2019 Events, Awards, News & Notes

852 Graduates Honored at First Commencement Ceremony in Lexington, KY

Graduates, family, friends, faculty, and staff gathered in Lexington, KY to celebrate commencement on Saturday, Sept. 28, 2019, honoring 852 graduates. A total of 265 graduates attended the event, accompanied by family, friends, and more than 200 FNU faculty, staff, and board members. This graduation was the first to ever be held outside of Leslie County. The new location at Rupp Arena in Lexington, KY was not only close to our Versailles Campus but also allowed for larger attendance and greater comfort for those in attendance.

“As our enrollment and thus graduates continue to grow, it was essential that we find a facility that would accommodate these larger numbers,” said Dr. Susan Stone, FNU President. “The new venue not only allowed for more family and friends to attend graduation but also provided greater access to accommodations for those traveling to graduation and enhanced capabilities for sharing the commencement ceremony virtually.”

Degrees were conferred on graduates who completed the Doctor of Nursing Practice degree, Master of Science in Nursing degree, or Post-Graduate Certificate. To accommodate the nearly 2,000 attendees, the ceremony was moved from its traditional location in Hyden, Ky., to Lexington Center’s Bluegrass Ballroom in Lexington, Ky. An annual highlight of the commencement ceremony is the awards presented to faculty and students who showed exceptional performance and leadership:

Doctor of Nursing Practice Leadership Award: Heather Haslun, DNP

Nurse Practitioner Leadership Award: Kristin DeArruda Wharton, MSN, FNP

Kitty Ernst Leadership Award: Heidi Phillips, MSN, CNM

DNP Exemplary Project Award: Carla Bray, DNP

Student Choice Academic Faculty Award for Excellence in Teaching: Janet Engstrom, PhD, APRN, CNM, WHNP-BC, CNE

Student Choice Regional Clinical Faculty Award for Excellence in Teaching: Nancy Pesta Walsh, DNP, FNP

Former U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Joycelyn Elders Addresses Graduates

FNU was honored to welcome Dr. Joycelyn Elders, M.D. as the keynote speaker at the 2019 commencement ceremony. In 1993, Dr. Elders was appointed as the 15th Surgeon General

of the United States, becoming the second woman and the first African American to serve in the role. Dr. Elders shared her inspiring journey of rising from her upbringing in rural Arkansas through the medical and governmental ranks. Throughout her career, she achieved ground-breaking success in her office practice, medical research, and education leadership. Now retired, she still plays an active role in public health education in her Arkansas community.

“It was a tremendous honor to have Dr. Elders join us as the keynote speaker for our 2019 commencement ceremony,” said FNU President Dr. Susan Stone, who joined FNU Board of Director chair Dr. Michael Carter in awarding Dr. Elders an FNU honorary doctorate. “We are so thankful and proud that she shared her story with our graduates and their families.” In her commencement address, Dr. Elders spoke about the important role the graduates will play in the health care of the country.