The Washington State University College of Nursing held its comprehensive All College Meeting on May 9, 2024, sharing faculty and staff updates and recognizing outstanding achievements within the college. New leadership appointments include Christina Chacon as the Tri-Cities Academic Director and Jose Pares-Avila as the interim DNP Director, alongside key staff promotions and upcoming recruitments that underscore the college’s commitment to excellence and growth. Additionally, the meeting addressed budget frameworks and introduced new Nurse Practitioner tracks, led by Fionnuala Brown and Deborah Eti, enhancing the college’s graduate level academic offerings.
Significant transitions within the campuses of Vancouver, Tri-Cities, and Yakima were discussed, highlighting staff departures and ongoing initiatives tailored to each location’s unique needs.
The meeting also honored long-serving faculty members Gail Oneal and Shirley McIntosh upon their retirements, alongside the staff retirements of Tami Kelley and Renae Richter, celebrating their decades of dedication to the nursing profession.
The ceremony concluded with the presentation of several faculty and staff awards, recognizing individual excellence across teaching and service domains. Notable accolades included the Daisy Award to Erin Ferraro for her exemplary clinical instruction and the Excellence in Diversity Award to Brad Schwartz for his contributions to the DEI Advisory Council. Additionally, Ally Young was awarded the Jan Holloway Excellence in Clinical Instruction award, Annette Jenkins received the Undergraduate Faculty Excellence, Connie Nguyen-Truong, Graduate Faculty Excellence award, Tom McMeekin, Staff Achievement award, and Abran Alvarez, for Staff Excellence. These recognitions exemplify the college’s ongoing commitment to nurturing top-tier nursing professionals and leaders.