UNC Wilmington School of Nursing Newsletter Volume 4, Issue 4 Post Graduation Issue May 2011 Editor: Sandra O’Donnell ([email protected]) Production: Debra Simpson ([email protected]) Inside this issue: Greetings from the Director Greetings from the Dean pg. 1 On April 18, The School of Nursing (SON) held a celebration in the nam- Unveiling of Building Name pg. 1 ing dedication for SON – McNeill Hall. Greetings were offered by Board Notable Recognition pg. 2 of Trustees Chair Wendy Murphy, Chancellor Rosemary DePaolo and me. Several members of the McNeill families were present to join the celebra- May 2011 Graduates pg. 3 tion. Notable Achievements pg. 4 On May 13, the Graduation Recognition and Awards Ceremony was held HESI Test Results pg. 4 to honor 47 BSN Graduates, 23 Clinical Research graduates, 24 RN-BSN Simulation Learning Center pg. 5 graduates and two MSN-Nurse Educator graduates. This is the largest First Lady of South Africa pg. 5 graduating class in the history of SON. Research Day pg. 6 Applicants interested in applying to RN-BSN and MSN programs continues to be robust. For the fall 2011 class, 58 applicants applied for the RN-BSN program and there were 48 AAMN pg. 6 accepted. There were 55 applicants who applied for the MSN Program. Eight applicants EL Salvador Experience pg. 6 applied to the Post Master’s program. Due to limited faculty resources only 31 applicants Summer Programs pg. 7 were offered seats. Coastal House Fundraiser pg. 7 SON has had a very productive and successful year with many accomplishments from stu- Artist William Hubbard pg. 7 dents and faculty. International Travel pg. 7 Upcoming Dates: School of Nursing Facility: McNeill Hall May 17 - 18: Transfer student ori- In appreciation for the generous gift of the entation and advising John “Sandy” McNeill Jr. and Ronald B. Aug. 15: Academic year begins “Ronnie” McNeill families, the School of Aug. 15: Faculty Council, 8:30-10 Nursing facility was named McNeill Hall. a.m., McNeill Hall 1051 During a special ceremony on April 18, the name on the School of Nursing’s newly con- Aug. 22: UNCW Convocation, 10 structed facility was unveiled with several a.m., Trask Coliseum dignitaries, university administration, fac- Aug. 22: Pre-licensure Council, ulty and students present on this joyous McNeill Hall 1031 occasion. Aug. 24: Fall classes begin Sept. 1: UNCW faculty meeting Please submit items of interest, calendar events, notable achievements, community events and questions you may have for our faculty and staff to our editorial/production staff: Sandy O’Donnell or Debra Simpson. Page 2 Volume 4, Issue 4 Notable Recognition: Carol Heinrich and Kae Livsey have received an Engaged Teaching Fellow Grant from the UNCW Center for Teaching Excel- lence to conduct an intervention with high risk adolescents. The project will include use of a graduate student to work with undergraduate students during their community health clinical rotations to provide self esteem classes to adolescents at the Boys and Girls Home in Columbus County. Soo Kim Godwin and Carol Highsmith have received an Engaged Teaching Fellow Grant from the UNCW Center for Teaching Excellence to continue development of a project with the Wilmington Housing Authority for students to conduct home visits with clients living in Wilmington Housing Communities. The program, led by Highsmith, was piloted as part of the community health clinical placements this spring. Community health faculty Soo Kim Godwin, Kae Livsey, Debbie Ezzell and Carol Highsmith have received a $12,000 grant from the J. Richard Corbett Foundation to extend research on the simulation experience to include use of student peer evaluators. Kae Livsey has been invited to serve as project manager/editor for the development of a new teaching product. The three year project includes development of a new Essentials in Community Health textbook with extensive electronic learning resources and activities. Soo Kim Godwin received the CTE Summer Pedagogy Development Initiative 2011 Award. Roberta Allred received the Engaged Teaching Fellows Proposal for 2011-12 from the Center for Teaching Excellence. The grant for her proposal, entitled “Puppets: Service-Learning Strategy to Teach Health Promotion to Children,” will provide the funds to purchase puppets and the puppet stage used to conduct health promotion shows at the Head Start facility in Wilming- ton. Lolita Bryant, MSN-NE candidate and May ’11 graduate, was the recipient of the 2011 M.A.D. (Making a Difference) to North Carolina Award. The M.A.D. contest is designed to honor and acknowledge the important role of graduate students at UNCW. Students are recognized for contributions that add to the value of the region, state and beyond. Bryant’s