A Message from Dean Lisa Kitko

Aug. 21, 2025 — Welcome to a truly extraordinary fall semester at the University of Rochester School of Nursing! This year marks a historic milestone as we stand on the threshold of our centennial. From the beginning — when our first building opened in 1925 as a dormitory for nurses, paving the way for one of the nation’s earliest university-based nursing schools — nurses have been the heart of education, research, and patient care at this University.

Now, nearly 100 years later, that spirit is as strong as ever. Since last fall, more than 500 new students have joined our community — future nurse leaders at every stage of their careers. This Saturday, we will celebrate our newest graduates at the Pinning Ceremony before turning our attention to welcoming our incoming fall cohorts. Together, they join a proud legacy of University of Rochester nurses who have shaped healthcare in hospitals, clinics, classrooms, research labs, and communities across the nation and the world.

We are also delighted to welcome new faculty and staff whose expertise and energy will enrich our vibrant, diverse learning community. This year, our mission comes alive in exciting ways:

• Expanding education: This fall we launch our first Master’s Direct Entry cohort, new interdisciplinary courses in mental health, and fresh approaches to making high-quality nursing education more accessible to all. Learning takes place in virtual classrooms and simulated environments, to clinical practices and in rural areas, preparing our students to transform the future of healthcare everywhere.
  
  
• Advancing discovery: Our researchers are shaping the future of health through five core areas of impact — recent highlights include discovering how stress and trauma affect health across the lifespan and developing resilience strategies, harnessing AI to transform heart and sexual health, and improving the quality of care for cancer patients — all to improve outcomes for the patients and communities we serve.
  
  
• Serving our community: As part of a leading academic medical center, we bring nursing expertise into schools, community clinics, hospitals, workplaces, and long-term care. We partner with communities through research to improve health outcomes, through education to provide hands-on learning, and through providing direct care that helps thousands live healthier lives. Together, these efforts show the impact of nursing in advancing health and equity close to home and beyond.
  
  
• Looking to the future: As we approach our centennial, we are building momentum for the next 100 years with new collaborations, expanded partnerships, and a commitment to leading change with excellence in nursing practice, research, and education.

I invite you to engage with us throughout this Centennial year, beginning with Meliora Weekend, September 18–21, when we will celebrate our 100th anniversary and the launch of the University-wide For Ever Better campaign. It will be a moment to honor our past, connect across generations, and look ahead with purpose and hope.

Alumni, students, faculty, staff, and friends: let us celebrate all we have achieved and the endless possibilities before us. As the season turns and a new academic year begins, may we continue to lead, to serve, and to innovate — always striving for ever better, together.

With pride,

Lisa Kitko, PhD, RN, FAHA, FAAN
Dean, University of Rochester School of Nursing
Independence Foundation Chair in Nursing Education
Vice President, URMC
Professor of Nursing and Geriatric Medicine