ALUMNI RELATIONS

ALUMNI CELEBRATION 2008

May 16, 17, and 18, 2008

Commemorating 85 Years of Nursing Education
at the Frances Payne Bolton School of Nursing

With 85 years passed since Frances Payne Bolton endowed our school as one of the first two university-related, free-standing schools of nursing in this country, there was much to celebrate during FPB’s Alumni Celebration 2008.  Held May 16, 17 & 18, the weekend festivities began Friday afternoon, with many alumni arriving on campus in time to witness the pinning ceremony at Epworth-Euclid United Methodist Church near campus.  Following the ceremony and a brief reception, alumni gathered for a casual dinner in the school’s first floor lounge, during which Dean Wykle presented commemorative 50-Year Graduate pins to members of the class of 1958 in attendance.

On Saturday, May 17, Alumni Day, generations of lifelong learners started their day with the continuing education seminar “International Service Learning—The Undergraduate and Graduate Experience.”  The seminar, which provided one nursing contact hour to attendees, was presented by associate dean for the Undergraduate Program Marilyn Lotas, PhD, RN, who outlined the exciting possibilities for augmenting one’s nursing education with the irreplaceable hands-on experience service learning provides, drawing anecdotes from FPB’s very successful undergraduate and graduate service learning opportunities.  The audience was fascinated by PhD student and MSN ’08 alumna Jennifer Brubaker’s reflections on her experiences during a service learning trip she made to Guatemala in fall 2007.

The Alumni Luncheon, a perennial highlight of Alumni Celebration weekend, drew alumni from 23 states to Sammy’s University Club near downtown Cleveland.  In addition to the typical reunion classes, this year’s gathering included a special 25th reunion for the members of PhD cohort class who began coursework in 1983.  Since PhD students begin their course work together but do not always finish at the same time, members of this special group decided to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the start of their program.  Alumni in attendance relished the time to mingle and catch up, and by the time lunch was served, the room was filled to the brim with the happy chatter of 155 alumni, their family and friends, and 56 new 2008 graduates who attended the luncheon thanks to generous donations from a number of alumni supporters.

After lunch, class of 1953 representatives presented Dean Wykle with a check for $60,096 from their Reunion Challenge winning class.  The Reunion Challenge is part of the school’s annual fund, and is used to help raise money for critical programs not covered in the operating budget.  Alumni can make unrestricted gifts or can direct them to a specific fund.  The class of 1953 won with a 63% participation rate.  The 60th reunion class of 1948 took 2nd place, raising $27,477 with 48% of its members participating.

FPB professor Shirley M. Moore, PhD ’93, MSN ’91, RN, FAAN, was honored as the 2008 Distinguished Alumna at the Alumni Day Luncheon.  Dr. Moore is The Edward J. and Louise Mellen professor of nursing, associate dean for research, and director of CWRU’s new Self-Management Advancement through Research and Translation (SMART) Center.  Dr. Moore was joined in the alumni awards celebration by Award for Excellence recipient Christine Carson Filipovich, MSN ’77, BSN ’73, RN, and Alumni Association President’s Award recipient Katharine Youngberg Kolcaba, PhD ’97, MSN ’87, RN.  Ms. Filipovich is the founder, owner and chief executive officer of Professional Nursing Resources, Inc., a management firm in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, that provides services for nursing and healthcare organizations.  Dr. Kolcaba is an associate professor emeritus at the University of Akron College of Nursing in Akron, Ohio, and owner of The Comfort Line, Inc.

Look for complete coverage of this special weekend, and a save-the-date for next year’s Alumni Celebration—sure to be a grand time—in the next issue of FPB Nursing.

Tim Tibbitts

Alumni Celebration 2008 Slideshow