Penn Nursing 090805_final_4c - University of Pennsylvania School ...

From the Dean
Dean Afaf Meleis posed with alumnae Gladys Mouro (left) and Martha Hill (right) at the American University of Beirut, Lebanon, at their 100th Anniversary nursing program celebration.
…faculty members of the
University of Pennsylvania
School of Nursing are engaged
in many interdisciplinary
teams. …The ultimate goal
is to improve patient care.
This is the future of science.
Just about a year ago we gathered as a
School with the chair of our Board of
Overseers, Judge Midge Rendell (who
is also the First Lady of Pennsylvania),
the President of our great university,
Amy Gutmann, Senior Vice President
Omar Blaik, and friends from near and
far, to break ground for the first phase
of renovations to our building.
One year later, we are moving into
our new space.This multi-million dollar
renovation is more than bricks and
mortar.We are literally turning a new
face to the world with much improved
service areas.Where there was a brick
wall, there is now a façade of glass and
light; where there was a little-used
lobby, there is a lively internet café;
where there was only a dreary outdoor
area, there is an inviting walkway that is
easily navigated by anyone, with or
without physical challenges. Most
importantly, our newly-outfitted
Student Affairs area is more accessible,
inviting, and visible, and we all anticipate
that it will be more easily used by
our students.They will now have more
privacy when airing concerns or
receiving information.Visitors are
drawn in by our welcoming entrance
and our friendly and accessible space.
As my thoughts turn to the
process of creating this great new environment,
for work and study, it’s
important to look back upon the picture
of those breaking ground, and the
many others not pictured, who pulled
together from different disciplines and
walks of life to achieve a shared and
common goal.As with other projects
in our school, this project reflects collaboration
and interdisciplinarity.
While we often think of the life
of the mind as a solitary pursuit, that is
becoming less true as we recognize the
gains to be made in the pursuit of new
knowledge by partnering with fellow
scientists from other disciplines.As we
saw with our renovation, people with
different talents, backgrounds, and dis-
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