poster, Efficacy of a Postpartum Depression Module: An Evaluation of Web-Based Learning for Maternal-Child Registered Nurses, was on display dur- ing the 2011 Graduate Student Research Symposium which was attended by Board of Trustee members during their April visit. Notable Recognition: Recipients of the Spring 2011 School of Nursing Awards Excellence Award: Presented to a student with a minimum overall cumulative GPA of 3.25, outstanding clinical performances and nominated from students and faculty with final endorsement by the faculty: Pre-licensure: William Mallory, May ’11 RN/BS: Maria Stout, May ’11 Clinical Research: Ashley Hodges, May ’11 Laura Fields, May ’11 Achievement Award: Presented to the student who demonstrates growth and mastery of concepts and practices in nursing, util- izes resources effectively to develop potential and takes initiative for personal learning growth: Pre-licensure: Katherine Schultheis, May ’11 Erica Walsh, May ’12 MSN - NE: Lolita Bryant, May ’11 Clinical Research: Kayla Lee, May ’11 Keri Roberts, May ’12 MSN - NE: Debra Price, May ’11 Outstanding Alumni of the Year: Leah Greer (BSN, May ’03) Leslie Collier (MSN-NE, May ’06) Outstanding Faculty of the Year: Melissa Aselage Pictured right are the 2011 nursing graduates Volume 4, Issue 4 Page 3 Congratulations to the May Class of 2011! MSN Graduates Nurse Educator Lolita Bennett Bryant Debra Bollinger Price BS Graduates RN/BS Megan Brooke Andrews Gina Rountree McKim Michelle Nicole Spiccioli Gwendolyn Arlene Baldwin Sara Marie Patrie Misty Britt Stone Heather Michelle Bates Catherine Mary Piner Maria Luisa Stoute Shernika Smith Cobbs Ann Marie Pratt Angela Parker Swank Samantha Lynn Gifford Sandra Dee Queen Susan Bell Thompson Joann Hayes Hannah Kellie M Reid Leslie Morris Tickle Therese Watkins Hayes Hope Rebecca Shuping Ashley Diane Watts Clinical Research Ashley Cherrell Baldwin Laura Davidson Fields Kayla Dawnn Lee Kellie White Bemelmans Karen Louise Hancock Jennifer Laura Mauney Brittany Nicole Biddix LaShawnda Hayes-Dixon Brenna Kathleen Olson Amanda Lee Brown Shannon Lea Hayes Maddison Leigh Pullum Michelle Anne Byrd Ashley Steward Hodges Ingrid Itzel Ramos Astrid Fiorini Cerbone Victor Mwangi Karungari Veronica Nicole Torres Harry Andrew Cummings Valerie Joiner Killiany Gillian Brett Vega Renee McPherson Duty Victoria Ann Younger Prelicensure Jean Michael Bain Joshua Lee Freeman Eric Dustin Morgan Christen McKenzie Bauman Brynn Elizabeth Fulghum Beth Anne Parrott Melissa Marie Bayne Mercedes Laurel Goetting Holly Beth Presson Shannon Elisabeth Blankenbeckler Logan Hall Hunt Litzie Ramos Juliet Kendall Blotzer Megan Nicole Hurd Justin Joseph Reeb Sarah Catherine Bouzek Sarah Elizabeth Jeffries William Robert RoBards Anna Elizabeth Brown Whitney Ralane Jordan Stephanie Jean Robinson Erin Elizabeth Browning Laura Elaine Kunzman Meredith Ashley Rose Brittany Ann Cavenaugh Jillian Meredith Lamb Katharine Anne Schultheis Kaylah Victoria Cook William Seville Mallory Amber Christine Shelton Emily Anne Damsel Stephanie Joan Mayer Britney Jo Tadlock Stephanie Marie Dickey Katherine Elizabeth McCollum Ashley Christina Whittington Lucy Neal Fancourt Carrie Ellen McGrath Brittany Christine Wilson Christian Hope Fincannon Emma Ruth McManus Whitney Alaine Wilson Rachel Lyn Firebaugh Stefani Elaine Michael Stefanie Elizabeth Zeeman Roni Jaleesa Francis Meredith Jordan Mills Volume 4, Issue 4 Page 4 Notable Achievements Congratulations to the Dec. ’10 nurse practitioner graduates for achieving a 95 percent pass rate on the FNP certification exam! Congratulations to the Dec. ’10 prelicensure graduates for a 95percent first-time pass rate on NCLEX! Congratulations to Carla Savinon for receiving the Doctor of Nursing Practice degree from Duke University. Her research pro- ject is titled Implementation of Clinical Practice Guidelines for the Identification and Treatment of Childhood Obesity. Congratula- tions to Patti Schulz, Student Services Counselor, for graduating from the Cameron School of Business MBA program! Congratulations on the following grants and awards: Canty-Mitchell, J., Hernandez, J., Meredith, C. (2011). GEAR-UP Program: Introduction to Nursing Health Professions. Project funded by University of North Carolina General Administration, $18,258. Canty-Mitchell, J. Kim-Godwin, Y., Livsey, K., Heinrich, C., Ezzell, D. & Highsmith, C. (2011). Quality Improvement Project (QEP): Implementation of a standardized evaluation framework for evaluating applied learning activities. Funded by UNCW Academic Affairs, $1,500. The School of Nursing was one of five finalists selected to pilot QEP initiatives in the 2011-12 academic year. Soo Kim Godwin had two articles recently accepted for publication: