News & Events

SPRING SEMESTER

April 20 – Teddy Bear Health Fair – 4:30 – 6:00 p.m. – LeBien Hall
Grade school aged and younger children are welcome to bring their favorite stuffed animal!

April 22 – SNA Earth Day Event – 4:00 p.m. – LeBien Hall, Room 108

April 28 – Academic Celebration (no classes)

April 29 – DNP Presentations & White Coat Ceremony

May 4 – Mini Massages & Comfort Dogs – Le Bien Hall – 11 a.m.

May 6 – Classes End

May 9 – May 12 – Final Exams

May 13 – Recognition Ceremony – 5:00 p.m. – Harre Union Ballrooms

May 15 – Commencement Ceremony – 1:00 p.m. – ARC

SUMMER I SEMESTER

May 16 – Accelerated Student Orientation – 9:00 a.m. – LeBien Hall

May 17 – Summer I Classes Begin

May 30 – Memorial Day (University closed)

June 24 – Summer I Classes End

SUMMER II SEMESTER

June 27 – Summer II Classes Begin

July 4 – 5 – Fourth of July Holiday (University closed)

August 5 – Summer II Classes End

• CONHP’s Student Faculty Concerns Committee organized complementary mini massages and a visit from comfort dogs in LeBien Hall on Wednesday, May 4, 2022.  Many students took advantage of the opportunity for self-care as they head into final exam week.  Massages were provided by Joy Culver, LMT, RMT.
  
• Our three amazing academic advisors, Janneal Gifford, Jennifer Smolnicky, and Bianca Villarreal, presented their poster, “Creating ‘Space’ for Meaningful Conversation: Building Relationships in Health Professions Advising” at the Great Lakes Region 5 NACADA Conference in Indianapolis this week. Their commitment, compassion, and concern for CONHP students never goes unnoticed.
  
• Congratulations to all of the nursing students inducted into Sigma Theta Tau on Sunday, April 24th.
• Congratulations to Olivia Czerwonka (JR – BSN) for being named the Missouri Valley Conference’s Player of the Year and to Claire Czerwonka (Graduate – DNP) for being named MVC Scholar-Athlete of the Year.  Please read more here.
• Please read ValpoLife.com’s article about the CONHP’s recent U.S. News & World Report ranking as a top nursing program here.
• Congratulations to Dr. Nola Schmidt for being selected as one of the recipients of the 2022 Valparaiso University Award for Excellence in Research and Creative Work by the Creative Work and Research Committee (CWRC).  This award recognizes a tenured faculty member who has made significant scholarly contributions to their discipline and/or to the public discourse over the course of their career.  Dr. Schmidt will be honored for her achievement during the Scholarship and Creative Works Reception on April 7, 2022.
• Congratulations to Professor Jessica Bruskoski on being invited to be a clinical editor for Aquifer, an online platform that the physician assistant program uses for case studies.  She will be editing cases to incorporate basic science concepts.
• Congratulations to Estelle Niego (JR) and Asia Janeczek (JR) who will represent CONHP at the Midwest Nursing Research Society on Thursday, March 31st in Schaumburg, Illinois.  They will present their research group’s work entitled:  Vaping Prevalence After “AVOID” on a College Campus.  Other members of this student-faculty collaborative team that is led by Dr. Terry Kessler and Dr. Lynette Rayman are:  Shamus Marr (SR), Alaina Meyer (SR), Lexi Przybylski (SR), Kaylinn Woolever (SR), Marianna Baca (JR), Isabella Dietrich (SO) and Nick Ridder (SO).
• Congratulations to Dr. Amy Buckenmeyer and Professor Cheryl Slack for their work with public health students in aiding with the nutrition and assessing the mental health status of the elderly. Please read more here.
• Congratulations to Jodi Gass, administrative assistant in the College of Nursing and Health Professions’ Physician Assistant Program, for being selected as the September 2021 Staff Employee Advocacy Committee (SEAC) Employee of the Month.  Jodi’s nominators and colleagues spoke about her service to students and their department, as well as her dedication to Valpo.
• Congratulations to Rami Musleh, Clinical Assistant Professor of Physician Assistant Studies, on the acceptance of his grant proposal to fund an injection model in the physician assistant skills lab.
• Congratulations to Dr. Lynette Rayman will be recognized in the area of ‘excellence in teaching’ by the Fraternity and Sorority Life Committee at their November 4th banquet.
• Congratulations to Janneal Gifford, undergraduate nursing advisor, for having her story, “Blossoming from Burnout” accepted for the October, 2022, publication of the National Association for Academic Advising (NACADA) Pocket Guide titled, Advising is Forever:  Sharing Stories to Ignite (or Reignite) Your Advising Spirit.  The NACADA Pocket Guide is an edited collection of stories that provide an intimate and practical view of advising through an advisor’s personal narrative.
• Congratulations to Dr. Lindsay Munden for once again submitting a written proposal which resulted in successfully securing scholarship funds from CVS for our FNP students.
• The undergraduate research team working with Dr. Theresa Kessler and Dr. Lynette Rayman will be presenting a poster at the Sigma Theta Tau International Nursing Honor Society Biennial Convention in November, 2021. Their poster is titled: “Vaping Prevalence on a College Campus Using a Mixed Methods Design.”  In addition, our students have been asked to submit an oral recording of their work displayed on this poster as part of a special commemorative event honoring the 110th anniversary of Sigma Theta Tau this year.
• In its first-ever listing of the top undergraduate nursing programs in the United States, US News & World Report has recognized the high quality of Valparaiso University’s nursing program, which has a history spanning more than five decades. Read the full release here: Valpo’s Nursing Program Named One of the Nation’s Best
• Congratulations to undergraduate nursing adviser, Janneal Gifford, M.A..  Ms. Gifford served as a reviewer for a major text published by NACADA (the global academic advising association) titled, Advising Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer College Students.
• Congratulations to Dr. Nola Schmidt for her published article, “Effect of Repeated Simulation Experience on Perceived Self-Efficacy Among Undergraduate Nursing Students” in Nurse Education Today.  Dr. Schmidt partnered with international MSN student, Koukab Al Gharibi, for this article as the work pertains to her masters’ thesis.
• New for Fall 2021 – Certificate in Health Administration
• Congratulations to Dr. Christina Cavinder on her successful establishment of a simulated hospital room at Northwest Health Porter for care of infants and children.  This room will be used by staff at Northwest Health as well as by students and faculty of CONHP.
• Congratulations to Assistant Dean Joseph Zaweski for serving as associate editor and publishing two chapters in Ballweg’s Physician Assistant: A Guide to Clinical Practice.  Assistant Dean Zaweski authored Chapter 57, “Finding your Niche”, and Chapter 59, “Be a Physician Assistant Educator”.  Professor Randy Brush was also profiled in the book as he discussed his niche in the PA world.

2020-2021