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GSN Alumni Breakfast welcomes new advanced practice nurses to the profession

By Sandra Gray

May 29, 2015
  • Chancellor Collins pays tribute to retiring Dean Paulette Seymour-Route.
  • Molly Rivest accepts the Chancellor’s Award from Chancellor Collins and GSN Dean Paulette Seymour-Route.
  • Dean emeritus Lillian Goodman presents the Lillian R. Goodman Award to Tara Casimir.
  • GSN Community Service Award recipients are (from left, holding plaques) Carol Cannon, Chantelle LaMountain and Danielle Urella with (from left) Melissa Fischer, MD; Janet Hale, PhD; and Michele Pugnaire, MD.
  • The Kathleen H. Miller DNP Scholarship was awarded to Kathleen Kasper by (from left) Dr. Miller’s children Christopher and Alexandra and husband Geoffrey.
  • Professor emeritus Mary Kay Alexander presents the academic achievement and leadership award named for her to Heather Galonzka.
  • Christine DiTullio accepts the Academic Achievement and Leadership Award from Dean Seymour-Route.
  • Dean Seymour-Route presents the Mary Kinnear Raymond Award to Noah Chappell.
  • Nicole Coggins receives the Lucy D. Russell Briefcase Award from Jill Terrien, PhD.
  • Outstanding Nurse Practitioner Student in Critical Care Award winner Michael Spiros with (from left) Shawn Cody and Richard Irwin, MD.
  • Drs Cody and Irwin recognized Grace Thorne with the UMass Memorial Medical Center Outstanding Preceptor in Critical Care Award.
  • The GSN Community Faculty Award was presented to Laura Shook-Blandin by Dean Seymour-Route.
  • The Suzanne T. Sullivan Scholarship is presented to Katherine Swigar Droste by Jill Terrien, PhD.
  • Amy Zurba accepts the Lynne Foster Davidson Scholarship from Dean Seymour-Route.

The annual Graduate School of Nursing Alumni breakfast, held Friday, May 29, brought together soon-to-be-graduating students with faculty and alumni to celebrate past and future accomplishments. Fifty-six Master of Science, Post-Master’s Certificate, Doctor of Nursing Practice and PhD in Nursing students will receive their degrees at UMass Chan Medical Schools 42nd Commencement on Sunday, May 31.

Welcoming the assemblage, Chancellor Michael F. Collins congratulated the graduates and paid tribute to retiring GSN Dean Paulette Seymour-Route, PhD.

The Kathleen H. Miller DNP Scholarship was named to honor the late faculty leader.

Dr. Seymour-Route lauded Dr. Miller’s advocacy for doctoral preparation of advanced nurse practice leaders, her strong commitment to clinical practice and an academic career that spanned more than 20 years in the GSN. The scholarship was presented by Miller’s husband and children.

New this year, the breakfast was followed by the inaugural Lillian R. Goodman Lectureship in Graduate Nursing. Distinguished keynote speaker was Eileen Breslin, PhD, the Patty L. Hawken Endowed Professor, dean and professor of nursing at the University of Texas Health Science Center and the president of the American Association of Colleges of Nursing.

But as Dr. Goodman, professor and dean emeritus of the GSN, emphasized to the students, “This morning is special because we are here to honor you.”

The following awards were granted to graduating and continuing GSN students and community-based faculty:

Chancellor’s Award
Molly Rivest, RN

Lillian R. Goodman Award
Tara Casimir, RN

Kathleen H. Miller DNP Scholarship
Kathleen Kasper, RN

Mary K. Alexander Academic Achievement and Leadership Award
Heather Galonzka, RN

Academic Achievement and Leadership Award
Christine DiTullio, RN

Mary Kinnear Raymond Award
Noah Chappell, RN

Lucie D. Russell Briefcase Award
Nicole Coggins, RN

Outstanding Nurse Practitioner Student in Critical Care Award
Michael Spiros, RN

GSN Community Service Award
Carol Cannon, RN
Amelia Nelson, RN
Lynn Arthur, RN
Chantelle LaMountain, RN
Danielle Urella, RN

GSN Community Faculty Awards
Adult-Gero Primary Care NP Track—Gary Blanchard, MD
Adult-Gero Acute Care NP Track—Laura Shook-Blandin, MS
Family Nurse Practitioner Track—Mary Liz Gamache, MS

UMass Memorial Medical Center Outstanding Preceptor in Critical Care Award
Grace Thorne, MS

Suzanne T. Sullivan Scholarship
Katherine Droste, RN

Lynne Foster Davidson Scholarship
Amy Zurba, RN