The College of Nursing is proud to celebrate the outstanding achievements of its distinguished alumni, faculty, students, and mentors.
UMD College of Nursing Distinguished Alumni
Barbara L. Brush, PhD, APRN, BC, FAAN, is Associate Professor, Division of Health Promotion & Risk Reduction, University of Michigan School of Nursing. Her research interests include, nursing history, nurse migration, nurse workforce policy, primary care to homeless populations and substance abuse and transitional care. She received her BS in Nursing from UMD in 1979.
Dr. Karen Dick received her BS from UMD. She is the Graduate Program Director at the University of Massachusetts Boston College of Nursing and Health Sciences, coordinates the Adult/Gerontological NP tract and teaches classroom and online courses specific to primary care of adults/older adults. Her research interests are focused on advanced practice nursing care of elders across acute, community, institutional, and home settings. Dr. Dick practices as an NP at Orchard Cove, a continuing care retirement community which is part of Hebrew Senior Life
Brigadier General Marie Fields, RN, MS, received her bachelor's degree from UMD. Ms. Fields is the highest ranking woman to serve in the Massachusetts Air National Guard. Ms. Fields' biography: http://www.ngb.army.mil/ngbgomo/library/bio/219.htm
Karen Hughes, RN, BS from UMD, recently stepped down as VP for Nursing at New England Sinai Hospital, Stoughton, MA to pursue her interest in electronic health records.
Peggy Matteson, Ph.D., RN, MS, is Professor and Chair at Salve Regina University. Dr. Matteson's research interests include faith based community nursing and its role and implementation as well as patient outcomes. She also is interested in community-based nursing education and service learning in the health professions. Dr. Matteson received her BS in Nursing from UMD.
Dr. Susan F. Pierce is Interim Dean University of North Carolina Wilmington. Dr. Pierce is a diploma grad from Union Hospital in 1969; BS from UMD in 1973; MS from UNC Chapel Hill in 1975 and PhD in education in 1990. She has been a college faculty member for 30 years. She was the Department Chair and Associate Dean at University of North Carolina Chapel Hill and now is Interim Dean of Nursing at UNC Wilmington.
Deborah L. Toffey, RN, CLC, is a recipient of the 2008 SouthCoast President's Award for Excellence. The award recognized approximately 12 individuals, and one team, for outstanding performance, culture behaviors, and overall quality of services provided. Ms. Toffey received her BS degree from UMD.
Collaborators, Advisory Board Members, and Active CON Alumni
We are very fortunate to have numerous nursing graduates, mentors, advisory board members, and others from the community who actively support our success in the CON. All of these individuals have very impressive careers themselves, but they still take the time to help with the development of our students. Some of these include JoAnn Rapoza, Lois Spirlet, Joan Vitello, Carol Billington, Stephanie DeMello, Diane Blier, Ann Marie Berube, Michelle Hecht DeBest, Janine Fontaine, LaDonna Christian, Kathleen Silveira, Nancy Simbro, David Ramos, Christine Napier, Wendy LaJoie, Tami O'Neil, Victoria Greco, Margaret Marchand, Barbara McLeod, Maureen Conboy and Cindy Carreiro.
Faculty Success
Our faculty continue to be productive members of the academic community and are also actively involved in many community endeavors. Some recent attributions of their success include:
Associate Dean Sharon Sousa On September 25. 2009, Dr. Sousa received one of three Outstanding Alumni Awards from Johnson State College, in Johnson, Vermont. The award is presented to alumni who have achieved outstanding accomplishments in their careers and lives, whether in social services, business, or community service.
Prof. Donna Amaral teaches a section of the Psychiatric/Mental Health clinical course, recently participated in a Mission for Humanity in Tanzania, Africa. Donna funded this trip through her winnings in a "rubber duck" race for charity, in which her duck won. She assisted people with general health assessments and the distribution of medicines and medical supplies.
Prof. Marianne Barba was recently selected as a winner of the 2008 / AORN Journal / Writers Contest.
In Dec 08, Dr. Kimberly Christopher completed a four-year term on the Oncology Nursing Society's Steering Council. Dr. Christopher served 3-years as a Council member and the final year as Council Chair. The Steering Council is charged with implementing the Strategic Goals of the ONS Board of Directors. ONS is the largest oncology organization in the world.
