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When James Wang, a University of Maryland School of Nursing (UMSON) Master of Science in Nursing Entry-into-Nursing program graduate, came back from his military deployment, he was admitted to a psychiatric unit. Days felt strange, his future unclear, he said. But the kindness of a nurse on the ward changed his life. “You’re still here. That means something,” the nurse told him. And now, Wang, the student speaker at UMSON’s December 2025 Graduation ceremony, is setting out in a career in that very same field of psychiatric mental health nursing. “Today, when people look at us, they see the nurses are ready to heal the world, but behind every gown is a journey that most will never see, and that journey connects us across generations,” Wang said during his address. “Nursing is not only a profession — nursing is also a legacy. A legacy is part of us and continues to live in someone we care for. And my legacy came from a military nurse. “That simple moment changed my life. From her, I inherited something: the courage to keep going and the calling to one day sit beside others in their own darkness. Today, I'm standing here, not only as a survivor, a veteran, but also as a future psychiatric nurse and ready to carry this legacy forward,” Wang added. On Dec. 12, in the ceremony held at the Hippodrome Theatre at the France-Merrick Performing Arts Center in Baltimore, 300 degrees were conferred to summer and fall 2025 graduates, including 234 Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) degrees, 59 master’s degrees, four Doctor of Philosophy degrees, and three certificates. Of these, 261 were new nurses entering the workforce. “To all of our graduates: You have persevered, you successfully passed all your semesters, you’ve completed all your assignments, and you have indeed earned your degree, all while balancing multiple demands and stressors. You have my deepest respect for all that you've been able to accomplish,” said Yolanda Ogbolu, PhD ’11, MS ’05, BSN ’04, NNP, FNAP, FAAN, the Bill and Joanne Conway Dean of the University of Maryland School of Nursing. Ogbolu selected Steve Pease, MS, associate dean for administration and finance, to carry the ceremonial mace that leads the processional. Pease, who has served in several capacities at the University of Maryland, Baltimore (UMB) over 25 years, is retiring at the end of the calendar year; he is the first staff member ever to carry UMSON’s mace. Nicole Beeson, DNP ’23, MSN ’21, MBA, BSN ’11, RN, CENP, senior vice president of patient care services and chief nursing officer at the University of Maryland St. Joseph Medical Center, was this year’s distinguished speaker. As Wang did, she shared the impact kindness had on her in one of her darkest moments. Beeson, a career trauma nurse, spoke of a gruesome motorcycle accident she and her husband survived during a vacation in France. Lying on the pavement in the rain after having been thrown from the motorcycle, Beeson was comforted by strangers who rushed to her side and prayed with her until help arrived, she said. “In that moment, these perfect strangers living in a totally different country — we met each other. In that instant, I felt safe,” Beeson said, later adding, “I will likely never see those two women again, but they have imprinted on the spirit and on my soul, just as you will imprint on the spirit of the souls that you touch because you have joined this profession, and you do it with humility and courage, because it takes courage to have compassion. … I’ll remind you that compassion is your superpower.” Speakers throughout the entire graduation ceremony focused on the impact nurses make. Roger J. Ward, EdD, JD, MSL, MPA, UMB provost and executive vice president, officially conferred graduates’ degrees. His message was clear: Nurses and the work they do change, and save, lives. “I wish to take this opportunity to remind you and to reaffirm with you that, notwithstanding what some may say, nurses are professionals. … I can say without equivocation that if nurses aren’t professionals, I don’t know which profession is,” Ward said. “We, your faculty, the leadership of this university, the patients you serve and will continue to serve, and anyone anywhere who has sought medical care know that your profession is the backbone and foundation of every health care ecosystem.” Later in the ceremony, Angyeaba N. Aparandi, a BSN graduate, and Abel Salmon, a master’s entry-into-nursing graduate, received the DAISY Award for Extraordinary Nursing Students. DAISY awards are given each fall and spring to two graduating entry-into-nursing students who demonstrate outstanding compassion and care to patients and their families. Tabitha Legambi, DNP ’19, BSN ’02, RN, CEN, CNE, assistant professor, received the DAISY Award for Extraordinary Nursing Faculty, which is given to nursing faculty in recognition of their commitment to education and for their inspirational influence on students.  As the graduates listened, along with family and friends, Wang encouraged them to think of the tremendous impact the Class of 2025 will make on the world. “One day, someone you have never met will be sitting in the darkest moment of their life,” he said. “They will be shaken, they will be terrified, and they will get ready to despair, and we will be the ones who walk in, not because we’re fearless, but because we understand their pain. Not because we carry perfection, but because we’ve been through this. And in that moment, everything we struggled, everything we endured, and everything we thought might break us will become the reason someone else survives, and that is nursing.” See a slideshow of photos from the event:

