By Jamie Nicpon | Office of Communications & Marketing | 11-11-2018

Veterans Day provides an opportunity to formally honor and recognize the men and women who have served their country in the United States Armed Forces. Health care professionals are certainly no strangers to serving in the military, and several current and former UI College of Nursing faculty, staff, and students share this common bond.

“During my time at the college, I have been impressed with how many of our faculty, staff, students, and alumni have been or continue to be involved in the United States military. I would personally like to thank all those who have served our country,” said Dean Julie Zerwic, PhD, RN, FAHA, FAAN.

According to the UI Registrar’s Office, 1 percent of undergraduate nursing students and 4.4 percent of graduate nursing students are veterans or active military. (University-wide, 1.4 percent of all undergraduate students and 1.4 percent of all graduate students are veterans or active military.)

As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them.” -- John F. Kennedy

Many of the college’s faculty and staff who have served or are still serving include the following:

Professor Ken Culp – U.S. Air Force (active duty), U.S. Army (officer), and U.S. Navy (officer)

Associate Professor Tess Judge-Ellis – U.S. Army Nurse Corps (1988-1993)

Lecturer Julie Vignato – Served in the U.S. Navy Nurse Corps for approximately 10 years, including service during 9/11

Dean Emeritus Geraldene Felton – Served for 20 years in U.S. Army Nurse Corps and retired as Lieutenant Colonel

Associate Professor Richard Bogue – U.S. Air Force (1973-1977)

Professor Julie Stanik-Hutt – U.S. Navy Nurse Corps (1975-1985)

Program Coordinator Mary Kosobucki – U.S. Air Force (1986-1992)

Lecturer Cathy Abrams – Served in the U.S. Army Nurse Corps for 13-and-a-half years, including one tour of duty in Vietnam (1971 to 1972) 

Postdoctoral Research Fellow Katie Robinson – actively serving the Iowa Air National Guard (185th Air Refueling Wing) for 10 years and counting 

Assistant Professor Dan Wesemann – U.S. Army (1992-1995)

Technology Innovations Scientist Todd Papke – U.S. Air Force (1979-1985)  

Associate Professor Emeritus Paula Mobily – U.S. Navy Nurse Corps (1971-1973)

Assistant Professor Andrea Achenbach – U.S. Air Force (1999-2006 and 2010-2014)

Associate Professor Sue Moorhead – U.S. Army (active duty 1968-1975; reserve 1975-1996 then retired as Colonel)

Professor Toni Tripp-Reimer – U.S. Army (1965-1972)

Professor Emeritus Kitty Buckwalter – U.S. Navy Nurse Corps (1971-1974, including the Vietnam War)

Assistant Professor Frances Milde – U.S. Air Force

In addition to U.S. veterans who are current and former faculty and staff, the college also boasts several current and former students who have served, and many more who provide care for Iowa’s Veterans.

The VA Health Care System (VAHCS) in Iowa City staffs several Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists (CRNAs), many of whom are graduates from the college’s Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Anesthesia Nursing program.

Some of these alumni at the VAHCS in Iowa City include Paul Deninger (ARNP class of 2001); Mackenzie Kelley (Chief CRNA, ARNP class of 2009); Mitchell Dotson (MSN class of 2012, DNP class of 2016); Ramona Miller (ARNP class of 2013); Haley Smith (ARNP class of 2013); Jane Day (ARNP class of 2016); and Matt Brockway (ARNP class of 2018 and currently serving in the U.S. Army Reserve). Daniel School (ARNP class of 2016) is a CRNA at the VAHCS in Des Moines.

Additionally, CRNA Randy Cornelius (MSN class of 2009, DNP class of 2017), who is the current president of the Iowa Association of Nurse Anesthetists (IANA), is an active member of the U.S. Army Reserve and has completed two tours of duty in Afghanistan. 

UI Anesthesia Nursing also has several Veterans currently enrolled in the program, including Jenna Moliga (U.S. Army), PJ Giovannini (U.S. Marines), Deb Rosol (U.S. Army), and John Sherrill (U.S. Air Force).

The UI College of Nursing is grateful for all of these UI veterans and for all who have served across the country and around the world. 

 How important it is for us to recognize and celebrate our heroes and she-roes!” -- Maya Angelou

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