Prof. Kathleen Elliott, a full-time nursing lecturer at UMD and adult nurse practitioner, joined the Adult Medicine Department of the Greater New Bedford Community Health Center.
In February 2008, Dr. Kerry Fater, as Principle Investigator, was awarded a grant from the Nurse of the Future Committee of the Massachusetts Department of Higher Education. The purpose of the grant was two-fold: to conduct an analysis of the undergraduate nursing program relative to proposed competencies for nursing practice and, based on those findings, to develop a curriculum plan in support of essential competencies in the undergraduate program. Dr Fater also earned Certified Nurse Educator recognition by the National League for Nursing in 2007.
Prof. Kathleen Flanagan received the Salve Regina University Alumni Achievement Award in June 2008. She is also Associate Director of the Michael H. Flanagan Foundation. The mission of the Foundation is to provide support to patients undergoing bone marrow transplants and treatment for leukemia. The Foundation has made possible the establishment of a Family Room on the Bone Marrow Unit at Tuft's Medical Center. In addition, the Foundation provides grants to those in need and gives a specially designed Comfort Bag to each patient.
In February 2008, Dr. Jeanne Leffers received the 2008 Simmons College School of Health Sciences Distinguished Alumna Award. In December, 2008, she was invited to the Oracle Meeting of Nurses with Environmental Health expertise and was subsequently named to the Steering Committee of the Alliance of Nurses for a Healthy Environment. In October 2008, Dr. Leffers was named to the Sigma Theta Tau International Serving Learning Task Force. In August 2008, she was named to the Health Volunteers Overseas Nursing Education Steering Committee. From 2005-2009, Dr. Leffers was on the Executive Board of Directors for the Association of Community Health Educators, the national organization for Community/Public Health nursing educators.
Dr. Mary McCurry was recently inducted into the Yvonne L. Munn Nursing Research Center, at Massachusetts General Hospital, as a Faculty Nurse Scientist.
On May 7, 2009, Dr. Gail Russell received the "Living Legend" award from New England Sinai Hospital at the Nurse Recognition Day Ceremonies.
In March, 2009, Dr. Russell received a promotion to Full Professor, effective September 1, 2009. This achievement reflects her sustained record of achievements in teaching, scholarship and professional activities, university service, and public service. In February, 2009, she was approved as a grant reviewer for Health Resources and Services Administration. In April, 2009, Dr. Russell was inducted into the Teacher's College Columbia University Hall of Fame.
Dr. Sonja Peterson received an appointment, by Governor Deval L. Patrick, to the Board of Trustees for Taunton State Hospital, for a three year term (until February 8, 2012).
Drs. Kristen Sethares and Kathryn Gramling have been accepted for publication (Summer, 2009): "A Retrospective Analysis of 'Being With' Angela Using Halldorsdottir’s Model." International Journal for Human Caring.
Dr. Sharon Sousa is co-founder and Advisory Board President of SouthCoast Compeer which is a local chapter of Compeer International (www.compeer.org) , an award-winning and evidence-based program that brings the healing power of friendship to the treatment of mental illness. This chapter serves Fall River, New Bedford, Taunton, and the surrounding towns.
Graduates of UMD who have become superb faculty members in the College of Nursing
Elizabeth Chin, PhD(c) (MS from UMD)
Kathleen Elliott, MS (Post-MS ANP from UMD)
Maria Grungo, MS (MS from UMD)
Susan Hunter, PhD (MS from UMD)
Mary McCurry, PhD (MS from UMD)
Kristen Sethares, PhD (BS from UMD)
Mary Beth Sosa, MS (MS from UMD)
Student Success
Peer Health Educators
Congratulations to the UMass Dartmouth Peer Health Educators, who were recently awarded the Outstanding Peer Education Group-Area 10 by the Bacchus Network. The Bacchus Network is a non-profit organization whose mission is to promote student and young adult-based, campus and community-wide leadership on healthy and safe lifestyle decisions concerning alcohol abuse, tobacco use, illegal drug use, unhealthy sexual practices and other high-risk behaviors.
