Introducing the new interim dean

Provost John Koker named Bonnie Nickasch as the interim dean of UW Oshkosh’s College of Nursing (CON).

Nickasch is a UWO faculty member and director of the post-licensure program and interim director of the Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP)-Family Nurse Practitioner program. She has worked at her alma mater since 2009 after receiving her BSN, MSN and DNP degrees from UWO. She is enrolled in the psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner certificate program at UW-Milwaukee.

Nickasch is a licensed registered nurse, holds several other professional licenses and certifications and has engaged in clinical practice since 2000. Since 2014 she has published 13 articles in peer-reviewed journals, chaired 35 doctor of nursing practice student scholarly projects and has presented numerous regional, national and international conferences. She is an excellent teacher, Koker said, and has served on many CON and University committees.

Former CON Dean Judy Westphal retired in July. Westphal, who earned her bachelor’s and master’s degrees from UWO, was named interim dean in 2017 and the following year was appointed dean. She earned her doctorate in 2008 from UW-Madison
and returned to Oshkosh as an assistant professor. She was promoted to associate professor in 2014. A national search for the next CON dean is underway.

Highlighting top nursing alumni

After a year delay due to the COVID-19 pandemic, two UWO College of Nursing graduates—both first-generation college students—will be honored with Distinguished Alumni Awards during Homecoming weekend Oct. 22-23.

Mary Novak-Jandrey ’74, of Venice, Florida, now retired from her role as a national clinical and operations consultant, is recognized for seeing the “big picture” for the future of healthcare.

She also has given back to her alma mater by supporting a number of key CON initiatives. As a first-generation college grad, she knows how life challenges can get in the way of student success. That motivated her to create an endowed Student Emergency Fund for high-quality undergrads experiencing crisis.

Sheria (Grice) Robinson-Lane ’03, of Ann Arbor, Michigan, serves as an assistant professor at the University of Michigan’s School of Nursing, where she teaches graduate courses in leadership and studies how people age in place with chronic disease.

With a focus on gerontology and the health issues of older adults, she advocates for the care of elders by serving on task forces and boards with goals to improve care practices. For questions about the Alumni Awards Celebration, contact alumni@uwosh.edu.

UW Oshkosh is celebrating 150!

UW Oshkosh is celebrating its long tradition of excellence and opportunity with a sesquicentennial celebration throughout 2021. Quality and innovative higher education have been a hallmark of UWO’s success as a premier comprehensive institution, including the addition of the College of Nursing (CON) in 1966. The baccalaureate nursing program began with just 27 students. Upcoming 150th events include Homecoming weekend Oct. 22-23 and the Black and Gold Scholarship Ball on Nov. 13. For more sesquicentennial information, visit uwosh.edu/150.

Honoring UWO nursing grads with Nightingale Awards

Three top UWO alumni have been recognized for their outstanding service by the CON and the Board of Visitors during the annual Nightingale Awards ceremony held virtually in April.

Sara Bronson ‘84 BSN and ‘14 MSN-CNL, was awarded the Nightingale Award for Excellence in Nursing Practice. Bronson, of Kimberly, serves as a nurse practice specialist for ThedaCare Regional Medical Center in Appleton and has made safety and high-quality medical care her top priority for over 37 years.

Bronson embodies the compassionate spirit and dedication of Florence Nightingale and is considered the “go-to” person for her peers when it comes to problem solving and best patient practices.

She goes above and beyond what is expected of her, always making herself available to staff and leadership, day or night, to answer questions or to help navigate high-risk patient situations.

Her passion for nursing excellence and her willingness to help anyone at any time has made her an incredible asset to the nursing profession.

Cindy Kolzow ’93, of Colby, also was awarded the Nightingale Award for Excellence in Nursing Practice.

A strong leader with a passion for educating, Kolzow serves as a staff and charge nurse at the Marshfield Medical Center in Marshfield.

Always looking for new ways to get information out to the unit in an effort to improve their practices, Kolzow created a successful residency program for new graduate nurses in order to increase patient safety, decrease healthcare costs and improve competency and confidence within new nurses.

She is a strong leader who goes above and beyond to provide exceptional patient care and top-notch nursing education.

Audrey Rosin ‘15, of Waupaca, received the Nurse Leader Award. Rosin is known for her consistency and integrity while serving as a registered nurse clinical manager at ThedaCare Medical Center in Waupaca.

Devoted to lifelong learning and clinical excellence, Rosin is considered an expert in emergency preparedness and trauma accreditation. She has the ability to make sense of chaos, encouraging the nursing team to think beyond what they know.

She also created the ThedaCare Trauma Nursing Core Course program and nurse mentorship program, and was instrumental in the expansion of the birth center’s outpatient service line. Rosin is constantly living up to her personal mission of “patient care comes first.”