Kim-Godwin, Y. S, & McMurry, M. J. (in press). Perspectives of nurse practitioners on health care needs among Latino chil- dren and families in the rural Southeastern United States. Journal of Pediatric Health Care, www.jpedhc.org Kim-Godwin, Y. S. (2011) Changes in Family Structure, Roles, Encyclopedia of Family (Ed. Craft-Rosenberg, M. pp.150-153), Los Angeles, CA: Sage Publication. Ashli Hasty, honor student, (May ’12) has been awarded a Paul E. Hosier UNCW Undergraduate Research Fellowship Award for 2011-12. Her honors project is titled Impact of Pharmacological Induction of Term Labor on Neonatal Outcomes. Her research advisor is Deborah Pollard. Faculty Julie Smith Taylor and recent graduate Jessica Smith (MSN, Dec. ’10) recent had their research on Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS): Evidence Based Strategies for Symptom Management and Long-Term Sequelae Prevention accepted for publication in Nursing for Women’s Health. Alumna Cassandra Buchanan, Dec. ’09, had her honors project published in a medical journal with faculty Jeanne Kemppainen, Stephanie Smith and Cathy Cox serving as advisors: Buchanan, C., Kemppainen, J., Smith, S., MacKain, S. & Cox, C. (2011). Awareness of post-traumatic stress disorder in Veterans: A female spouse/intimate partner perspective. Military Medicine, 176(6), 1-9. Priscilla Caprio (RN-BSN, May ’12) had a letter, entitled “Going to the Dogs,” published on pg. 8 of Nursing 2011, Volume 14, Issue 1, p. 8. Michael Bury (RN-BSN, May ’12) will have his letter to the editor published in one of the summer issues of the American Jour- nal of Nursing. Bury’s letter was in response to an article which appeared in the Jan. ’11 edition on the Affordable Care Act. Congratulations for Outstanding HESI (Health Education Systems, Inc®.) Test Scores! To the Class of May ’11: mean score for this cohort on medical/surgical content was a remarkable 949 (78th percentile with the national mean of BSN students at 817). In the cohort of 48 students, 38 scored over 850 with no score less than 750. To the Class of Dec. ’11: mean score on the community health content was an amazing 901 (67th percentile with the national mean of BSN students at 851). In the cohort of 49 students, 23 scored more than 900. The mean score on the pediatric content was 874 with a national mean of BSN students at 840. This was the highest mean score for the school in pediatrics to date. In this class, 24 students in this class scored more than 900. To the Class of May ’12: mean score on the mental health content was outstanding: 933 (74th percentile with the national mean of BSN students at 844. In the cohort of 50 students, 32 scored more than 900. Mean score on the maternity content was 874, which is above the national mean for BSN students of 830. In the class, 24 students scored over 900. To the Class of Dec. ’12: mean score on the fundamentals content was 922 (83rd percentile with the national mean of BSN stu- dents at 760). In the cohort of 50 students, 30 scored more than 900. Volume 4, Issue 4 Page 5 News from the Simulation Learning Center (SLC) The SLC has continued to engage students in learning activities throughout the 2010-11 school year. Students in Health Assessment, Adult Health I, Maternal-Infant Nursing and Adult Health II participated in end-of-course simulations. High fidelity simulators Newborn HAL®, Noelle™, Sim Man® and Sim Man® 3G- were utilized for these activities. The SLC video capture system is fully operational allowing all simulations to be videotaped and students to review the tapes during debriefing post-conferences. A library of all videos is being created by the archiving capabilities of the video capture system. A partnership with the Watson School of Education Outreach Program and the SLC provided an opportunity this spring for more than 200 students from middle schools in surrounding counties to participate in a virtual tour of the SLC along with dis- cussion of the rigorous academic coursework needed prior to acceptance into a nursing program. Students were able to view the five-year-old pediatric simulator, the new low fidelity geriatric manikin and several task trainers. Continued development of the Electronic Medical Records (EMR) project will take place over the summer and will include documentation records for the Maternal-Infant course and further expansion simulated patient health records for the Adult Health I course. We are very fortunate to have been able to purchase ten additional “netbooks” for EMR use by students in the SLC. For the first time, Camp BONES will offer its CNA course in July with several other simulation activities. Special appreciation goes to Lindsay Futrell, Information Technology Consultant for the SLC, at the