Penn Nursing

05/29/2026

Please join us in celebrating Kathryn H. Bowles, PhD, RN, FAAN, FACMI, Professor of Nursing and van Ameringen Chair in Nursing Excellence, as she transitions from her faculty role at Penn Nursing on August 31, 2026.

An internationally recognized researcher, innovator, educator, and mentor, Dr. Bowles has transformed care for older adults through groundbreaking work in nursing informatics, transitional care, and evidence-based decision support. Her research and entrepreneurial leadership helped shape national conversations around hospital readmissions and post-acute care planning, while advancing Penn Nursing’s leadership in innovation and health systems research.

We are deeply grateful for Dr. Bowles’s extraordinary impact on Penn Nursing, nursing science, and the future of patient-centered care.

05/28/2026

As demand for advanced clinical leaders continues to grow nationwide, Penn Nursing is preparing the next generation of nurses to lead in complex, rapidly evolving healthcare environments.

Penn Nursing’s Master of Professional Nursing (MPN) program combines rigorous clinical preparation, workforce readiness, and elite healthcare partnerships to help graduates transition quickly into high-impact clinical leadership roles.

The momentum behind the program was recently reinforced by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE), which granted the MPN program full five-year accreditation through June 2031.

“Our mission at Penn Nursing is to prepare clinical leaders who can thrive in complex health care environments,” said Antonia M. Villarruel, PhD, RN, FAAN, the Margaret Bond Simon Dean of Nursing at the University of Pennsylvania.

We are proud to support the future of nursing leadership at a moment when healthcare systems need it most. Learn more here: https://bit.ly/4dDOYNa

05/28/2026

Join us in celebrating the University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing Class of 2026 by viewing our May 18 Penn Nursing Commencement ceremony online.

From future nurse leaders and researchers to advanced practice clinicians and innovators, this year’s graduates represent the next generation of impact in health care. We are proud to recognize their extraordinary achievements and the dedication that brought them to this milestone moment.

Watch the 2026 Penn Nursing Commencement ceremony here: https://bit.ly/2roVKxM

05/27/2026

Penn Nursing celebrates Connie B. Scanga, PhD, Practice Professor of Anatomy and Physiology, as she transitions from her faculty role on May 31, 2026.

A Penn alumna, award-winning educator, mentor, and leader, Dr. Scanga has transformed nursing education through innovative curriculum design that integrates foundational science with clinical practice, strengthening students’ clinical reasoning and hands-on skills. Her impact extends across the University and beyond through interdisciplinary teaching, consultation with nursing schools nationwide, and her MOOC, Vital Signs: Understanding What the Body is Telling Us.

Dr. Scanga’s leadership and commitment to equity have also shaped the student experience through her work with Penn Nursing’s Pre-First Year Program and Penn’s Faculty Advisory Group, supporting first-generation and underrepresented students in achieving academic success.

We are deeply grateful for her years of service, innovation, mentorship, and dedication to the Penn Nursing community.

05/26/2026

In 2004, the Center was officially renamed the Barbara Bates Center for the Study of the History of Nursing—honoring Barbara Bates’s profound influence on the field and helping define the Center’s identity for the future. Through archives, exhibitions, fellowships, and scholarships, the Bates Center continues to preserve nursing history and share its impact with new generations. As part of Bates at 40: Milestones in Nursing History, we’re celebrating the moments that have shaped the Center’s legacy over four decades.

05/25/2026

Penn Nursing’s Derek M. Griffith, PhD, was quoted in a recent The New York Times Magazine article, “Why So Many Men Are Obsessed With Testosterone,” examining the rise of testosterone replacement therapy and the broader conversation around men’s health, masculinity, and well-being.

Dr. Griffith, the Risa Lavizzo-Mourey Population Health and Health Equity University Professor at Penn Nursing and Penn Medicine, brings critical expertise to the discussion, emphasizing that men’s health has long been underexamined and that better research, care, and policy are needed to address the root drivers of poor health outcomes among men.

05/22/2026

What a Weekend!

Thank you for joining us for Alumni Weekend 2026. Whether you joined us to celebrate our Alumni Award winners, explored the SIM Lab during the showcase at Fagin Hall, marched in the parade, or chatted with fellow alumni at the picnic, we loved being able to reconnect with you on campus this weekend.

A photo library of highlights from the parade, picnic, and Alumni Weekend events is available now on the Penn Nursing Alumni website. https://www.nursing.upenn.edu/alumni/events-programs/alumni-weekend/

05/21/2026

Penn Nursing is proud to celebrate a historic milestone in global nursing education through our partnership with VinUniversity (VinUni).

On April 30, 2026, the VinUniversity Bachelor of Nursing program became the first nursing program in Vietnam to receive initial accreditation from the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN), meeting the rigorous standards required for U.S. accreditation.

“ACEN accreditation is an internationally recognized confirmation of the quality of the School’s and University’s nursing education program,” said Antonia M. Villarruel, PhD, RN, FAAN, Margaret Bond Simon Dean of Nursing at the University of Pennsylvania. “It reflects a shared commitment to protecting and advancing public health.”

Congratulations to the VinUni community on this extraordinary achievement and to the future nursing leaders who will shape health care in Vietnam and beyond. https://bit.ly/4uQk49J

05/20/2026

Penn Nursing is proud to host the R25 Short Course for Injury Prevention: Firearm Injury Research, funded by the National Institutes of Health, May 26–30, 2026.

Led by MPIs Dr. Sara Jacoby and Dr. Kate McDonald, with co-investigators Dr. Katie Hoskins, Dr. Therese Richmond, and Dr. Julie Ward (Vanderbilt), this intensive program brings together 20 participants from across the country. The course equips emerging nurse scientists and interdisciplinary researchers with the skills, mentorship, and networks needed to advance firearm injury prevention research—with a strong focus on health equity and social determinants of health.

Penn Nursing is one of only three institutions funded through this R25 mechanism—and stands out for its all–nurse scientist leadership team driving this work.

We look forward to sharing highlights from the program and amplifying its impact in the weeks ahead.
🔗 https://bit.ly/4uIxg0t

05/19/2026

Join us as the 2025–2026 cohort of the Johnson & Johnson Nurse Innovation Fellowship delivers their final pitches this Thursday at Johnson & Johnson headquarters—streamed live.

This culminating event highlights nurse-led innovation and bold ideas designed to transform health care and improve patient outcomes. Learn more about the event and this year’s Fellowship cohort:
https://bit.ly/4dn3hnH

Register to attend the livestream:
https://bit.ly/4du0Gsi

The pitch event is the final, high-stakes capstone of the Johnson & Johnson Nurse Innovation Fellowship, where fellows present the innovative solution...