Alumni Relations Advancement

Meliora 2021

Health and safety were top priorities during the first large event for alumni, students, and families since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic

On October 1 and 2, the University of Rochester community came together in person and online for two days of reunions, celebrations, conversations, performances, and family fun, including the much-anticipated “One University” Commencement honoring the Class of 2020.

Health and safety were top priorities during the array of events comprising Meliora 2021, a reimagined version of Meliora Weekend, the University’s traditional fall event combining reunion, family weekend, and homecoming activities. The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic meant that last year’s in-person events, including Commencement and Meliora Weekend, had to be postponed.

Although COVID-19 protocols limited this year’s in-person attendance to current students, alumni from the Classes of 2020 and 2021, and their families, Meliora 2021 programming—most of which was available via livestream—drew thousands of participants to rewind, reunite, and reconnect.

The UR School of Nursing held its annual Clare Dennison Lecture virtually. Yvette Conyers ’07N, president of the Rochester Black Nurses Association, was the featured speaker. To watch a recording of the Clare Dennison Lecture and other events from Meliora 2021, visit www.rochester.edu/melioraweekend/virtual-events/recordings.

Assistant professor of clinical nursing Erin Baylor (right) prepares to read aloud the names of the 2020 UR Nursing graduates. A LEAGUE OF HER OWN: Academy Award–winning actor, Olympic-level archer, United Nations special envoy, and gender equality advocate Geena Davis (left) received the Eastman Medal for achievements and service that embody the University’s highest ideals. Afterward, during her commencement address, she told the graduates, “Yours is the generation that is going to save the planet. Thank you in advance for all the good work you will do, you ferocious warriors.”

(Above) Lillian Riley, sharing a hug with Dean Kathy Rideout, celebrated a birthday by walking across the stage and being recognized as a 2020 graduate of the UR School of Nursing’s family nurse practitioner program. Members of the Class of 2020, including master's pediatric nurse practitioner graduates Sydney Lee (left) and Lindsay Doyle (above), crossed the stage to cheers of support from their peers and loved ones as their names were read aloud. “Not only do we honor your academic achievement, we recognize your resilience and your perseverance,” said President Sarah Mangelsdorf during the ceremony.

Save the Date!

Meliora Weekend will once again be open to all alumni, families, and friends in 2022.

Mark your calendars for Sept. 29-Oct. 2!

Nancy Dianis ’85N (MS) took a non-traditional nursing career path, which allowed her to continue to make a difference in the lives of others

As a child, Nancy Dianis '85N (MS) was a natural caregiver. She’d often bring home stray animals and lovingly take care of them. When she was a teenager, she signed up as a candy striper at a local hospital in a northwest suburb of Chicago, where she grew up. She also loved science, so the decision to become a nurse was an easy one.

After earning her master’s degree from the University of Rochester’s School of Nursing nearly 40 years ago, Dianis worked in a variety of nursing positions. A few years into her nursing career, people started to notice her leadership and management skills. At 26 years old, Dianis became a nurse manager at a hospital in Aurora, Colorado. “Patients and their families would ask, ‘Who’s in charge?’ and they’d be sent to me, often with a look of surprise,” says Dianis. “They weren’t expecting someone so young to be in that position.”

In 1988, Dianis moved to the Washington, D.C. area, where her husband had gotten a new job. Over the next few years, she served as the nursing supervisor at Church Hospital in Baltimore, a nursing service chief at the National Institutes of Health (NIH), and the director of medical nursing at Johns Hopkins Bayview.

While at the NIH, Dianis delved into clinical research—she loved it and wanted to incorporate more of it into her career. In 2001, she joined Westat, a renowned company focused on improving lives through research. For the last five years, Dianis has served as its vice president and practice director for clinical trials.

Recently, Dianis made a gift to support University of Rochester School of Nursing scholarships. Here, she elaborates on her career, her time at the school, and the reasons why she gives.

You’ve taken a non-traditional path for a nurse. What have you enjoyed most about your career?

I really enjoy studying pathophysiology of disease and the sociology and psychology of health and wellness through clinical research. And, although I’m not working directly with patients, our research participants are often just one or two degrees away.

