- Nursing Dean Janet Brown Honored with Innovation Award
Janet Brown, dean of the College of Nursing Oct. 25, 2011 – Valparaiso University’s Janet Brown, dean of the College of Nursing, was inducted Thursday, Oct. 20 into the Northwest Indiana Society of Innovators at a ceremony at Horseshoe Casino in Hammond, Ind.
“We are honoring some of the most creative thinkers and doers in Northwest Indiana and the entire state,” said John Davies, managing director of the Society of Innovators of Northwest Indiana at Ivy Tech Community College Northwest. “Among them are leaders like Dean Janet Brown, who exemplifies the highest standards of her great university and also is a fearless champion of incubating innovation in making her nursing school great.”
During her tenure at Valpo, Brown has launched overseas “cultural immersion” experiences for nursing students, and has expanded the College of Nursing’s programs. She created intensive two-week visits for nursing students to Costa Rica, Chile, Thailand, and Nicaragua. She also led the growth of the College of Nursing from 25 students to about 350 undergraduate students, 45 master’s students, and 28 doctoral students.
“I am very honored to receive this recognition,” said Brown. “From the classroom and clinical activities here in the United States to the service work in Central and South America and Asia, we are preparing our nursing graduates to serve the healthcare needs of diverse populations in the decades to come. Our work is the result of the team effort by the skilled and dedicated professionals I’m privileged to work with every day in Valparaiso University’s College of Nursing.”
“Dean Brown has consistently faced the challenge of nursing education with fresh thinking and an eye to advancing the needs of students, professionals and patients alike,” said Valparaiso University Provost Mark Schwehn. “Brown exemplifies Valparaiso University’s commitment to innovative education and preparing our graduates to lead and serve in a global society.”
Brown joined the Valpo faculty in 1977 and has taught graduate and undergraduate courses, and she coordinated the RN-BSN Completion Program. She received the 1998-99 Caterpillar Award for Excellence in Teaching, and was a 2006 finalist for the Nursing Spectrum Excellence Award in Teaching. Currently, she is a member of the Porter Hospital Board of Trustees.
The Society of Innovators is an initiative of the Gerald I. Lamkin Center at Ivy Tech Community College; both established in 2005 to serve the campuses of Gary, Valparaiso, Michigan City, and East Chicago through initiatives that encourage staff, faculty, students, and community to “think differently” in a global economy.