foundation of knowledge relating to the prevention, diagnosis, treatment and cure of Alzheimer’s disease, and 3) Stimulate economic activity in Florida in areas related to Alzheimer’s disease research.



Faculty and Staff

The College of Nursing welcomed new faculty members during orientation on Wednesday, Jan. 10 at the Boca Raton campus. Administrative leaders participated in meetings with new faculty throughout the day, as well as a luncheon.

Submissions are now open for the second annual Authors & Artist event. Sponsored by the FAU Libraries and the Provost’s Office, FAU faculty and staff are invited to submit their work published during the previous school year (July 2022 to June 2023). All participating authors and artists will be celebrated during the Monday, Feb. 12 event. The deadline to submit is Monday, Jan. 22. Learn More

Faculty and staff gathered on Dec. 13 for the college's annual holiday luncheon and to celebrate the distinguished 30-year career of Professor Dr. Shirley Gordon. Many speeches, tributes and even a special song were enjoyed by all throughout the event. Congratulations on your retirement, Dr. Gordon! View Photos

Dr. Lynne Palma has been appointed the Director of the DNP program. Dr. Palma has over 20 years of experience as a registered nurse in medical surgical, ICU, and operative settings and over 22 years of experience as an advanced practice registered nurse in primary care settings.

Dr. Nancy Harris has been appointed the Director of MSN NP Concentration. In this role, Dr. Harris will oversee the MSN NP FNP concentration to assure compliance with CCNE and NONPF standards.

Welcome Agrippina Fadel as the College of Nursing’s new Marketing and Communications Specialist. Agrippina, formerly with FAU Libraries, started her new position on Jan. 8. She has experience developing and managing promotional activities for various academic departments.

Louisana Louis joined the College of Nursing in January as a Visiting Associate Professor and Pipeline Coordinator.

Mary Stone-Duffy and Juan Amado joined the FAU/NCHA Community Health Center as Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioners.


Welcome to the following new College of Nursing staff:


  • Parool Desai, Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner, FAU/NCHA Community Health Center
  • Rosson Wiebe, Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner, FAU/NCHA Community Health Center
  • Debbie Gardener, Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner, FAU/NCHA Community Health Center


In the Media

Dr. Rebecca Koszalinski was interviewed by the Fort Myers News-Press for an article about Florida's toxic algae and the possible health risks for the state's citizens (Dec. 15, 2023). Read More


The latest issue of Florida Atlantic magazine is now available online and features many articles about the latest initiatives and research taking place in the College of Nursing. Read More

Faculty Publications

PEER-REVIEWED PAPERS:


*Pratt, B. A., Krause-Parello, C. A., Nguyen-Feng, V. N., Giordano, N. A., Basin, S. B., Peterson, A. L., Walsh, P., Siebert, A. Q., Ruiz, R., Kirkland, D. M., & Nolan, J. P., Jr (2023). Mission Alliance Community Engagement Project: Exploring the Impact of COVID-19 on Social Isolation, Loneliness, Mental Health and Wellbeing in Veterans. Journal of Community Health, 10.1007/s10900-023-01314-5. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10900-023-01314-5


*Suriaga, A., Tappen, R., & Newman, D. (2023). The associations of opioid use in gun-related fatalities among older decedents in Florida. Innovation in Aging, 7(S1), 834. https://doi.org/10.1093/geroni/igad104.2690


*#Wiese, L., Williams, I., Holt, J., Williams, C., Lingler, J., Galvin, J., & Schoenberg, N.E. Testing the “Faith Moves Mountains Model” to Increase Alzheimer’s Disease Awareness, Detection, and Diagnosis among Rural, Racially and Ethnically Diverse Older Adults. Aging and Mental Health, 10.1080/13607863.2023.2294062 PMID: 38127408


(* = data-based, # = Caring Science)

Employment Opportunities



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