I also very much enjoy working with the experienced professionals around me. They are on the cutting edge of science and therapeutics that have the potential to improve patient health outcomes. My team’s job is to support the research process and to advocate for patients, which helps ensure their safety and confidentiality.

Our work is quite comprehensive, too. We have expertise supporting clinical research related to tuberculosis, HIV, cardiovascular disease, and COVID-19 both domestically and internationally. We facilitate research on effective treatments for these diseases and conditions, and we work with government agencies, commercial and pharmaceutical companies, and foundations.

How did the School of Nursing prepare you for your career?

I experienced—and very much appreciate—the triad of education, research, and practice at the school. I had the opportunity to work in outpatient clinics and private practices as a student. I learned from such supportive and encouraging physician and nursing faculty, too. Dean [Loretta] Ford was there, and she exemplified nursing excellence. She showed me, and every one of us, that nothing was off the table, that everything was possible. It was an exciting time to be there.

You’ve maintained your nursing license. Why?

Although my current position is a non-traditional one, it is still a form of nursing. Our team is made up of dedicated researchers with a variety of backgrounds, including physicians, epidemiologists, statisticians, and others. They respect the

Nancy Dianis ’85N (MS), vice president and practice director for clinical trials at Westat and co-chair of the School of Nursing's National Council.

role of nurses, our expertise, and our professional credentials. Maintaining licensure shows my commitment to the nursing practice.

Why did you make a gift to support scholarships?

The School of Nursing launched me into my career, for which I am quite appreciative. This is why I give, and it’s why I also serve as the co-chair of the School of Nursing's National Council. I have also been involved in University’s Network Leadership Council in the D.C. area, too.

I knew I wanted to give back to the school that gave me so much. I reached out to Dean [Kathy] Rideout and asked her what areas needed the most support. I chose to support scholarships to ease the financial burden for students. I know what that burden is like. When I was a graduate student, I received some tuition benefits, but I still needed to work full time to make ends meet. Then, when my clinical requirements came up, I had to reduce my hours. Financially, this was a very challenging time. I’m confident that the school can attract more qualified and deserving students—regardless of their financial background—with more scholarships. I’m glad I can help.

How can others make a difference?

I challenge alumni to think about their career and what it has afforded them. Is there even a small way to honor that value by giving back to the school that gave them their career? I encourage people to get involved in whatever way they can. Make a gift, of any size. Volunteer, attend an event, talk to prospective students, offer an internship or summer experience. You can make a difference in the life of a future nurse and, collectively, we can do even more.

"Although I’m not working directly with patients, our research participants are often just one or two degrees away. I very much enjoy working with the experienced professionals around me. They are on the cutting edge of science and therapeutics that have the potential to improve patient health outcomes. My team’s job is to support the research process and to advocate for patients." —Kristine Kappel Thompson

Support our nurses

Get involved in the School of Nursing’s “Honor Our Nurses” campaign and celebrate, honor, and support the heart of our health care teams. For more information, visit UofR.us/nurses or contact Andrea Allen, senior director of Advancement and Alumni Relations for SON, at andrea.allen@rochester.edu.

Forever Young

This photo from the University archives features three UR School of Nursing students. The badge of the student in the center appears to identify Carol (Young) Jones ’79N. Do you recognize the students flanking her or the date/location of the photo? Let us know your thoughts by commenting on our Facebook page (www.facebook.com/UofRSchoolofNursing).

2021 Volume 1 Photo Update

Elizabeth (Pittman) Keene ‘81N was the first to comment on our Facebook post and identify the students in this photo from our 2021 Vol. 1 issue. They are Margaret “Peggy” (Mould) Hanna ’81N (left) and Ann-Marie DeSantis ’81N, as confirmed by Ann-Marie herself. Gail Grammatica-Blushi ’83N also wrote in and correctly identified Ann-Marie DeSantis.

2020 Volume 2 Photo Update

We also received a few submissions recently about the “54 & 56 Bus Trip” photo that originally appeared in the 2020 Vol. 2 issue. Marjorie Ann (Bush) LaBarbera ’54N wrote in and identified the pictured students as (Left to right): Carol (Joustra) Kinzly ’54N, C. Joyce (Huyett) Shutt ’54N, and Kathryn (Mitchell) Herd ’54N.

