University Of Southern Nevada

Class of 2003 and 2004 Alumni, along with USN's Board of Trustees, Administration, Faculty and staff, and Friends of the University, are invited to join us for this special, first-of-its-kind event for USN. 

Alumni are complimentary for events. Other guests are $50 for the Friday night pool-side Welcome Reception and $120 for the Saturday night Alumni Dinner. Guests may attend both events for $170. Registration is available online. The deadline to register is Sept. 18, 2009

Additionally, USN will host Continuing Professional Education for pharmacists on Sunday. The event is open to all pharmacists. Information about this program is available online.

For more information about the USN Alumni Reunion Weekend, contact Jackie Seip (702-968-2020) or Jason Roth (702-968-1633).

The first classes at the South Jordan campus are scheduled to begin in January 2010.

“We have worked very hard to build a successful BSN program at our Henderson, Nev. campus, with a focus on high academic standards and student competency,” said Dr. Harry Rosenberg, USN’s founding president. “We’re very excited to bring the program to students in Utah who are looking for an intellectually challenging and rewarding nursing program that will prepare them to meet the healthcare needs of Utah and the surrounding regions.”

According to Dr. Mable Smith, dean of the USN College of Nursing, USN’s BSN program will be highly attractive to Utah students because of the university’s state-of-the-art teaching and lab facilities and the university’s unique block curriculum system in which students focus on one study area at a time to master course content and take full advantage of the clinical experience.

“USN’s block curriculum, coupled with a year-round academic calendar, allows our students to earn a BSN in just 18 months. Because the program is completed about six months earlier than most programs, more job-ready nursing candidates will be available to combat the region’s nursing shortage,” said Dr. Smith.

While Utah, like much of the nation, continues to suffer from a severe shortage of registered nurses to meet the healthcare needs of a growing population, the state’s current nursing schools are struggling to meet the demand due to limited enrollment capacity.

“USN’s BSN program will provide another option for Utah students eager to enter the rewarding career of nursing,” added Smith.

To administer the BSN program in Utah, USN has appointed Dr. Connie Carpenter as the College of Nursing’s Utah campus dean. She will oversee and maintain academic standards, student recruitment and admissions, and supervise faculty.

Dr. Carpenter has extensive experience as a nurse practitioner and in nursing education. She was the founding dean at Oklahoma Panhandle State University and Nevada State College in Henderson. She earned a Bachelor of Science in Nursing, Master of Science in Pediatric Nursing and Doctor of Education from University of Oklahoma.

“Dr. Carpenter’s knowledge and passion for nursing and nursing education will be invaluable as we expand the College of Nursing to Utah,” said Dr. Smith. “We are extremely confident that her leadership in Utah will yield great success.”

The USN College of Nursing launched its Bachelor of Science in Nursing in Henderson, Nev. in 2006 with an inaugural class of 26 students in October 2007. The college has graduated a total of 105 BSN students.

The USN Bachelor of Science in Nursing program in Nevada is accredited by the National League for Nursing Accrediting Commission, Inc. (NLNAC). The College of Nursing will seek accreditation from NLNAC for the program in Utah. The university is regionally accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (NWCCU).

Detailed information about the program as well as prerequisite and admission requirements are being sent to college counselors and academic advisors throughout the state. Program information is also available in the College of Nursing section of the university’s Web site.

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Connections Spring 2009 (pdf 2MB)

“The University of Southern Nevada congratulates the team for their extraordinary accomplishment,” said Dr. Harry Rosenberg, USN’s founding president. “They are exceptional representatives of the university and its mission to educate competent professionals.”

Members of the USN team, Ruchir Patel, Chuen Chie Chiang, Uttampal Singh and Michael Moore, presented their plan to create a College of Dentistry at The University of Arkansas to a panel of judges at an event held in Reno on Wednesday. The team’s plan aims to educate aspiring dental health professionals in providing high-quality oral health care through excellence in research, patient care and outreach to underserved populations.

At an awards dinner held March 23 at Reno’s Peppermill Hotel, the team was awarded the $20,000 first place prize, beating five other admirable teams in the graduate category. The team also won the right to compete at the Tri-State Donald W. Reynolds Governor’s Cup where the winning teams from Nevada, Arkansas and Oklahoma compete for a for cash awards totaling $90,000. That event will take place on May 27 in Las Vegas.

“We are extremely proud of our team for their outstanding performance in the competition,” said Dr. Okeleke Nzeogwu, USN’s MBA program director. “They worked extremely hard to put together a remarkable presentation and their efforts, along with their entrepreneurial spirit, paid off.”

Dr. Jack Zimmerman, associate professor of finance for the MBA program and faculty advisor for the team, hopes this win will encourage future USN students to enter the competition.

“This business plan competition is an excellent opportunity for students to apply what they learn in the classroom into a real business plan,” said Dr. Zimmerman. “I am hopeful that this win will encourage future USN students to take advantage of this incredible, and potentially lucrative, learning opportunity.”

The team is from the USN College of Dental Medicine’s AEODO residency program, which launched in February after receiving accreditation from the Commission on Dental Accreditation. The three year program trains licensed dentists to become specialists in orthodontics and dentofacial orthopedics. Since most dental professionals enter private practice, the residency program is the first in nation to incorporate a Master of Business Administration to develop residents’ legal, ethical and financial competency, all of which are essential in operating a successful practice in today’s complicated health care business environment.

“The win by our AEODO/MBA team validates the educational model developed by USN,” said Dr. C. Lynn Hurst, dean of the College of Dental Medicine. “Our residents will not only graduate from the program with excellent clinical knowledge and expertise, but will be competent and thriving businessmen and women.”

In addition to the winning USN team, two other teams from the College of Dental Medicine entered the competition, including Prashanti Bollu and Philip Kierl and their business plan to provide Cone Beam Imaging Technology Services, offering imaging services to the dental industry and Dr. Sumit Chawla, Dr. Daniel Gehani, Dr. Jeffrey McMillan and Dr. Mahbod Rashidi and their business plan for Smart Learning Technologies, offering technology and media for K-12 education curriculum.

The Nevada Donald W. Reynolds Governor’s Cup is presented each year February through April by Nevada’s Center for Entrepreneurship and Technology. This year, a record 56 plans were submitted into the competition that includes four categories, Governor’s Cup Undergraduate, Governor’s Cup Graduate, Lt. Governor’s Award Undergraduate and Lt. Governor’s Award Graduate.

Huerta will receive The Campaign for Nursing's Future Scholarship, sponsored by Johnson & Johnson. Tuinei and Ohazurume will both receive the Mayo Clinic Breakthrough to Nursing Scholarship.

"We are extremely proud of these students for their accomplishments," said Dr. Mable Smith, dean of the College of Nursing. "They are all extremely passionate about nursing and have achieved tremendously in both the classroom and clinical settings."