Baltimore, MD – Yvette Conyers, DNP, RN, FNP-C, CTN-B, CFCN, CFCS, CNE, FADLN, CWCN-AP, assistant professor and associate dean for strategic engagement and impact at the University of Maryland School of Nursing (UMSON), has been named one of two recipients nationwide of the 2025 - 26 American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) Faculty Scholars Grant from the Foundation of Nursing, the philanthropic arm of the AACN. Conyers, selected from among 147 applicants, will receive $25,000 in support of her project, titled “Nursing Policy Academy: Experiential Learning to Advance Nursing Policy and Leadership.” The project seeks to implement and evaluate a one-year Nursing Policy Academy with 10 students from UMSON’s bachelor’s and master’s entry-into-nursing programs. The goal is to assess the academy’s impact on building policy competencies through hands-on experience in health care policy processes, enhancing leadership skills via direct interaction with policymakers and advocacy organizations, and fostering long-term engagement in policy advocacy efforts. “Receiving the AACN Faculty Scholars Grant is both an honor and a deeply affirming moment in my journey as a nurse educator and advocate,” Conyers said. “Personally, it reflects the culmination of years of my dedication to advancing health equity, culturally responsive care, and policy engagement. Professionally, it validates the importance of integrating experiential learning into nursing education, especially in the realm of health policy, and affirms the value of preparing nurses to be leaders and changemakers beyond the bedside.” With more than 20 years of experience in clinical practice, nursing education, and advocacy, Conyers serves as chair of the Health Policy Conference Planning Committee for the American Association of Nurse Practitioners, is a Fellow of the Academy of Diverse Leaders in Nursing and was a 2025 participant in the Healing Politics Campaign School for Nurses and Midwives. She is also a George Washington School of Nursing Fellow in Health Policy and Media for the 2025 - 26 academic year. Conyers integrates restorative practices and equity into her leadership, including contributing to legislation passed for health professional training on structural racism. Her work advances nursing’s role in policy, leadership, and system transformation to ensure justice and improved outcomes across diverse communities. The AACN board of directors established the Faculty Scholars Grant Program in 2020 to support nurse educators whose scholarly work addresses pressing issues in nursing education and practice while advancing AACN’s strategic priorities. ### The University of Maryland School of Nursing, founded in 1889, is one of the oldest and largest nursing schools in the nation and is ranked among the top nursing schools nationwide. Enrolling nearly 2,100 students in its baccalaureate, master’s, and doctoral programs, the School develops leaders who shape the profession of nursing and impact the health care environment.

Each year, more than 700 people die from extreme heat in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Climate change is making these types of death more common.   A 2025 study from the Yale School of Public Health highlighted those increases, finding that deaths linked to heat exposure surged more than 50% over the past two decades.  And Baltimore is no exception.  On Aug. 2, 2024, Baltimore Department of Public Works employee Ronald Silver II died of hyperthermia after overheating while working a city trash route. His death was investigated by the Maryland Occupational Safety and Health Administration, and his employer was found to be at fault.  “He was only 36 years old. He was a father of three, and he had very classic symptoms of heat illness leading up to the heat stroke. There was warning that could have been acted on,” said Marianne D. Cloeren, MD, MPH, associate professor at the University of Maryland School of Medicine (UMSOM) last month at the “Climate, Health, and Policy in Maryland: The State Steps Up” symposium.  The event at the University of Maryland, Baltimore (UMB) brought together leaders from across Maryland — including those in higher education, medicine, and community organizations — for conversations about the impact of climate change on health and what the state is doing to address the issue.   Improving health outcomes caused by environmental changes will take a collaborative approach, something UMB is systemically building into its campus values — through interdisciplinary curricula, advocacy, and hands-on work within the community.   Addressing Climate Change Through Collaboration  Faculty from the University of Maryland schools of Medicine, Nursing, and Law, along with the University of Maryland, College Park (UMCP) Marine-Estuarine Environmental Sciences Graduate Program, have collaborated over the past three years to educate students and build community partnerships that tackle the problems of a changing climate.  Read More