Carol (Grover) Goddard ’56N recalls being a student on the bus on the way to orientation camp in the Finger Lakes. She identified the student in the middle as Patricia Mason Barkley ’56N.

Generations after her grandfather adopted a pseudonym in order to enroll in nursing school, Ann Marie Pettis made a name for herself as an international expert in infection prevention

A quick glimpse at her CV and it may seem hard to believe that Ann Marie Pettis, ’81N, fell into a career in infection prevention.

The director of ambulatory infection prevention at Highland Hospital, she is a fellow and president of the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology (APIC), and a founding member of the organization's local Finger Lakes chapter. She has been published in a variety of peer review and trade journals and has spoken extensively about infection prevention and control at local, state, national, and international venues over the past 35 years.

During the pandemic, Pettis has overseen the COVID-19 prevention and control operations across Highland’s 29 outpatient locations throughout Western New York.

But back in the mid-1980s, she was a head nurse at Strong Memorial Hospital’s nursery when an outbreak of staphylococcus aureus struck that unexpectedly sent her down a new career path. The bacteria is considered to be the most dangerous of the many common staphylococcal bacteria, often causing skin infections, but it can cause more serious problems such as pneumonia, bone infections, or even heart valve infections. The outbreak required Pettis to work closely with Strong’s infection prevention team, and she quickly built a strong rapport with them. So strong that when an opportunity came to join their team, she jumped at the chance.

While Pettis may not have always known that she would end up specializing in infection prevention, nursing was always in her DNA. A native of Rochester, her love of nursing grew from two grandparents who were nurses. She was particularly inspired by her grandfather, Frank. An immigrant from Italy and the oldest of 14 children, he had always aspired to be a nurse but feared that his ethnic-sounding surname would prove to be an unsurmountable obstacle to nursing school admission. So, he ran away from his family’s farm in Clyde, NY, and enrolled under a pseudonym. He would go on to work for many years as an ambulance attendant and the nurse consultant for the Rochester Fire Department, where he was known as “Doc Pettis” and earned local legend status.

Seeing the impact her grandfather had in the community inspired Pettis to follow him into nursing. After graduating from SUNY Upstate Medical Center in Syracuse, she worked at St. Mary’s Medical Campus before landing at Strong and continuing her education at the UR School of Nursing under another legend, Loretta Ford, EdD, RN, PNP, NP-C, CRNP, FAAN, FAANP.

Pettis earned her certification in infection control in 1986, leading to positions as the director of infection prevention for both Highland Hospital and the University of Rochester Medical Center. She also became heavily involved in APIC at both the local and national level. She was sitting in the front row of an APIC conference in

2009, when an official from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention took “I think the future can be center stage with an urgent request safer and brighter than ever but we’ve got a lot of work from the Canadian Ministry of Public Health. Infection control practitioners and epidemiologists were needed in to do to make that a reality.” Toronto to assist with the battle against SARS-1. Her hand shot up, and before she knew it, her bags were packed, and she was leaving behind her husband and four children. Pettis arrived at the “ground zero” hospital where the first SARS-1 case in Canada occurred. She saw an unnerving sight, but one that would become all too familiar in the coming years—people, including staff, masked and in line to receive a temperature check before entering the hospital. She also learned that the hospital’s director of infection prevention had just gone on leave, meaning she would now oversee

Pettis

Upon returning from a volunteer stint in Toronto battling the SARS-1 virus in 2009, Pettis authored an editorial warning that the U.S. wasn’t prepared for a similar outbreak on its own soil. Her chilling statement, “My hope is that we in the U.S. do not keep blinders on thinking that this or something worse can’t happen to us,” would appear prescient in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic.

surveillance of health care associated infections, evaluate isolation precautions for SARS-1 patients, and serve as the hospital liaison to the health ministry of Toronto.

The majority of SARS-1 cases afflicted health care workers, a fact many believe stemmed from improper donning and doffing of personal protective equipment (PPE). Pettis was there when the first health care worker died from SARS-1. Many others would follow.

“That was the biggest challenge and fear-generating issue for health care workers,” said Pettis. “Infection preventionists were frustrated since our number one goal is to keep patients and staff safe from infection. We felt helpless.”

