Seven Billion

This is my hope as the world’s population welcomes its seven billionth citizen today:

First I want to wish the world’s seven billionth citizen a safe and happy birth. A safe birth is still too infrequent in today’s world where healthcare remains inadequate in many parts of the globe. If the seven billionth citizen is a girl child, I hope she grows into safe womanhood in a world that appreciates her, a world that provides her with a safe living environment, work that is satisfying and stimulating, and recreational opportunities that offer her a healthy life. I hope the seven billionth citizen is successful at creating a healthier world for women, who are at the core of healthy families, successful communities, and productive societies.

Welcome, and know that you can change the world.

The Next Nurse Scientists

This fall, the many wonderful students we welcomed to Penn Nursing included our first cohort of Hillman Scholars in Nursing Innovation. These academically talented, committed, and foresighted students are planning careers as cutting-edge leaders and researchers. With the generous support of the Rita and Alex Hillman Foundation, we have begun mentoring these five inaugural scholars along a streamlined BSN-to-PhD pathway.

Led by our own Terry Richmond, PhD, RN, acclaimed for her expertise in nursing education, the program’s diverse and demanding curriculum incorporates interdisciplinary education with research career development and guidance starting at the undergraduate level. Students work closely with faculty mentors and collaborate with established research teams in Penn Nursing’s renowned research centers.

This is a program of national importance. It is no secret that we are facing a severe shortage of nursing faculty in the United States. The average age of nurses graduating with a PhD now hovers near 45 years old, and data from the American Association of Colleges of Nursing show that 77 percent of nurse faculty are over the age of 50 years.

We expect that our Hillman Scholars in Nursing Innovation will complete their PhDs within seven years of entering Penn Nursing, giving them decades to develop and mature a program of research and advance nursing knowledge. Their program of study is designed to prepare them as innovative nurse leaders who will drive the future of nursing, healthcare, and the health of society. The first cohort of Hillman Scholars in Nursing Innovation and their research interests are:

• Kaitlin Best, critically ill children
• Whitney Eriksen, cognitive dysfunction and autism
• Hayley Germack, health of immigrant populations
• Linda Kang, health policy and the nursing workforce
• Kaori Sakanashi, vulnerable non-English-speaking immigrants.

These future nurse leaders have big energy, big talent, and big plans. They are working side-by-side with our premier Nursing faculty and are being integrated into our broad and rich research community, which crisscrosses the world. I wholeheartedly agree with our scholar Kaori, who said that this initiative presents “a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.” For all of us here, starting young nurses on a journey to becoming the scholars of the future is a dream come true.