Innovators and Seekers Honored as Distinguished Alumni

Columbia Nursing alumni influence the delivery of health care, establish innovations in nursing education, and conduct groundbreaking research throughout the country and world. Each year, these outstanding individuals are honored as Distinguished Alumni for their professional achievements, service, and influence in healthcare.

A full list of past distinguished alumni awardees can be found here.

 

This year’s awards will be presented at the 2016 Alumni Reunion on May 20th.

 

 “All of the nominees are extraordinary and we are very proud of each of them,” said Joan Hagan Arnold ’69. Arnold and Angela Clarke Duff ’70 co-chair the Distinguished Alumni Awards committee.

 

“The committee selects the award recipients carefully and by consensus,” said Arnold. “We wish we could acknowledge everyone, but in the end, we come to a unanimous decision.”  

 

Nominee submissions are reviewed over the course of several months by the committee.

 

Although the winners range in career paths, ages, and expertise, one thing they all share is drive.

 

“These professionals all share a high level of unfailing motivation as leaders and innovators,” said Duff. “They persist in whatever they are passionate about—whether it’s obtaining research funding, teaching, or mentoring others.”

 

Said Arnold, “The word ‘seeker’ describes all of them.”

 

Columbia Nursing 2016 Distinguished Alumni Awards Recipients:

 

Award for Nursing Administration: Amy Ansehl ’94 ’96, DNP
Ansehl is the assistant dean of public health practice at New York Medical College. She also serves as the executive director of the Partnership for a Healthy Population, a coalition the helps educate and advocate for underserved residents of Westchester County. She actively partnered with leadership and staff of the Visiting Nurse Service of Westchester County to develop a smoking cessation program.

 

Award for Nursing Research: Jill Kilanowski ’77 ’82, PhD
Kilanowski serves as associate dean for graduate nursing programs and a professor at Mount Carmel College of Nursing in Columbus, Ohio. Her research focuses on children of migrant and seasonal agricultural workers, and continues to fill a gap in the literature about this underserved population.

 

Award for Nursing Research-- Wei-Ti Chen ’98 ’02, PhD

Chen serves as an assistant professor in the nurse-midwifery specialty in the master's program at Yale University School of Nursing. Her research focuses on people living with HIV/AIDS in China and immigrant health issues facing Asian immigrants.

 

Award for Nursing Education—Susan Chase ’72, EdD
Chase serves as a professor at University of Central Florida College of Nursing. Her research focuses on health promotion and the support of individuals, families and groups through faith community nursing.  Chase has worked on the development of academic programs and participates in academic program evaluation.

 

Neighbors Humanitarian Award- Viola Ruelke Gommer ’60

Gommer has volunteered extensively in Bolivia, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Haiti, Guyana, and Zimbabwe. She previously served as vice president of patient care services at Mercy Hospitals in Pennsylvania and held other hospital leadership roles.

 

Honorary Award (non-alumni nominees)- Wilhelmina M. Manzano
Manzano serves as senior vice president and chief nurse executive at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital. Under her leadership, nurses at NewYork-Presbyterian can serve as principal investigators of select research studies. She has played a key role in developing dual positions at Columbia Nursing and the hospital.