After several weeks, Pettis returned home, but she felt compelled to turn her experience in Canada into a cautionary tale. She penned an editorial warning readers that the United States would not be ready for a similar crisis. The country’s health care infrastructure was already stretched too thin and more nurses and infection control practitioners were needed.

“My hope is that we in the U.S. do not keep blinders on thinking that this or something worse can’t happen to us,” she wrote.

SARS-1 introduced a “new normal” including respiratory etiquette and an emphasis on not going to work when sick. The Ebola threat several years later sparked a mandate for maintaining a 90-day emergency preparedness supply of PPE. However, by the time SARS-2 hit, much of the PPE stockpile had expired or was inadequate.

COVID-19 highlighted and exacerbated the current shortage of nurses and health care workers, including infection preventionists, that our country faces. Pettis says it is clear that when it comes to addressing the shortage of infection prevention specialists we need to “build a bigger boat” since they are now needed in many new areas outside of health care such as the food, entertainment, sports and travel industries.

“The problem is the ‘complacency, crisis, complacency’ mindset in society in general and health care in particular,” Pettis said. “Nobody wants to spend the money when the problem seems to have gone away. We have to reconsider this model as we come out of the pandemic because we can’t afford to fall back into this mindset."

“People who go into health care, in general, are selfless and do it for the true love of people and desire to serve. I think the future can be safer and brighter than ever but we’ve got a lot of work to do to make that a reality. COVID has highlighted many shortcomings and hopefully the lessons we have learned won’t be forgotten this time.”

Young Ann Marie Pettis was inspired to help others in part by her grandfather, who ran away from home and changed his name in order to pursue nursing. “Doc” Pettis was well-known in the community for his many years of service as an ambulance attendant and nurse consultant for the Rochester Fire Department.

Yvette Conyers ’07N

Yvette Conyers, DNP, RN, FNP-C, CTN-B, a visiting professor at St. John Fisher College and nurse practitioner at Signify Health, has focused her career on reducing health care disparities, ensuring that nurses incorporate culturally relevant approaches into their care, and magnifying the need for social justice in nursing education and clinical work. In 2018, she was one of the founding members of the Rochester Black Nurses Association (RBNA), sponsored by the UR School of Nursing, and serves as the organization’s president.

What advice do you have for those entering the nursing field?

Find a mentor and join a professional organization so that you can build your professional and personal network.

How are you able to toggle so many responsibilities?

I try to remember that my work is greater than me—that’s what keeps me going. I work hard for the community, for the Black population, and for the nurses who will come after me. That’s the legacy I’m trying to leave.

What are you reading?

The last book I read was Medical Apartheid: The Dark History of Medical Experimentation on Black Americans from Colonial Time to the Present by Harriett Washington ’76. It’s about environmental racism, public health, and injustice, a must-read for those in health care.

What are you most proud of?

Being able to raise my son as a single parent. He’s seen me grow through challenges and break through barriers to be where I am today.

Do you have a favorite quote?

It comes from the Bible (Matthew 19:26), “With God all things are possible.”

– Kristine Kappel Thompson

Connect with us

Learn more about the University’s Black Alumni Network at https://www.rochester.edu/advancement/black-alumni-network

And look for the group on The Meliora Collective: https://www.rochester.edu/alumni/giving-back/ get-social/meliora-collective-groups.

Community action milestones

Conyers has been involved in many high-impact community programs. Here are just a few from the last few years:

• National Black Nurses Association and Black Hollwood

Education and Resource Center (BHERC) COVID-019 grant to help community-dwelling elders at most risk for COVID in the 14605 zip code.

• Received United Way’s community crisis grant and partnered with Roc City Sicklers, an advocacy group for children and families living with sickle cell disease.

Together they provided food gift cards, offered COVID education, and held listening sessions in church parking lots.

• Helped launch “Community Fighting COVID,” a collaborative effort with the University of Rochester,

Rochester Regional Health, Common Ground,

Ibero-American Action League, Jordan Health, the City of Rochester, Rochester Transit Authority, and volunteers. Together, they developed COVID education and outreach programs for communities of color in

Rochester.

• Upcoming: The 2022 rollout of an RBNA “Bridging the

Youth Mental Health Gap” program funded through a

Greater Rochester Foundation grant.