CON freshmen Chi Onujiogou and Angelica Royer, have been training to become volunteers at the Beacon Hospice, in Fall River.
In January, 2009, Alan Robert found his father lying unconscious on the bedroom floor. He dialed 911, applied CPR until the ambulance arrived, and probably saved his father's life. (Alan's long-term nursing plans include training to become a nurse anesthetist.)
George Henry Aulson IV is a 2008 graduate and founding member of the Peer Health Education program. Mr. Aulson was awarded with Outstanding Peer Education Alumnus-Area 10.
The UMass Dartmouth Peer Health Educators for the 2008-2009 academic year
- Abena Asafo-Adjaye
- Lance Bard
- Kelly Boehm
- Jaime Conlon
- Chris Dinan
- Mairobi Hansen
- Matt Hoyt
- Tori Labate
- Jenn Masztal
- Angela Pagliuca
- Loan Pham
- Dora Phomsopha
- Pat Raymond
- Sylvia Rodrigues
- Katie Scanlon
Current Students
Our students are engaged in vital ways in both the academic and service learning environments. Evidence of their success includes:
Daniel Simoneau and Laura Massa, undergraduate students, volunteered for more than two years, with Professor Kathleen Elliott, at Saint Luke's Ambulatory Clinic and at the Greater New Bedford Health Center. They recently developed three teaching videos in Spanish, Portuguese and English. These videos include educational materials about nutrition and exercise. Dan Simoneau recruited other students to write the scripts, translate, and then shoot these videos. Lisa Furtado and Laura Massa now use these videos to help patients understand the importance of a healthy lifestyle.
Numerous CON students participate in Compeer, a service learning program at UMD. One nursing student, Nicole DeMello, has participated in Compeer for several semesters, visiting individuals in group homes and also volunteering with her Compeer friend in a one-on-one relationship.
Jenna Bristol serves as the President of the MaSNA (statewide chapter), as well as the president of our CON SNA. She has represented us at the national mid-year NSNA meeting in Reno, Nevada and will attend the annual NSNA meeting in Nashville in April. Both Jenna and Laura Massa have also represented the student perspective, in academics, by participating at the CON Faculty Organization meetings.
Laura Macomber, MS student, won the Spirit of Nursing Award, at Morton Hospital, in 2006.
Mentors
We extend our appreciation to the following RN's who have served as mentors, to our seniors, during the Spring of 2009:
Lisa Mollo, Kate Callahan, Michelle Sorrentino, Kristine Carlo, Shannon Rounsville, Kristina Wickman, Cindy Shaughnessy, Sharon Wong, Karen Alves, Karen Duff, Diane Daponte, Sharlene Furtado, Jennifer Santos, Donna Estrella, Alison Bilodeau, Lisa Camara, Kristen Talbot, Jennifer Velverde-Reilly, Monica Vest-Paris, John Accord, Lora Bemiss, Pauline Desimone, Angela Oliveira, Nancy Daponte, Stacey Costa, Jeanne Deware, Jessica Osuch, Bethany Swanson, Stephanie Reuter, Allison Sansone, Danielle McDowell, Kelly O’Leary, Rachelle Hanna, Ella Rakowski, Nancy Caruso, Julia Namon, Georgette Azar, Patrick Kelley, Amy Williams, Dawn Gonnelli, Nicole Nerinckx, Martin Going, Jean Ann Helger, Jennifer Brioc, Barbara Bose, Christine Veary, Amy Carroll, Cheryl McDavitt, Ana Whyte, Annabelle Puniello, Kim Murdock, Veronica Auslander, Diana Simoes, Dale Rutkowski, Laura Eckert, Erin Douglas, Andrea Henriques, Andrea Hodge, Clara Regan, Christine Silva, Tara Comeau, Lissa Fontaine, Jennifer Guillotte, Sarah Allen, Julie Seguin, Susan Netinho, Wanye Westcott, Terry Demedeiros, Francis V. Weaver, Terry Brum, Eunice Estoque, Stacey Cooper, Lydia George, Nellie Tomer, Phyllis Kowal, Tori Landolfi, Barbara Gendron, Lisa Platt, Kelly Baker, Scilla Brum, Beth Sturtevant, Erika Bento, and Nikki Braddock.