completion of her first year of employment with the SON. According to Anne Zabriskie, SLC coordinator, Futrell’s management of the IT equipment has been outstanding and she does not hesitate to “go the extra mile” to provide the best learning environment for the students. As a result, the equipment is ready and functional for all scheduled simulations. Further, Futrell has taken on responsibility for management of the SON website and serves as the administrator for the EMR. Anne Zabriskie also deserves special recognition for her exceptional management of the SLC equipment, activities and collabo- rative efforts with university and public organizations. First Lady of South African Visits School of Nursing First Lady of South Africa Madam Gloria Bongi Ngema-Zuma (pictured on the right with faculty Janie Canty Mitchell) visited the School of Nursing March 21. This visit was co-sponsored by the Wilmington Chapter of LINKS, Inc. (a volunteer service organization of women committed to enriching, sustaining and ensuring the culture and economic survival of African Americans and other persons of African ancestry) and the UNCW Office of Diversity and Inclusion. In 2010, Ngema-Zuma founded the Bongi Ngema-Zuma Foundation which ad- dresses health issues with special focus on diabetes, education and rural develop- ment. The Foundation seeks to empower women and children in providing educa- tion and health care crucial to diabetes awareness and interventions that positively affect those affected with this disease and associated pathology. Faculty Carol Heinrich, Deborah Pollard, Kae Livsey, Jeanne Kemppainen and Janie Canty- Mitchell made presentations on their involvement in diabetes research, community service or teaching. Juanita Akinleye from New Hanover County Health Depart- ment presented on the diabetes management and care programs with which she is involved. Volume 4, Issue 4 Page 6 2011 Sigma Theta Tau Research Day Ann Quinlan-Colwell (pictured left) was the keynote speaker at the 19th Annual Nu Omega Chapter of Sigma Theta Tau Research Day. Quinlan-Colwell currently works as Pain Management Clinical Nurse Specialist at New Hanover Regional Medical Center. Her address at the Research Day dinner on April 14 was on “The Nurse Scientist in Industry” and at the April 15 Research Day conference on “Personal Leadership: Class of 2011 – Are You Ready?” The following awards were given for poster presentations: Best Nurse Researcher: Julie Oliver (pictured right); Graduate Student Researcher: Lolita Bryant; and Preli- censure Student Researcher: Eric Morgan (below left): Congratulations to the podium presenters (pictured below right left to right): faculty Carla Savinon on “Implementation of Clinical Practice Guidelines in Identification of Childhood Obesity Using Electronic medical Re- cords”; faculty Chris Orton on “Comparison of Critical Thinking, Knowledge and Skill Performance Using Traditional vs. Interac- tive Computer Supported Case Studies”, faculty Debra Ezzell on “Evaluation of Student Nurse Satisfaction and Self Confi- dence During a Simulated Home Health Nursing Visit with a Standardized Pa- tient;” and prelicensure student Emily Damsel on “Caregiver Perceptions of Equine Therapy in Children with Autistic Spectrum Disorder.” News from the American Assembly of Men in Nursing The AAMN hosted on March 28 hosted a workshop in which Jessica Beardsley, New Hanover Health Network Employment Manager, and Lisa Mills, Nurse Recruiter, made a presentation on “Interviewing Techniques” and “Tips and Tricks for Resume Preparation.” On April 25 the AAMN hosted guest speaker Jerry Coy, president of the NC Association of Nurse Anesthetists. Coy discussed his experiences as a nurse and answered students questions about the roles and responsibilities of Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists (CRNA’s), what training and certification are required and what programs exist for students who wish to pursue this as a nursing career. Eric Morgan (May ’11), vice president of AAMN, has been selected to represent male nursing students as the ‘face of nursing” with a brief story of his School of Nursing experiences. His photo and narrative will be used in the updated UNCW admissions viewbook. El Salvador Experience - 2011 Eight students, including two FNP graduate students, spent nine days in March over their spring break providing health care to the most needy communities in El Salvador. Prior to the trip clothes, shoes and medications were collected and sent prior to the departure. Also, the Mary Lynn Richardson Fund donated $15,000 to be used for medications and food for these communities. While in El Salvador faculty and students worked very hard seeing more than 800 patients. The trip ended in Guatemala with two days in Antigua before heading home. Faculty Jane Fox led prelicensure students Ashley Evans, Susan Harrell, Hailey Kilby, Kara Richey, Jordan Schenck, Marie Weeg and grad students Sheila Lane and Allison Roane on this international expedition. Pictured right is Maria Weeg performing an assessment. Volume 4, Issue 4 Page 7 Nursing and Health Academy Summer Programs Building upon the School of Nursing’s successful Camp BONES (Brigade of Nurse Exploring Seahawks) programs, several youth programs are scheduled for June and July. They include the following: • June 13 - July 1: The 2008 Camp BONES cohort will complete a three-week, N.C.