Alumni Newsletter April & May 2026
Salute to Amazing Alumni
By Dean Allison Vorderstrasse
Dear EMCON Alumni and Community Members,
Welcome to Springtime! Flowers are blooming, the weather is getting warmer, and our alumni are completing incredible feats.
Runnin' Down A Dream
When Emily Loan '25 fractured her hip her junior year, she couldn't imagine completing the Boston Marathon just two short years later. But Emily's story is one of perseverance, resilience, and optimism. While in the final training stages, she was kind enough to sit down with us to share more about her story. She became interested in running as a nursing student her sophomore year when she studied abroad in Madrid. She also notes that having the experience of studying nursing, while also being a patient, was eye-opening and helped her appreciate the importance of effective care.
Through Stories, It Will Be OK
Maureen Groden '77 sat down with the EMCON community earlier this month to share personal stories through her book "When A Loved One is Dying" to bring approachability to the uncomfortable subject of palliative and hospice care, especially when it is with close family members and friends. Margaux Frank '27 attended the session and shared a key takeaway from attending was how Groden discussed matters that many people, even in healthcare, "are afraid to touch." There are many great insights in the book that are worth your time to read.
Letting Actions Do The Talking
Celeste Surreira '96, MS '11, DNP '14 is deeply committed to mentorship. The first recipient of the Dr. E. Ann Sheridan Faculty Mentorship Award last year, Surreira will now will receive the university's Faculty Peer Mentoring Award after being nominated by multiple colleagues. Surreira shares that, "mentorship is not an added role - it is central to how I approach teaching, leadership, and nursing."
A perfect example of mentorship and collaboration is how Surreira is working together with fellow alumni Chris Diaz '23 DNP and Lindsay DuBois '11 on their research, "Inclusive Care & Ethical Practice Simulation Group." This simulation group increases patient visibility and prepares students to provide trauma‑informed care, to best serve individuals including those in the LGBTQIA+ community. Participants shared that they have increased clinical confidence to best serve non-binary and transgender patients - a big win. Their work has led them to receiving one of two Equitable Practices in Collaboration (EPiC) Awards at the university.
Innovating From Massachusetts To Texas
The fourth Nursing and Engineering Innovation Symposium hosted by the Elaine Marieb Center for Nursing and Engineering Innovation was held on April 8, 2026. Kirk Taylor, President and CEO of Massachusetts Life Sciences Center, delivered a morning keynote address about “how nurse engineers will power Massachusetts’ next life sciences wave”.
Next up was a panel of nurses who work in industry and spoke on several topics relating to nurses driving innovation in the medical device industry. Following lunch and a poster session that featured over twenty posters relating to nurse-engineer teams and projects, Kavita Radhakrishnan '06, '11 PhD and Interim Dean at UT Austin School of Nursing, delivered an afternoon keynote address where she spoke about her journey as a nurse-engineer, and how nurse-engineer partnerships are harnessing digital health, gaming, and artificial intelligence to solve real-world challenges for patients with heart failure and other cardiovascular diseases.
Special thanks to Michael and Theresa Hluchyj '77 for making this symposium possible.
Give nursing students a shot of support and give yourself a dose of happiness
April 29 - 30, 2026 is UMassGives. A giving festival across campus, we are raising money for nursing scholarships. With the Department of Education's reclassification of Nursing no longer considering nursing as a professional degree as of July 1, federal loans for graduate students will decrease by 80%.
We are all advocating to change this but it highlights the need to rally around our students who will face this shortfall, or any other challenges during UMassGives. Make a donation anytime next Wednesday or Thursday to nursing scholarships - you'll turn any feelings of negativity into positivity and show the world that nurses support other nurses. Please be on the lookout for emails next week and spread the word!
Hands-On Healthy Cooking For Nurse Educators
June 8 - 10, 2026 is the Healthcare Culinary Conference, put on by our friends in the School of Public Health and Health Sciences.
The Healthcare Culinary Conference is part of the nationally acclaimed Chef Culinary Conference, and you will participate in a focused, multiple-day track designed for healthcare professionals who want to close the nutrition gap in clinical care.
Gain culinary skills, clarity on evidence-based guidance, and ready-to-use patient education strategies that aren’t always covered in standard medical or nursing curricula.
Continuing Education Credits are available.
In conclusion:
I hope that you have found these incredible alumni stories and perspectives reinvigorating. I remain proud of the work you do, and how there is no "typical nursing story". I look forward to participating in the joy of giving back this UMassGives, and would be thrilled to see you at the Healthcare Culinary Conference in June.
Best wishes,
Allison Vorderstrasse
Professor and Dean
Elaine Marieb College of Nursing