Dean's Diamond Circle Dinner Honors Leaders in Nursing Education, Supporters of the School

The Dean’s Diamond Circle awards dinner celebrates the significant contributions of School of Nursing alumni, former faculty and supporters. This year's dinner was held on April 12, 2024, at Monroe Golf Club.

At the event, School of Nursing Dean Lisa Kitko was officially installed as the Independence Foundation Chair in Nursing Education. The Independence Foundation, through its generous grant, has established and expanded professorships at the School of Nursing, recognizing individuals like Dean Kitko for their exceptional leadership and dedication to advancing health care and fostering cultural change within the community.

“Dean Kitko is a natural choice for this honor, and together we offer our enthusiastic congratulations for her remarkable achievements and this well-deserved recognition,” said David C. Linehan, MD, CEO of the University Rochester Medical Center, dean of the School of Medicine and Dentistry, and senior vice president for health sciences. “Investing in nursing education is key to the health of our community.”

Award recipients are listed below:

Distinguished Alumnus Award

Eileen K. Fry-Bowers ‘97N (MS)

Eileen K. Fry-Bowers, PhD, JD, RN, CPNP, FAAN, is dean of the University of San Francisco School of Nursing and Health Professions. As dean, Fry-Bowers is committed to collaborating with individuals, families, and community stakeholders to transform health care and eliminate health inequity. She believes we must act intentionally to create a workforce that supports the development, promotion, and maintenance of optimal mental, physical, and spiritual health. Fry-Bowers received her bachelor’s degree from Loma Linda University School of Nursing, her master’s degree from the University of Rochester School of Nursing, and her Juris Doctor from Whittier Law School, where she was awarded the Dean’s Citation Award for service to the law school community and the public. She received her doctorate from UCLA School of Nursing, with an emphasis in health services, where she was awarded a Chancellor’s Fellowship and named a University of California Regents Scholar. Her dissertation research focused on the association of maternal health literacy with structures, processes, and outcomes of care in pediatric populations.

She completed a federally funded postdoctoral fellowship at UCLA in the care of vulnerable populations research with a focus on child health policy. Fry-Bowers’ extensive clinical experience spans multiple health care settings, including acute care facilities, specialty and community-based clinics, and military institutions. She is a certified pediatric nurse practitioner (CPNP), a licensed attorney, and a veteran, having served in the United States Navy Nurse Corps. Fry-Bowers has held faculty and leadership positions in schools of nursing, medicine, and public health, and has experience teaching a variety of courses across all levels of nursing education. She is an elected fellow of the American Academy of Nursing and served as chair for the Expert Panel on Child, Adolescent & Family. She holds editorial board positions on the Journal of Pediatric Health Care and Policy, Politics and Nursing Practice. She was selected as a faculty policy fellow for the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) and served two terms on the Health Policy Advisory Council for AACN. Most recently, she served on the AACN Essentials Task Force, which was charged with re-envisioning the Essentials. She has authored multiple journal articles and book chapters in seminal nursing and health care texts on advocacy, child health, and health policy.

Humanitarian Award

Jonathan G. Terry

Jonathan G. Terry is the founder of the Terry Family Talent Foundation and the Allergy Advocates New York, based in the Rochester metro area. Terry is a graduate of Baldwin-Wallace College, the University of Missouri-Kansas City, and Parsons School of Design. Trained as a lighting designer, he worked in the entertainment and architectural industries for 27 years. He was a member of the production staff at Missouri Repertory Theater, Des Moines Metro Opera, The Acting Company, and the Drama Department at New York University Tisch School of the Arts. The Terry Family Talent Foundation aims to support, encourage, and nurture the talents, abilities, and dreams of members of the community. Dedicated to Terry’s family members, George S. Terry Sr.; Ruth H. Terry; George Spencer Terry, Jr.; Elizabeth “Ann” Gay Terry; and Marty Knapp Seiler Terry, the organization funds individuals and organizations within the Finger Lakes Region in the areas of arts and education.

At the University of Rochester School of Nursing, the Terry Family Talent Foundation sponsors the George Spencer Terry, Jr. B’49 Endowed Fund in Nursing and the Elizabeth “Ann” Gay Terry B’40 Endowed Fund in Nursing. Terry has also served on the University of Rochester School of Nursing National Council. Allergy Advocates New York has a mission to help inform, educate, and raise awareness of allergies and anaphylaxis. The association is dedicated in loving memory to Terry’s sister, Ruthie T. Cornell, who died in September 2009 as a result of an attack of anaphylaxis. Acting as a web-based clearing house for information on the dangers of untreated allergic reactions and anaphylactic shock, the association is an open public forum for new ideas and the latest innovations for the treatment of these illnesses. They seek a leadership role in shaping the direction of public advocacy on related issues and initiatives in the fields of medicine, treatment, and legislation.