-certified 80-hour intensive Nurse Aid I course. The course is offered in collaboration with Laney High School Allied Health Program. Sonja Thigpen, RN, is the course instructor. UNCW nursing students Lyndsey Bennett and Candace Wellborn will be teaching assistants. This program is funded by the N.C. GlaxoSmithKline Foundation. • June 21 - June 25: GEAR-UP: Introduction to Nursing and Health Careers. GEAR UP stands for “Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs” and is a national initiative whose mission is to significantly increase the number of students who are prepared to enter and succeed in postsecondary education. The SON received funding from UNC General Administration to administer the program this summer, with a focus on nursing and health exploration. The five-day summer camp will be modeled after the Camp BONES program. Nursing Students hold Fundraiser for Coastal House On March 9 several nursing students and faculty ate at CiCi’s Pizza to raise money for Coastal House, a community mental health facility in Jacksonville, N.C. Coastal House, is an organization that has sev- eral “clubhouses” in the state which serve individuals coping with mental illness. Coastal House and other clubhouses offer a day treatment program with ser- vices to their clients or “members” such as education, pre-vocational training and social skills. They engage in activities that assist them in things like managing their finances, medication compliance and healthy living. Many members attend GED classes or prac- tice vocational skills and go on to secure part-time employment. The fundraiser was initiated by mental health nursing students (pictured above left to right Kristen Myers, Allyson Shiveler, Brian Mack, James Sonnenberg, Christin Joyner and Rebecca Broadley) who went to Coastal House for their community mental health clinical rotation. The staff at the facility voiced how much they and the members of Coastal House valued having the nursing students available to lead participant groups. The money raised from the fundraiser will be used to help fund Coastal House client outings/field trips. Encore Readers’ 2011 Best Artist Shares His Art with the School of Nursing Paintings with splashes of vibrant color and flowing brush strokes will soon be visible in the new McNeill Hall. These paintings are the work of local artist, William Hubbard. Hubbard is a member of the Wilmington Art Group (WAG), a small guild of local artists in the community who show their work at various art shows and festivals in North Carolina. Hubbard, who holds a masters degree in art education, has taught art to middle and high school students for the past 12 years with several of those years at J.T. Hoggard High School. Recently, Hubbard was cho- sen as Encore Magazine’s 2011 Readers’ Choice Best Artist in Wilming- ton. The pieces of art on loan include “La Bella Roma” (pictured at left). Hubbard’s work is very diverse ranging from portraits to landscapes to a mixture of abstract objects; a style he describes as freestyle expression- ism. Many of his creations can be viewed at McNeill Hall. The SON Volume 4, Issue 4 Page 8 Welcome to the New Coordinator of Student Services - Nancy McLemore Nancy McLemore rejoins the School of Nursing as coordinator of Student Ser- vices. McLemore offers the school a wealth of experience beginning with her work in the graduate students in geography at Ohio State University (OSU). Her educational credentials include B.S. and two masters degrees in Education with focus on policy and leadership, Higher Education/Student Affairs/ Personnel and Higher Education Leadership. After obtaining her first masters degree, McLemore worked at the OSU Comprehensive Cancer Center where she had her first opportunity to work with nurses, physicians and researchers and to gain experience in the intricacies of an RO1 grant. In 1997 McLemore accepted a position in the School of Nursing at which time the MSN-FNP program was being initiated allowing her to become instrumental in the creation and develop- ment of the Student Services Office. In 2002 she