Penn Nursing Launches Innovating for Life and Living Campaign

April 13^th brought over a hundred people together at Fagin Hall to celebrate the launch of Penn Nursing’s Innovating for Life and Living Campaign. Hosted by Dean Antonia Villarruel, guests included members of the Board of Overseers and other volunteer leaders, students and alumni – including all Penn Nursing recipients of the Penn President’s Engagement Prize, many faculty and friends, and Dean Emerita, Dr. Afaf Meleis.

With a $60 million goal, Innovating for Life and Living seeks to impact the future of policy and practice, the future of research and discovery, and the next generation of Penn Nursing leaders.

“As both a Nursing Campaign Co-chair and a proud alum, I’m excited to be part of this effort to build upon Penn Nursing’s incredible legacy of innovation. My husband Rich and I are strong supporters of pushing the envelope and taking risks to ensure we continue to be in the vanguard of nursing education and leadership, policy and practice, and research and discovery,” said Krista Pinola, Nu’86, Campaign Co-Chair and member of Penn Nursing’s Board of Overseers.

In the words of President’s Engagement Prize winner Alaina Hall, Nu’18: “Innovation isn’t always about technology, but it is always about solutions. And nurses are expert problem solvers.” Many members of the Penn Nursing community shared their stories that day around the innovative solutions they are developing. Dr. Kate McDonald spoke of her innovative work to address reckless teenage driving. Dr. Margaret Souders shared how she and Hillman Scholar, Stefanie Zavodny, are providing research-based interventions for children with autism spectrum disorder. Dr. Pam Cacchione talked about her invention of socks to measure edema in patients remotely. And, through web-based tools, Dr. Dennis Flores told of his efforts to equip parents of gay, bisexual, and queer teens with communication skills that will foster supportive discussions to help avoid HIV and other sexually transmitted infections. Penn Nursing’s Innovation Specialist, Marion Leary, summarized: “They are just some of the many nurse innovators here at the School leading the way in design thinking, intellectual property creation, and commercialization on a large scale.”

“We are the #1 Nursing School in the world, but we cannot rest on our laurels. Our goal for this campaign is to build upon our legacy of innovation, pushing the envelope and taking risks to lead to a healthier future by impacting policy and practice, leading in research and discovery, and preparing the next generation of Penn Nursing leaders,” said Dean Villarruel. “This isn’t about ranking; this isn’t about legacy. This is about impact.”

Campaign committee member and chair of the Nursing Board of Overseers, Andrea LaPorte, Nu’69, explained, “If you love this School for the opportunities it’s given you, for the supportive community it fosters, for the changes it’s made in the care of loved ones, or for any reason: please join us in supporting our efforts to raise $60 million.”

Penn Nursing has never been about leaving work undone. We have always risen to the challenge. We are, and have always been, a school and a community dedicated to making change happen—to innovating not just for care and cures, but for life and living.

You can help us write the story of Penn Nursing’s future and the future of health care, and together we can continue to drive cutting-edge solutions to some of today’s most challenging health care issues. To learn more, visit https://www.nursing.upenn.edu/campaign.