2019 is drawing to a close at Frontier Nursing University! Below are some of our highlights from a truly wonderful 2019. Be sure to watch the “Year in Review 2019” video at the bottom of the post as well.
Commencement
FNU celebrated its 80th anniversary this year! Commencement took place in Lexington, Ky. for the first time, where 265 graduates attended with their families and friends. We welcomed keynote speaker Dr. Joycelyn Elders, the second woman and the first African American to serve as U.S. Surgeon General. FNU awarded 852 total degrees in 2019.
Conferences
Students and alumni represented FNU at a multitude of conferences in 2019, including the 64th Annual ACNM Meeting, the AANP National Conference and the NBNA Conference and Exhibit among many others.
FNU also hosted its 9th annual Diversity Impact conference in June. Students engaged in open dialogue and participated in interactive activities including storytelling through dance and an exploration of Polynesian culture through creating an extended lei to honor the land.
Faculty & Staff Accomplishments
FNU President Dr. Susan Stone was formally inducted into the National Academy of Medicine. She was one of only two nurses inducted and the only inductee from the state of Kentucky.
To help meet the needs of students searching for quality clinical sites and preceptors, the Clinical Outreach and Placement Unit was created.
Several faculty and staff were awarded and honored for their efforts as leaders in nurse-midwifery at this year’s ACNM Conference.
For the second consecutive year, FNU received the 2019 Higher Education Excellence in Diversity (HEED) Award honoring its outstanding commitment to diversity and inclusion.
Programs & Events
FNU hosted virtual events for National Midwifery Week and Nurse Practitioner Week. Faculty members and alumni gave informative sessions on a variety of relevant topics, and many sessions offered continuing education credit for viewers.
FNU also hosted a one-day virtual event for National Rural Health Day with four sessions on all things impacting rural and underserved communities.
The 2019 Couriers left their mark on rural and underserved communities during their summer of service, earning recognition from the Kentucky Office of Rural Health, one of the state offices of the National Rural Health Association.
We recognize and honor the past 80 years of impact and growth as we head towards an exciting future for FNU and our community. Here is to a 2019 full of memories and a successful 2020. We’re 80 years down and 80 (and many more) to go!
Dr. Tia Brown McNair is the Vice President in the Office of Diversity, Equity, and Student Success and Executive Director for the Truth, Racial Healing, and Transformation (TRHT) Campus Centers at the American Association of Colleges and Universities (AAC&U) in Washington, DC. She oversees both funded projects and AAC&U’s continuing programs on equity, inclusive excellence, high-impact practices, and student success. McNair directs AAC&U’s Summer Institutes on High-Impact Practices and Student Success, and TRHT Campus Centers and serves as the project director for several AAC&U initiatives, including the development of a TRHT-focused campus climate toolkit. She is the lead author of From Equity Talk to Equity Walk: Expanding Practitioner Knowledge for Racial Justice in Higher Education (January 2020) and Becoming a Student-Ready College: A New Culture of Leadership for Student Success (July 2016 and August 2022 Second edition).