Alumni from graduation years ending in 4 and 9 were celebrated at VUSN’s 2024 Reunion Nov. 7-9 in a variety of activities ranging from tours of the school to the annual Alumni Award presentation. A highlight was the yearly VUSN Quinq luncheon, where the school honored alumni who graduated 50 years ago or more.
Festivities kicked off on Thursday with the luncheon, held in the much-remembered Godchaux Hall Living Room. Attendees were greeted with Prosecco on their way to a seated lunch with Dean Pamela Jeffries and friends. Alumni from the school’s BSN and MSN classes of 1974 were honored as Quinqs, with nine Quinq Plus alumni also in attendance, including a graduate of the Class of 1956.
Friday opened with academic programming featuring faculty from the school’s Collaborative Academic Practice grant. They held a mini-conference, “Achieving Health Equity–Integrating Mental Health and Primary Care” for alumni, particularly graduates of the Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner and Family Nurse Practitioner programs. This new activity was developed by the Reunion team and faculty to provide specialty-specific programming for graduates. Guests received continuing education credits, as well as lunch and networking opportunities. It is expected this event will become a Reunion mainstay, with two different specialties represented each year.
Other activities on Friday included the annual Dean’s State of the School Address and Alumni Award celebration. It honored eight alumni and friends for service, career achievement and support of the school. Award recipients were Suzanne McMurtry Baird, DNP, MSN’95, BSN’84; Lauren Flagg, DNP’20, MSN’13; Hannah Wright Meurer, MSN’15; Pamela Nelson, DNP’20, PMC’20, MSN’98; Courtney Young Pitts, DNP’11, MSN’09, FAANP, FAAN; Julia Cain Phillippi, PhD, MSN’99, FACNM, FAAN; and Tanya Sorrell, PhD, MSN’03, FAAN, FAANP. Elian Cox, MDiv, MA, was recognized with the Friend of Nursing Award. (Read award story.) The awards were bookended by a cocktail reception and a post-award celebratory reception.
The VUSN-focused events concluded on Saturday with a tailgate hosted by the VUSN Alumni Board and Student Graduate Council.
Reunion donors gave back to the school with gifts of more than $300,000. It is expected that number will rise as contributions made through the end of the year contribute to the total. In addition, the school is only 11 donors away from reaching its 2024 participation goal. Gifts made here through December 31, 2024, will be counted in the goals.
The weekend was made possible by the work and support of Class Reunion and FNP specialty volunteers. Overall Reunion Chair was Benjamin A. Smallheer, MSN’04, PhD’11. Beth Colvin Huff, BSN ’74, MSN ’79; Melissa B. Paty, BSN ’73, MSN ’74; Cheryl Smith Anderson, BSN ’79, DNP ’18; Randolph F. R. Rasch, MSN ’79; Shelley S. Keller, BSN ’84; Velinda Youngner Block, MSN ’89; Marcia E. Barnes, MSN ’99, DNP ’10; Joan Marie Jeannette, BSN ’83, MSN ’04, DNP ’23; Jannyse LaNee Tapp, MSN ’09, DNP ’11; Matthew Jay Martin, MSN ’12, DNP ’14; Ekomobong Ekerete Essien, BS ’10, MSN ’14; Andrea Renee Goldstein, DNP ’19; Jolene Elizabeth Ramirez, DNP ’19; and Brie E. LaJeret, MSN ’19; served as Class Chairs. Jannyse Starks Tapp, MSN’09, DNP’11, and Shannon Cole, MSN’94, directed the FNP specialty activities.