Columbia University School of Nursing

Last week, the Office of Student Affairs welcomed students, faculty, and staff for "Ice and Dice," an end-of-summer celebration featuring ice cream, board games, and opportunities to connect between classes.

During this year’s global integrations, students in Brazil explored the photo competition theme, “Global Health Equity,” through language, sharing how body language, tone, and subtle cues can help patients feel understood, included, and heard across language barriers.

Congratulations to PhD graduate Marcela Algave for successfully defending her dissertation, “Advancing Equity in Fertility Preservation Care for Female Adolescents and Young Adults with Cancer.”

“Getting my PhD at Columbia Nursing was an incredibly rewarding experience that deepened my commitment to improving outcomes for adolescents and young adults with cancer through meaningful and rigorous research.”

We wish her luck as she begins her next chapter!

At this year’s Quality Improvement Poster Session, and NewYork-Presbyterian (NYP) showcased projects from over 150 MDE students addressing key health care topics—empowering students to contribute to real-time patient safety efforts and develop as future nurse leaders.

Congratulations to our MDE students, who celebrated their official entry into the nursing profession at yesterday's Pinning Ceremony, which has been proudly renamed as the “Mary Moran Pinning Ceremony.” This new name serves as a tribute to the legacy of Columbia Nursing instructor Mary Moran, whose unwavering commitment to nursing education and the development of future nurses continues to inspire each graduating class.

Congratulations to DNP students Hannah Maebelle Apostol, Kortney Johnson, and Claire Pettengill, who received scholarships from Nurses Educational Funds, Inc. for 2026-2027, representing excellence in academics, clinical practice, community service, and professional achievement.

DNP students Dasha Efremov, Afza Rathod, and Elizabeth Rosenberg presented their review, "Transitioning out of Pediatric Primary Care," earlier this year, highlighting the importance of proactive planning, patient education, and empowerment in helping young adults stay connected to essential health care services as they transition into adulthood.

As AI transforms clinical care, nursing remains essential in ensuring these technologies strengthen clinical judgment, support care teams, and advance human health, dignity, connection, and trust.

Eric Horvitz, chief scientific officer at Microsoft and Columbia Nursing’s Second Century Award for Excellence in Health Care recipient, emphasized the importance of this message in his commencement speech, now published in the Journal of the American Medical Informatics Association:

"In health care, intelligence is not just prediction. It is timing, context, coordination, relationships, and trust. It is knowing not only what a signal means, but who needs to know it, and what can actually be done. This is why nurses are central."

Read the full speech published in AMIA: https://bit.ly/4pZpo9N

We recently welcomed Father Tomy, director of Bel-Air Hospital in Panchgani, India, to . His visit brought together colleagues from our Office of Community Engagement and Global Initiatives and the Helene Fuld Health Trust Simulation Center; Jennifer Dohrn, special lecturer; and MDE students who completed their Global Student Clinical Program integration in Panchgani this past spring.

A valued partner, Father Tomy continues to challenge us to think boldly about the future of nursing education. We look forward to strengthening our partnership and expanding opportunities for students.