Legacy Award

McCollister “Mac” Evarts ’57M (MD), ‘64M (RES)

McCollister “Mac” Evarts, MD, is the former senior vice president and vice provost for health affairs at the University of Rochester and chief executive officer of the University of Rochester Medical Center. After graduating from the University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry (SMD) in 1957, Evarts spent two years in the United States Navy. He completed his residency in orthopaedics at Strong Memorial Hospital. He then joined the faculty of the Cleveland Clinic Foundation and was appointed chair of the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery in 1970. In 1974, Evarts returned to the University of Rochester to serve as professor and chair of the new Department of Orthopaedics. While at Rochester, he was appointed to the Board of Governors of the American College of Surgeons and was named president of the American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery, the American Orthopaedic Association, The Hip Society, and the Association of Orthopaedic Chairs.

In 1987, Evarts was recruited to the Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center, to serve as chief executive officer, senior vice president for health affairs, and dean of the College of Medicine. During his tenure, he revamped the medical school curriculum; tripled the size of the medical faculty; led the construction of a sevenstory, state-of-the-art biomedical research facility; and instituted an MD-PhD program to train physician-scientists. He became chair of the Board of Directors of the Association of Academic Health Centers. In 1997, Evarts was elected to the Institute of Medicine of the National Academy of Sciences, now The National Academy of Medicine. In 2003, Evarts came back to Rochester and was appointed senior vice president and vice provost for health affairs and chief executive officer of the University of Rochester Medical Center. Now, having returned to Penn State College of Medicine, Evarts continues to provide patient care, educate medical students, facilitate in problem-based learning, and interview medical school candidates as a Penn State Distinguished University Professor.

John N. Wilder Award

Frank Dimino

Frank DiMino is an entrepreneur, philanthropist, and friend of the University of Rochester. Born Francesco DiMino in the city of Grotte, Sicily, DiMino and his family immigrated to the United States in 1934, eventually settling in Rochester, New York. After his father moved back to Sicily, DiMino became the primary support for his mother and siblings. He prided himself on being strong and self-made, never complaining about many of the obstacles or challenges life put in his path. DiMino married his wife, Helen, in 1947 and they raised six children together. From his mid-twenties on, DiMino invested in real estate and grew his small construction company into one of the largest in upstate New York.

At the peak of his entrepreneurial activity, he owned and operated an eclectic mix of businesses simultaneously including a boarding and training facility for thoroughbred horses; an 18-hole golf course; apartment complexes; a construction company; and the largest active landfill in New York State. DiMino welcomed the challenge of learning a new business and running multiple projects simultaneously. In 2018, at the age of 92, DiMino finally retired from the active management of his businesses and devoted all his time and a considerable portion of his estate to philanthropy and charitable giving, including support to the University of Rochester School of Nursing.

Dean’s Medal

Judith Gedney Baggs ’84N (MS), ’90N (PHD)

Judith Gedney Baggs, PhD, RN, is a nationally recognized researcher in the field of interprofessional collaboration and collaborative end-of life decision making in the intensive care unit setting. She is currently a member of the Oregon Health & Science University nursing faculty and deputy editor-in-chief of the Journal of Interprofessional Care. Baggs began her academic career with a bachelor’s degree in English, but after a few years and raising three children, she realized that her passion was health care. She then completed an associate degree in nursing and started her nursing career working in the intensive care unit (ICU).

After moving to Rochester in 1978, she completed a bachelor’s program and then received her master’s degree from the University of Rochester School of Nursing where she developed a passion for research. In 1990, Baggs earned her doctorate at the University of Rochester, studying collaboration between nurses and physicians and its effect on ICU patient outcomes. She segued to an interest in palliative care, studying ICU end-of-life decision-making from the perspective of patients, family, nurses, physicians, and other members of the interprofessional team. Her goal with this research was to develop recommendations for ICUs to improve the process of decision-making, thus making the patient and family journey more supportive and inclusive. She worked at the University of Rochester Medical Center for 12 years initially as a Medical Intensive Care Unit staff nurse. For the next 15 years she worked in the School of Nursing, eventually as professor and associate dean of academic affairs. Baggs then moved back to Oregon, working at Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU) School of Nursing as senior associate dean for academics and director of the PhD program. She semi-retired in 2018, but continues to be active professionally, assisting OHSU nursing faculty and editing the Journal of Interprofessional Care.