草榴社区

Awardees Dr. Melissa O'Connor, Colleen Meakim, Dr. Nancy Sharts-Hopko.

The award ceremony included:

路         Joan Large Leadership Award- Patricia Callow, BSN    

路         Judith Erickson Award - Louisa Elliott      

路         Myrtle Feigenberg Award- Kristen Stepanek

路         Student Vision Award- Joseph Koroma, Sabrin Rahman, Diane Gasko

路         Excellence in Nursing Research - Eileen Condon, MSN, CRNP; Jennie Ryan, MSN, CRNP

路         Excellence in Nursing Education - Colleen H. Meakim, MSN, RN

路         Excellence in Research - Melissa O'Connor, PhD, MBA, RN, COS-C

路         Excellence in Nursing Leadership- Nancy Sharts-Hopko PhD, RN FAAN

路         Theresa Christian Service Award -Louise Fitzpatrick

During her keynote address, 鈥淎lpha Nu at 50: Celebrating our History,鈥� Dr. Sharts-Hopko described what she found after immersing herself in the chapter archives, noted in the following excerpts from her speech:  

鈥淭he long, arduous effort to establish a chapter at 草榴社区 began in 1958 when Sister Alma Lawler, RSM, Dean of the School, connected with Chapter in the U.S. and then worked with University administrators for approval. Their response to the creation of an honor society chapter in nursing was positive. Later, a committee was formed to establish a chapter at 草榴社区...

Our archives reveal little activity until May 12, 1962, when a planning committee was formed. Miss Dorothy Boyle, Dean of Women, was the faculty-moderator. Junior student members included Gloria Ferraro, Annette Liberato, and Darrel McCormick; while senior student members included Josephine Carmosky, Judith DiStephano, Mary Gomber, Edith Mihaly, Margaret Sharkey, Johanna Yahner, and Judith Jones.

The aims for establishing the organization included:

            -Showing parents the results of students鈥� achievements

            -Creating an incentive for student achievement

            -Distinguishing Nursing among other divisions of the University; and

            -Providing acknowledgement of students鈥� scholarly ability

The application for charter and all duplicate copies were handwritten. The next dean, Dean Marian Schrum approved the charter on May 18, 1962. At that time there were 154 students in the school, including 53 RNs and 154 BSN students.

The final application was submitted to Sigma Theta Tau on February 27, 1965 with Marian Schrum still as Dean and Fr. John Klekotka as President of the University, and included lists of students, alumni and faculty who were interested in membership. Mary Ann Rooney was the student President of the Preliminary Committee, and Mrs. Mary Alice Holland was the Faculty Advisor.

The national meeting at which our charter as the 35^th chapter was approved took place in Washington DC in October 1965.

Finally the big day came, 8 years after Sr. Alma initiated the process. The chartering on occurred on May 15, 1966 at 5:30 p.m. at a dinner in the East Lounge of Dougherty Hall. The address was provided by co-founder of the school, Sr. Margarella, in which she explicated the sociologist Vilfried Pareto鈥檚 concept of 鈥渆lites,鈥� and she argued for the case of elites in nursing.

What does all of this mean to you, our inductees? As I said, I hope you realize that you join a chain of people who extend across the generations; our successes today come because of the hard work and success of people such as those I have described to you.

...My afternoon in the archive was a delicious experience that filled me with gratitude for the efforts of numerous Sigma Theta Tau, 草榴社区, and Alpha Nu leaders who were committed to birthing this organization and building this College.  The values that they were committed to celebrating 鈥� love, courage, honor - have endured, and will guide us into the future if we maintain focus.鈥