Goldfarb School of Nursing, including the nurse anesthesia program, celebrated its commencement ceremony on Saturday, December 18, 2021 at the Powell Symphony Hall.
On Saturday afternoon, family members and anesthesia providers were invited to a special hybrid ceremony where Nancy Ridenour, PhD, APRN, BC, FAAN, the Maxine Clark and Bob Fox President of Goldfarb School of Nursing, Mayola Rowser, PhD, DNP, FNP-BC, PMHNP, the Jack Taylor Dean of Goldfarb and Michael Avidan, MBBCh, FCASA, Dr. Seymour and Rose T. Brown Professor of Anesthesiology and head of the Department of Anesthesiology gave opening statements to the graduates. Chris Huckstep, CRNA, and Michael McLean, the 2021 Class President, provided wonderful presentations to all in attendance.
Bernadette Henrichs, the program director, presented the Tsugie Watanabe Award for Outstanding CT SRNA and Brian Torres, the assistant program director, presented the Watanabe-Henrichs Endowed Scholarship Awards and the Agatha Hodgins CRNA award. Sarah Perez, nurse anesthesia program faculty, presented the Award for Clinical Excellence. The graduates also presented awards.
Overall, nine graduates completed their nurse anesthesia education and received a Master of Science in Nursing. Seven of the graduates will be working as CRNAs in the Washington University Department of Anesthesiology once they complete their certification examination. The following awards were given:
- Award for Clinical Excellence: Fillmore Almiron
- Agatha Hodgins CRNA Award: Claira Sousa
- J.L. London Nursing Award: Melissa Milnor
- Watanabe-Henrichs Endowed Scholarship Award Recipients: Katherine Mette and Hunter Niemeyer
- The Beverly Krause Outstanding CRNA Clinical Instructor: Sinokuthaba “Snono” Sibanda
- Outstanding MD Clinical Instructor: Alexander Hincker
- The Helen Lamb Outstanding Didactic Instructor: Bernadette Henrichs
Congratulations to the entire Class of 2021 Nurse Anesthesia cohort!