A Legacy of Opportunity

BY BRUCE E. JARRELL, MD, FACS PRESIDENT,

Under her leadership, our nationally recognized nursing programs have grown, and UMSON has made a strong commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion and increased the diversity of its students, faculty, and staff.

BALTIMORE

Jane Kirschling, the Bill and Joanne Conway Dean of the University of Maryland School of Nursing, has often stated that she wanted her legacy to be that she left UMSON a better place to work and learn, grounded in civility, respect, and inclusion. Without a doubt, I can say she has certainly achieved this vision. Since joining the University of Maryland, Baltimore (UMB) in 2013, she has made an indelible mark on the University and will leave UMSON on a positive trajectory of success.

Dean Kirschling has strategically opened the door for so many aspiring nurses. UMSON now has dualadmission agreements with every community college in Maryland that offers an Associate Degree in Nursing program. In addition, thanks to the generosity of Bill and Joanne Conway, substantial scholarships are available to more than 1,000 nursing students.

Dean Kirschling and I share a special appreciation for interprofessional education, knowing that we must address issues from a team-based model. As director of the UMB Center for Interprofessional Education, Dean Kirschling has led the development of best practices in educational innovation, creating interprofessional learning opportunities in diverse settings, including the classroom, the simulation labs, and the Standardized Patient Program. Countless students from across our health, law, and human services schools have benefited from learning how a team-based model and working collaboratively can improve the lives of those we serve.

At the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, I knew I could turn to Dean Kirschling to spearhead collaborative efforts with our partners at the University of Maryland Medical Center (UMMC), developing a vaccination clinic that served the community, first in partnership with UMMC and then continuing solely as a UMB operation. Her can-do attitude has served not only UMSON and UMB, but our neighbors in West Baltimore as well.

Dean Kirschling leads with a level of honesty that is admirable, and she has never shied away from saying what needed to be said. I am grateful for her leadership and her contributions to UMB. I have enjoyed a great partnership with Dean Kirschling and wish her the best in her well-deserved retirement!

In 2022, the Pi at-Large Chapter of Sigma inducted

216 new members who met the academic and service criteria for the prestigious organization.