International Awards for Nursing Excellence

Upsilon Chapter #018

Pi Gamma Chapter #385

On 18 May 1998, the Nursing Honor Society of Georgia Baptist College of Nursing of Mercer University was officially chartered as the Pi Gamma Chapter of Sigma Theta Tau International. The chapter celebrated 17 years of active service in May 2015. The chapter currently has 201 active members. Pi Gamma Chapter accepted its 8th Chapter Key Award during the 43rd Biennial International Convention held in Las Vegas, Nevada, USA, in November 2015. While we struggle with the same issues as many chapters (member retention and participation), we strive to provide a meaningful experience for our members. Our members live out the Sigma mission daily, to advance world health and celebrate nursing excellence in scholarship, leadership, and service. Our dedication, perseverance, and hard work have led to this award.

Jane Marie Kirschling, PhD, RN, FAAN

Patrick R. Coonan, RN, EdD, NEA-BC, FACHE

Dr. Patrick Coonan is the inaugural Dean at the College of Nursing and Public Health at Adelphi University in Garden City, New York, and has an extensive and comprehensive history in nursing leadership and education. He has held senior administrative positions at educational institutions and major medical centers in the New York metropolitan area and in addition to academic administration, has been the chief nurse executive of an academic medical center, a multi facility health system and a teaching community hospital. His previous academic experience includes administrative and teaching positions at Columbia, Rutgers, Long Island and Pace universities, where he developed technology enhanced learning and community based clinics, as well as teaching management, informatics, critical care, and emergency nursing. He has written and presented on numerous management and leadership topics, technology implementation, educational partnerships, program development, measurement and evaluation of education, and healthcare system operations.

Tracy Schwab, MSN, APRN, AGACNP-BC

Jerico G. Alicante, MAN(c), BSN, RN, CNN

Jerico Gamiao Alicante, MAN(c), BSN, RN, CNN, is a training specialist for Research and Development at Health Care Corporation of America – Health Connections based in McKinley Hill, Taguig City, Philippines. He was a critical care nurse intern at the University of Perpetual Help Dalta Medical Center and became instructor of medical-surgical nursing at Our Lady of Fatima University. He is board-certified in nephrology nursing and has served as a member of board of directors for Renal Nurses Association of the Philippines. He is an active member of Sigma's Alpha Eta and Tau Nu chapters. In May 2015, Jerico was elected to the Alpha Eta Chapter board of directors’ Leadership Succession Committee for the 2015 to 2017 term. Mr. Alicante, a Virginia Henderson Fellow and a Billye Brown Fellow, is being considered for the upcoming Who's Who in the World® 2016.