The College of Nursing's First 100 Years: Reflecting Back, Looking Ahead

In Our Centennial Year, We Honor our 100 Alumni Transformers in Nursing & Healthcare - and Look Ahead to a Sensational Future

“The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams” is a quote by Eleanor Roosevelt, which depicts a key element that has contributed to the tremendous success of our college over the past 100 years. However, vision without execution does not lead to results. Our college has had visionary leaders, alumni, faculty, staff and students who have dreamed big dreams, believed in those dreams, and persisted until their dreams came to fruition, resulting in extraordinary outcomes. These achievements are especially embodied in the phenomenal accomplishments of the 100 pioneering individuals honored at our hugely successful Centennial Gala and our college’s innovative deans and leaders who have provided visionary leadership and execution over the past century.

I am very blessed to be dean of our College of Nursing during this landmark Centennial year. We have so much to be proud of during the past 100 years due to the great foundation for superb nursing education, impactful research, and evidence-based practice established by our predecessors, which now propels us to think and do the impossible—a phrase that is central to the vision of our college. Our future is amazingly bright, and I am exceedingly confident that we will continue to take risks and pioneer new discoveries to transform healthcare in Ohio, the nation, and the world over the next 100 years.

At Ohio State, we prepare our graduates to LIVE WELL—to Lead, Innovate, have Vision, Execute, and to be Wellness focused, Evidence-based, Lifelong learners and Lights for the world, locally and globally. In this edition of Transformations, you will read about our high-caliber students across all academic programs who are shining examples of these attributes.

Through the generosity of our alumni and donors, we are establishing two new professorships, which will allow us to recruit nationally renowned faculty to our college. I am extremely appreciative for a landmark gift by FloAnn and John Easton to establish the FloAnn Sours Easton Professor of Child and Adolescent Health. In addition, generous gifts by our alumni and donors have been instrumental in the establishment of our college’s Centennial Professor of Nursing.

I am continually impressed by the tremendous impact of our alumni and their love for our alma mater as they emulate OH-IO across the globe. There truly is no passion like that of Ohio State faculty, staff, students and alumni. We are forever bonded through such deep and abiding Buckeye spirit and a profession that is vital to the health and wellness of people throughout the world. As we move forward into our next 100 years, let’s dream even bigger dreams and garner a deeper passion for transforming health and transforming lives. Here’s to world of wellness, one that is free from disease and filled with the highest quality of life. Go Bucks!

Warm and well regards,

Bernadette Mazurek Melnyk,
PhD, Rn, CPNP/PMHNP,
FNAAP, FNAP, FAAN

Associate Vice President for Health Promotion; University Chief Wellness Officer; Dean and Professor, College of Nursing; Professor of Pediatrics & Psychiatry, College of Medicine