What is a fun fact about you?
This is a tough one! I love to travel, spend time with family, go to concerts, and watch as many hockey games as possible. My husband and I have two dogs, Bauer and Karl, who bring us so much joy.
Tell me about your role and what you like about working at the School of Nursing.
This role continues to evolve, but overall, I get to look at our enterprise that falls under alumni relations. We have over 11,500 Badger nurses living around the world. I’m able to offer them opportunities – big and small – which are all impactful and require little to no commitment for them to engage with one another, with students, and with the school.
That’s a big part of my role. But it’s also about working across the school: What are our friends and academic affairs and student services doing and how is that going to impact our students’ future as alumni and how they want to engage with us in the future?
Being able to work with nurses at every stage of their journeys is really amazing and impactful. I’ve seen, witnessed, and personally experienced nurses changing lives. So being able to do this job every day just feels like a gift.
What has helped you along the way to grow and develop your career here?
On a high level, the School of Nursing is a place where collaboration is expected. You have to meet new people, work across teams, and produce strong work. I think our School of Nursing community is genuine, empathetic, and dedicated to their work and working towards our mission of educating the next generations of nurse leaders.
“Being able to do this job every day just feels like a gift.”
The major focus of my position is stewarding and cultivating relationships with our 11,500+ Badger nurses living around the world, so they are the motivators for my personal and professional development. From new graduates to nurses celebrating their fifty-year reunions, they are testaments to what it means to be a Badger Nurse. Our alumni inspire me to think of new opportunities for engagement and connection.
What is your favorite insider tip about the School of Nursing (e.g., where to find the best snacks) or advice you have for someone who wants to start a career here?
You must be curious and have an interest in lifelong learning to thrive at the School of Nursing. The profession itself has so many facets, but the roles and responsibilities within the infrastructure of the School of Nursing are held by incredibly passionate and smart people. I learn something new every day—and every day is different.
What’s the biggest impact in the School’s 100 years?
I would say one of the greatest accomplishments we’ve had as a school is creating new and innovative ways to meet the health care needs of our state, our country, and our world.
Being able to offer multiple pathways to bachelor of nursing science (BSN) is amazing. For example, the BSN@Home program has been around for thirty years, and our Accelerated BSN program offers a rigorous one-year route to earning your BSN.
What is the future of nursing?
I think the next hundred years are going to continue to refine what we already do. I think with curriculum changes and things like that, it’s not recreating the wheel: it’s creating a better wheel. It’s meeting the needs that are that our world is going to have. What does that look like when populations or our environment change? There might be some crazy innovations in technology.
Every position on our campus makes an impact on our campus community and beyond. How does your role contribute to the Wisconsin Idea?
After working for the University of Wisconsin for eight-plus years, I’ve interpreted the Wisconsin Idea to mean it’s our responsibility to prioritize the well-being of our community over personal interests, to foster collaboration, and work toward positive, collective outcomes. It involves recognizing the interconnectedness of all and striving to create a more equitable, compassionate society. I feel I have a small part in helping advance the mission of the School of Nursing and the nursing profession.