moved to a different position working with the University College (UC) where she taught sections of the Freshman Seminar and was able to work with first, second and third-semester students as they prepared for pre-major declara- tion. Her work within the UC provided an added depth of understanding of the academic planning challenges of the pre-major student. This experience coupled with her prior knowledge and skills will serve the faculty and students well as the new Stu- dent Services coordinator. News from the Nursing Graduate Student Association On March 25, the newly formed Nursing Graduate Student Association sponsored a presentation by Jan Towers, Director of Health Policy at the American Academy of Nurse practitioners, entitled “Nurses-Let’s Talk Health Policy.” Congratulations to the officers of the Nursing Graduate Student Asso- ciation (GSA) and their advisor Julie Smith Taylor for tireless efforts in making this first year such a success: Rand Pennington, president; Cathy Mann, vice president; Lacey Aycock, secretary; and Erica Gifford, treasurer. Pictured left are the nurse practitioner students enrolled in the clinical practicum Advanced Primary Care of Families (Adults) who attended the N.C. Nurses Association Nurse Practitioner Spring Symposium in Pinehurst in April. Community Health Achievements The Community Health faculty have been hard at work this year and are excited about the new home visit simulation initia- tive. The faculty team, consisting of Kae Livsey (course coordinator), Soo Kim-Godwin, Debbie Ezzell and Carol Highsmith, has made several presentations on these simulations. The home visit simulation experience which utilizes a standardized patient will be presented at three nursing meetings, the first of which is the International Nursing Simulation/Learning Resource Center Conference to be held in June in Orlando. Presentations have also been accepted at the third annual “You Bought the Mani- kin” Conference in August in Greensboro and at the Southeastern Nursing Staff Education Symposium in Raleigh in Novem- ber. The community health faculty is also finalizing a manuscript to be submitted to Clinical Simulation in Nursing this sum- mer. They have also been awarded a generous grant from the J. Richard Corbett Foundation to extend research on the simula- tion experience to include use of student peer evaluators (see related story under Notable Recognition). The community health team is also excited to report that we have a new clinical partner for student placements: Cape Fear Health Net Episodic Care Clinic, a clinical designed to provide low cost episodic care for the uninsured in the Cape Fear Region. Community Health students will be assisting clinical staff beginning with the fall semester. Volume 4, Issue 4 Page 9 Prelicensure Honors Students Present Research Projects Prelicensure student Emily Damsel with her Prelicensure students Beth Parrott (left), Stefani research advisor Julie Smith-Taylor Michael (center) and advisor Jeanne Kemppainen Prelicensure student Mercedes Goetting with her Prelicensure student Eric Morgan whose faculty research advisor Deborah Pollard advisor was Kathy Ennen A Lingering Thought from the Editor . . . . . . As this latest edition of our newsletter is being written, it is the height of the “reconnection” and “disconnection” season. Reconnecting with family and friends, aban- doned projects and even chores around the house that have been neglected over the past several months. Disconnecting from the long and arduous academic routines and from many of our colleagues we’ve become accustomed to being with throughout the school term. For this writer it is also a time to reflect on the past 26 issues of newsletters spread over four years. The changes that have occurred over the span of this many “term papers” have been remarkable: new faculty, staff and students; changes in leadership; a new college; an innovative curriculum design; and of course, a new facility. It has always been the aim of this publication to highlight the achievements and activities of this institution and to impart one great lesson about our profession: it is always all about people. Thank you to the many wonderful contributors to this publications and to the hundreds whose names and photos have ap- peared on these pages for their extraordinary activities that make this great institution, and this humble publication, what it is. Sandra O’Donnell Please submit calendar events, notable Final Lingering Thought . . . achievements, community events, re- search/scholarship activities and ques- tions for faculty/staff to our editorial and Have a fun and relaxing summer! production staff: Sandy O’Donnell ([email protected]) or Debra Simpson ([email protected]).