EMCON Alumni Newsletter January - March 2025

Dear Alumni and Friends,

What an exhilarating night at the Mullins Center last Thursday! Our college was the proud presenting game sponsor for Nurses Appreciation Night at UMass Hockey, as the Minutemen took on the UMass Lowell River Hawks and won in an exciting shootout. I greatly enjoyed meeting many alumni, parents, faculty, staff, students, and community members at the pre-game reception.

Nurses Appreciation Night at UMass Hockey

Juniors Maria Loew and Chloe Homans volunteered to greet guests at the pre-game reception, with scarf giveaways for each attendee.

Kevin and Donna Stone, parents of senior Jill Stone, pose for a picture in front of the action in the Massachusetts Room at the pre-game reception.

Ann Becker '17DNP and Meg Burch (I'm on the right) were honored after the first period on the ice for their leadership in the Public Health Nurse Consultant Program in partnership with the Massachusetts Department of Public Health, which provides resources and training to all 351 cities and towns in Massachusetts.

We were proud to be the presenting game sponsor for Nurses Appreciation Night!

View all pictures from the event, courtesy of the talented Ben Barnhart.

Please join us!

The University of Massachusetts Amherst will host the Nursing and Engineering Innovation Symposium 2025 on April 8th from 9 a.m. - 4 p.m. Join nationally recognized researchers and speakers to network and hear about how nurse-engineer teams are increasing safety and efficiency in health care. No cost to attend, breakfast and lunch provided.

This event is sponsored by the Elaine Marieb Center for Nursing and Engineering Innovation and by a generous gift from alumni donors Mike and Terry Hluchyj '77.

Alumni Profile: Elyssa Noce Ely '24DNP

Elyssa Noce Ely '24DNP has been keeping busy since graduating from the Doctor of Nursing Practice program, receiving a Healthcare Hero award by the Hartford Business Journal and is working in inpatient endocrinology with an emphasis on diabetes management and education. Learn more about what she has been doing, her advice to current DNP students, and how growing up in an Italian family shaped who she is today. Thank you Elyssa, for taking the time to share these insightful updates and your perspective with us!

Alumni Board Greets New ABSN Graduates

The EMCoN Alumni Board was thrilled to congratulate Accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing graduates at the Senior Recognition Ceremony in December 2024. Michael Bartolo '18ABSN, Nancy Thompson '73, '91MS, Cheryl Sabola '85 welcomed each graduate as the newest alumni of our Marieb College of Nursing and gifted them a UMass Nursing license plate frame as they embark on their unique journey. We were thrilled so many people enjoyed seeing the Alumni Board there, and the board will have a presence at each recognition ceremony moving forward to warmly congratulate new alumni!

Michael Bartolo '18ABSN and Nancy Thompson '73, '91MS greet recent graduate Lily Coughlin '25ABSN at the Senior Recognition Ceremony on 12/15/2024.

Michael Bartolo '18ABSN, Nancy Thompson '73, '91MS, and Cheryl Sabola '85 greet ABSN alumni at the Senior Recognition Ceremony.

Nursing Alumni Team Heading to San Diego

Crystal Neuhauser and Ben Monat on the EMCoN alumni relations team are hosting a meet-and-greet alumni dinner in Miramar on Wednesday, March 19. If you would like to network with fellow San Diego-based alumni nurses, this event is for you. No cost to attend. Please email Ben with your RSVP at bmonat [at] uma-foundation [dot] org (subject: ) (bmonat[at]uma-foundation[dot]org).

D.C. Alumni Brunch

Crystal Neuhuaser and I are heading to Washington, D.C. to host an alumni brunch on Sunday, March 30 at 11:30 am at the Blue Duck Tavern. We are thrilled to visit with our D.C. area alumni and enjoy brunch together. No cost to attend. Please email Crystal with your RSVP at  cneuhauser [at] uma-foundation [dot] org (subject: ) (cneuhauser[at]uma-foundation[dot]org)

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UMassGives April 29 and 30

Please save the date for this year's UMassGives, taking place Tuesday, April 29 through Wednesday, April 30. Please be on the lookout for a message from me shortly before then to share what we'll be raising funds for this year. UMassGives is all about people's participation, and we would love to show our students, faculty, and staff just how much they are supported by their EMCoN community. 

In Closing

Amid the challenges we are all experiencing in higher education, there is much excitement and a lot happening at the college, and now more than ever being together in community is essential. I look forward to keeping in touch via email, and to bring you the amazing stories and innovative research our alumni, students, and faculty are doing. As nurses in these challenging times, my wish is for us to each take the necessary care we need, and to embrace the strong, vibrant nursing community right here around us all.

Sincerely,

Allison Vorderstrasse
Professor and Dean
Elaine Marieb College of Nursing