Wilkes-Barre, Pa.—Ann Kolanowski, Ph.D., R.N., FAAN, professor emerita at the Penn State Ross and Carol Nese College of Nursing, will deliver the keynote address during the King’s College Summer Commencement ceremony on Saturday, Aug. 19, 2023, at the William S. Scandlon Physical Education Center.
This year, 94 graduates will have either bachelor’s or master’s degrees conferred in the presence of family, friends, faculty, and staff. The procession of graduates will begin at 10:00 a.m. and can be livestreamed here.
Dr. Kolanowski conducts research on non-pharmacological interventions for symptoms of distress and delirium in people living with dementia in nursing homes. Her work has been supported by grants from the National Institutes of Health, the Alzheimer’s Association, and the Hartford, Commonwealth and Neuroscience Nursing Foundations.
She has published over 185 papers on dementia care in scientific journals and serves on several scientific advisory boards, including those at Harvard, Columbia, and Brown Universities. She was the recipient of the 2012 Doris Schwartz Gerontological Nursing Research Award and is a fellow in the American Academy of Nursing and the Gerontological Society of America.
Dr. Kolanowski was also the founding director of the Hartford Center of Geriatric Nursing Excellence at Penn State University. She is currently co-editing a text on professional practice in nursing homes and serves as a member of both the King’s College board of directors and the national Moving Forward Initiative, a coalition to improve nursing home care in the United States.
“Graduates of King's College are prepared to not only make a living but to make life better for our entire community,” said Dr. Kolanowski. “I am honored and proud to be part of this vibrant institution.”
“We cherish every opportunity to celebrate the academic success of our graduates with their families and friends,” said King’s College president Rev. Thomas P. Looney, C.S.C., Ph.D. “As our students walk across the stage and receive degrees, we trust that a King’s College education will improve their lives and the lives of others.”
“We’re grateful to be joined by Dr. Kolanowski, whose tireless efforts to advance the health of some of our most vulnerable citizens will inspire this class and advance our mission to form ‘graduates who will champion the inherent dignity of every person and mobilize their skills and talents to serve the common good,’” added Father Looney.