May 6, 2010

The Legendary Gloria Ferraro Donnelly, Dean, Professor and FunRaiser of the Drexel University College of Nursing and Health Professions, took the stage on Thursday, May 6, in the Geary Lecture Hall at the New College Building on the Center City Campus, to STaND UP for her students. Performing stand-up comedy, she proved to be unabashedly smart and wickedly funny, she delivered. An audience of approximately 170 guests enjoyed hearing the stories of her role models and songs for nonassertive women as well as routines about letting go of negativity and weapons of mass destruction-self care for the ages.

The press coverage has been nothing short of phenomenal. Dean Donnelly was interviewed by KYW News Radio 1060 and featured in a lengthy segment prior to the May 6 event. She also appeared on the front page of the April 28 edition of the Main Line Times; in the Philadelphia Inquirer on May 7 and on philly.com; and on the Philadelphia Business Journal's Blog for Health Care on May 14. She had also been interviewed by Nursing Spectrum and Advance for Nurses E-Newsletter. Features should appear in upcoming issues. We also received an inquiry from the Chronicle of Higher Education who was interested in a video clip to feature on their site.

Cast mates included: Ronald D. Comer, DSW, Emcee (Clinical Associate Professor and Department Chair, Behavioral Health Counseling Program); Hannah Oakman-Brown, Song Stylist (MSN Program Coordinator) and Loren Gildar '10, Pianist (Student, Creative Arts in Therapy, Second Years, Music Therapy Masters Program).

The fund raising goal for the event, $50,000, was exceed by more than $14,000. A total of $64,173 was raised. Proceeds will be used to create the "Dean's Emergency Fund to help students with "short-term" financial issues such as difficulty affording textbooks.

Special Thanks to All Who Contributed

Thanks to all who contributed to or purchased a ticket. We are grateful to our event sponsors including:

Preview Cocktail and Hors d'oeuvres Reception Sponsor:

• Drexel Online

Showtime Reception Sponsors:

• Selçuk Guçeri, PhD, Dean
• Drexel University College of Engineering, David E. Fenske, PhD, Dean
• Isaac L. Auerbach, Professor of Information Science
• The iSchool at Drexel University
• George P. Tsetsekos, PhD
• R. John Chapel, Jr. Dean
• LeBow College of Business at Drexel University

Cast Party Dessert and Coffee Reception Sponsors:

• Nurses Service Organization and Healthcare Providers Service Organization
• Mark L. Greenberg, PhD, Provost
• Drexel University Hahnemann University Hospital

Spotlight Sponsors:

• Anonymous I
• Anonymous II
• Bayada Nurses, J. Mark & Ann Baiada
• Tom J. Duffy, Duffy + Partners, Philadelphia Lawyers
• Kathleen E. V. Gallagher, MSN & Joseph W. Gallagher
• Mary Ellen Smith Glasgow, PhD & Mr. Thomas Glasgow
• Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania Nursing Department - We are MAGNET!
• William F. Lynch, PhD, Dean, Goodwin College of Professional Studies at Drexel University
• C. R. "Chuck" and Annette Pennoni
• Rocky Rockstraw, PhD and Jorge L. Gomez-Diaz
• Sandra L. "04, '05 and Stephan A. Sheller, Esq.
• Simon PR
• Vector Communications - Mike Norris

The Dean extended special thanks to all of those involved in the success of the event noting her staff proved invaluable in serving as producers, directors, marketers, copywriters, designers, web masters, sound and video technicians, event planners, friend raisers and fund raisers. She acknowledged: Anne Jensen, Assistant Director, Institutional Advancement; Antonio Jiminez, Director of Operations, Center for Clinical and Electronic Learning Resources; Wayne Miller, Director of Event Services; Rocky Rockstraw, PhD, Director of the Center for Clinical and Electronic Learning Resources and Center for Interdisciplinary Clinical Simulation and Practice; Laura Valenti, Associate Vice President for Institutional Advancement and Debora Weber-Miller, Web Administrator, Electronic and Clinical Resources Center.

Dean Donnelly also thanked her family for enriching her life and providing her with a constant source of materials for her comedy sketches. On behalf of the entire college community, most especially our students, she thanked guests for making dreams realities.

To view photos of the event please visit:
http://allphoto.smugmug.com/Drexel-College-of-Nursing/Standup/12148507_X9HmT#864055844_nfDjT The password is Drexel (with a capital D).

You can also relive or view the memories! Purchase your DVD of the performance today!

Please send your $10 check made payable to Drexel University to:

Ms. Rachel Ward,
Administrative Assistant, The Office of Institutional Advancement

Drexel University
College of Nursing and Health Professions
1505 Race Street, Mail Stop 501
Philadelphia, PA 19102

(215) 762-8868
rsw24@drexel.edu