COVID-19 UPDATES • 1/15/2021
Please nominate an outstanding individual for our 2021 School of Nursing Awards. Award descriptions can be found below; nominations are due Friday, March 5. Submit a nomination.
UB School of Nursing has over 8,000 alumni located across the United States and numerous countries all over the world. Whether you’re currently serving on the front lines of health care, educating the students who will soon enter the field, breaking for retirement after years of service, or returning to the field during this urgent time, I would like to thank you and express my admiration for everything you're doing for our community and our nation throughout this crisis. As you continue your important work during the COVID-19 crisis, please consider sharing your experiences with us. We would love the opportunity highlight the crucial role nurses are playing throughout this crisis. Thank you for all you do. I wish health and safety to you and yours.
Marsha Lewis, Dean and Professor, UB School of Nursing
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Consider nominating a deserving individual for the Distinguished Alumni Award, the Patricia H. Garman Award for Excellence and Service in Nursing, or the Distinguished Preceptor Award. The awards will be presented at our Annual May Celebration.
Nominations are due Friday, March 5.
This award is given to a UB School of Nursing alumnus in recognition of exceptional career accomplishments, community or university service, or research and scholarly activity.
This award is given to an individual in recognition and in appreciation of their significant support and impact on the advancement of the UB School of Nursing. The award acknowledges outstanding contributions to the nursing profession embodying the mission, vision and values of the UB School of Nursing.
This award is given to recognize an outstanding clinical preceptor for the School of Nursing.
Dawn Franits (BS '81) passed the National Certified School Nurse (NCSN) exam from the National Board for Certification of School Nurses.
Martha Dewey Bergren (DNS '03, MS '92), became the Journal of School Nursing executive editor. She retired from the University of Illinois Chicago College of Nursing in 2020.
Katherine Simonson (BS '03) was confirmed by the United States Senate for promotion to Brigadier General.
Kimberley Ennis (BS '07, BS '05) received the 2020 Administrative Nurse of the Year award from the National Black Nurses Association and the 2020 Rising Stars 40 under 40 award from the Business Council of Westchester. She was also promoted to Senior Director of Nursing at Mount Sinai Queens Hospital.
Junxin Li (PhD '14) was inducted as a fellow of the American Academy of Nursing (AAN) in October 2020.
Theresa Capriotti (BS ‘78) has been a clinical professor of nursing for 25 years at Villanova University in Villanova, Pennsylvania. She has authorized many textbooks and more than 40 journal articles.
Rebecca McCormick-Boyle (BS ‘81) was named to Catholic Health board of directors in 2019 and was named chief integration officer at Catholic Health in 2020. In this role, she will provide executive oversight for implementation of Catholic Health's 2025 strategic plan
Dianne Morrison-Beedy (MS ‘83) received the Audrey Hepburn Award for Contributions to the Health and Welfare of Children at the 2019 Sigma Nursing Convention.
Paula Seidel Glass (BS ‘81) became a Certified Nursing Educator through the National League for Nursing in August 2019.
Michael Ackerman (MS '85, DNS '91) was inducted into the American Academy of Nursing in October 2019.
Jennifer Crotty (BS ‘97) currently serves as chief flight nurse at MercyFlight WNY and emergency room nurse at St. Joseph Campus.
Mary Ann Murphy (BS ‘84, MS ‘94) received The Catherine McAuley Distinguished Alumna Award from Mt. Mercy Academy. She is the director of the Maternal Child Unit at Mercy Hospital, where she has served for over 35 years.
Peter Tinnesz (BS '89, MS '93) received the Advance Practice Provider Mentorship Award and the CRNA Educator of the Year Award from Southern Connecticut State University. He is the non-operating room anesthesia lead nurse anesthetist at Yale New Haven Hospital.
Salah Al-Zaiti (MS ‘10, PhD ‘13) received the Chancellor’s Distinguished Teaching Award. He is currently an associate professor, acute and tertiary care, at the University of Pittsburg School of Nursing.
Mimi Haskins (MS ‘98, DNP ‘15) was awarded the 2019 Certified Medical-Surgical Nurse of Distinction.
Charnelle Lewis (DNP ‘19) was honored among Buffalo's 2019 Changemakers 30 under 30 in the science/humanities category. She was also featured on nurse.org about why she chose a doctorate degree over a master’s of science in nursing.
Jessica Varghese (PhD ‘17) was promoted to director of the RN to BS program at the New York Institute of Technology. She also won best poster during the Faculty Practice pre-conference session at the 2019 AACN Doctoral Education Conference.
Sarah Goldthrite, MA, MLIS
Director of Marketing, Communications & Alumni Engagement; Web Accessibility Liaison
Marketing, Communications & Alumni Engagement
Grace Gerass
Assistant Director of Communications & Alumni Engagement
Marketing, Communications & Alumni Engagement