EMCON Alumni Newsletter March 2024
Dear Alumni and Friends,
I write with sad news to share. Beloved Professor Emerita and former Dean Dr. E. Ann Sheridan passed away on Tuesday, March 26. She was 90 years old. Dr. Sheridan, or as in her humble nature she would prefer to be called, Ann began teaching at the then UMass School of Nursing in 1965. Dr. Sheridan assumed the role of dean from 1986 - 1988, and retired from teaching in 1998. She received a doctorate from UMass in Education in 1983. Dr. Sheridan's specialty was pediatric nursing, and she mentored thousands of students and colleagues to be the best nurses they can be. She established the Dr. E. Ann Sheridan Nursing Scholarship, dedicated to juniors who express a passion for pediatric nursing. Brenda (Boguslawski) Fionte '15 received the award as a student and is now paying it forward educating the next generation of nurses as a faculty member at our college. Dr. Sheridan led the efforts to preserve the history of our college by establishing the nursing collection in the W. E. B. Du Bois Library Special Collections and University Archives and creating our college's Alumni Board - ensuring alumni have a voice at our college.
In 2016 Dr. Sheridan received the Massachusetts American Nurses Association Living Legend Award . This recognition stems from contributions made to the profession during a long and productive career as a nurse educator at the first public undergraduate nursing education program in Massachusetts. Even while called upon to assume numerous administrative responsibilities on the University of Massachusetts campus, her devotion to pediatric nursing enabled her to write the Definition of Child Health Nursing for Peterson’s Annual Guide to Graduate Study; and to develop and organize undergraduate and graduate pediatric nursing curricula when individual nursing care concentrations within the profession were first being identified. Dr. Sheridan’s leadership roles within ANA include Chair of the Committee of Examiners of the American Nurses Association to create the first Certification Examination for Pediatric Nurse Practitioners; Delegate of the Massachusetts Nurses Association to the National Assembly; District I Board of Directors of the Massachusetts Nurses Association, and Committees on Education and Maternal-Child Nursing.
Dr. Sheridan's passing is certainly a big loss to our community. In February of this year, she was surrounded by loving family and friends for a celebration of her 90th birthday, where she heard face-to-face from many members of our UMass Nursing community about the special impact she had on their lives. Dr. Martha A. Q. Curley '85, who was recently named a Living Legend by the American Academy of Nursing, speaks in this video about the impact Dr. Sheridan had on her personally. The family requested that we share with you this heartwarming gathering that allowed those whose lives Ann touched to share that appreciation with her. Our college will honor Dr. Sheridan's legacy, and I will communicate more details in future messages. Please feel welcome to reply to this email to share your recollections of Ann, which we will share with the family.
Alumni Event in Boston, Thursday, April 4, 6 - 8 p.m.
Ann always was thrilled when the UMass Nursing community would get together, and in that spirit, I will be at the Boston Hilton Park Plaza Hotel this Thursday, April 4, 2024 at 6 - 8 p.m. for a meet-and-greet reception with alumni, donors, and friends of the college. Taking place right after the first day of the Eastern Nursing Research Society Conference, I am looking forward to seeing our alumni and friends. If you are receiving this email, you are invited! No cost to participate, there will be heavy appetizers, a drink ticket, and a unique giveaway. Please bring your business card/contact information, as there will be special prizes raffled throughout the night. Please register here, and reach out to Ben Monat at bmonat [at] uma-foundation [dot] org (subject: ) (bmonat[at]uma-foundation[dot]org) with any questions.
Can't make it? Be sure to visit our upcoming events page to see the multiple in-person and virtual happenings.
Out and About - EMCoN Alumni Dinner in DC
Pictured Left to Right: Ben Monat, Lisa Letendre, Cynthia Letendre '59, Alumni Board Member Paula Boylan '05, Crystal Neuhauser, Nikki Scott '15DNP enjoy dinner together in Washington, DC on March 21.
UMassGives Wednesday & Thursday, April 24 & 25 - Save the Date!
UMassGives is around the corner on April 24 and 25, where we will be raising funds for nursing study abroad programs. Twenty-four students came back from Spain in December, and they were very appreciative of the opportunity to study nursing and travel abroad. Please look for emails on April 24 and 25 with information on their stories, and a link to donate so future students can have similar experiences. Especially for many students whose recent educational experience has been through the lens of COVID, giving them the gift of travel abroad helps them spread their wings and receive a unique nursing experience they would not receive in the states. If you are able to donate during the Power Hour from 2-3 p.m. on Thursday, April 25 , your contribution will ensure our college has high participation, allowing us to compete with other areas on campus to win free money from the university for study abroad.
Research on Robotics in Healthcare
The Elaine Marieb Center for Nursing and Engineering Innovation recently published two articles on how it compares to two of the only other nurse-engineer programs, and on its work determining how nurses perceive the use of robotics in healthcare. Written by the center faculty and researchers, these articles offer an in-depth exploration of what the EMCNEI has to offer students and how an educational video increased already positive nurse perceptions of how robotics can augment and assist their important work.
What does UMass Nursing mean to you?
rgleblan [at] umass [dot] edu (subject: ) (Please submit your photos) for a public art collage project by April 15, 2024. The Elaine Marieb College of Nursing's Diversity and Social Justice Committee is creating "Our Story," a public art collage of what brings you a sense of community and belonging in the College of Nursing. Please feel welcome to submit up to five pictures.
Please send us your latest news here. We would love to hear what you are doing!
Learn more about our Nursing Programs
Know someone who may be interested in learning about post-baccalaureate nursing education? On Thursday, April 25, we are offering a virtual open house at 5:30 p.m. for our Online Post-Masters in Psychiatric Mental Health Certificate Program, and at 6:30 p.m. for all of our Masters Programs , including Online Master of Science Clinical Nurse Leader Concentration, Online Master of Science Nursing Education Concentration, and Online Master of Science Public Health Nursing Concentration. All are welcome to attend, no pre-registration required.
In Closing
As we honor the legacy of Dr. E. Ann Sheridan, I am grateful to have such a strong nursing community here at UMass, and I am proud to be part of a special community that follows in Ann's footsteps to celebrate nurses and elevate the profession.
Sincerely,
Allison Vorderstrasse
Professor and Dean
Elaine Marieb College of Nursing