The pinning ceremony for Indiana University East nursing graduates on Friday, May 16, begins at 2 p.m. with a slide show followed by the ceremony at 2:30 p.m. The annual ceremony for nursing students will be held at the Ligthhouse Assembly of God, located at 2339 West Cart Road in Richmond.

Graduates will receive their pin to wear for the Commencement Ceremony which will be held that night at 6 p.m. at the Richmond High School Tiernan Center. Also at the pinning ceremony, nursing awards will be given to students. This year, 110 nursing students will graduate with Bachelor of Science in Nursing degrees. The first Master of Science in Nursing students will graduate this May. The first hooding ceremony will be held during the pinning for the nursing graduates including four from December 2013 and four from May 2014.

School of Nursing Dean Karen Clark said, “As faculty and staff, we are proud of our graduates and enjoy the opportunity to share these time honored traditions with the graduates as well as their friends and family. As these graduates enter or continue in the nursing profession, our hope is that they impact health care and the clients for which they care in extraordinary ways. ”

Candra McCurdy, Richmond, Ind., is the RN to BSN nominee and Ashley Lacy, New Castle, Ind., is the BSN nominee for the Elizabeth Grossman Award. Each year Elizabeth Grossman, former dean of the Indiana University School of Nursing, recognizes a student from each program who has maintained the highest Nursing Grade Point Average (NGPA) on all IU campuses. These students will be placed in a pool with other IU students with the highest NGPA and the winner will receive a small cash award and an award certificate.  The overall winners will be announced later.

The School of Nursing will recognize the students who received outstanding awards during the Honors Convocation held April 24. Kathryn Wiford, Minster, Ohio, was the recipient of the Chancellor’s Scholar Award. Lacy received the Outstanding Bachelor of Science in Nursing Student Award and Jenifer Keith, Rising Sun, Ind., received the Outstanding RN to Bachelor of Science in Nursing Student Award. Heather Wierzbinski-Cross, Richmond, Ind., was the Outstanding Graduate Student.

During the pinning ceremony, students inducted to the Honor Society of Nursing, Sigma Theta Tau International, Alpha Chapter, will be recognized. Bachelor of Science in Nursing student inductees to the honor society are Amy Arndt, Connersville, Ind.; Lacie Burge, Winchester, Ind.; Jessica Cooper, Richmond, Ind.; Chelsea DuVall, Fountain City, Ind.; Kelly Griffith, Rushville, Ind.; Lisa Goodrich, Englewood, Ohio; Courtney Hochstrasser, Rising Sun, Ind.; Lori Jones, Moores Hill, Ind.; Kristyn Kessler, Richmond, Ind.; Lisa Kinney, Richmond, Ind.; Ashley Lacy, New Castle, Ind.; Melissa Laker, Dillsboro, Ind.; Ashley Maze, Connersville, Ind.; Sabrina Retherford, Hagerstown, Ind.;  Tiara Smith, Richmond, Ind.; Norma Stetter, Brookville, Ohio; Allison Swihart, West Manchester, Ohio; Jennifer Webb, New Castle, Ind.; Kristin Ward, Economy, Ind.; Tami Weston, Moores Hill, Ind.; and Kathyrn Wiford, Minster, Ohio.

The following IU East nursing students have been named to the “Who’s Who Among Students In American Universities & Colleges”:

Sophomores
Joseph Askins, Arcanum, Ohio
Sierra Bass, Brownsville, Ind.
Erika Lemar, Richmond, Ind.
Chad Lewis, Centerville, Ind.
Carly Manis, Muncie, Ind.
Johnny Myers, Lewisburg, Ohio
Danielle Peckinpaugh, Cambridge City, Ind.
Felicia Sweney, Connersville, Ind.
Sheila Wolf, Oxford, Ohio
Katherine Wooten, Brookville, Ind.

Juniors
Kristie Kiracofe, Eaton, Ohio
Susan Kiracofe, Eaton, Ohio
Zach Mogle, New Paris, Ohio
Christopher Mullens, Richmond, Ind.
Mara Sullivan, Connersville, Ind.

RN to BSN
Nicole Drescher, Hagerstown, Ind.
Brittney Gideon, Alexandria, Ind.
Elizabeth Keller, Muncie, Ind.
Jessica Kieffer, Versailles, Ind.
Natalie Norris, Richmond, Ind.

For more information, contact the School of Nursing at (765) 973-8213 or visit iue.edu/nursing. For more information on IU East’s Commencement Ceremony, visit iue.edu/commencement.