More than 250 friends, supporters and colleagues from Nashville and Vanderbilt gathered at the Student Life Center to honor retiring dean Colleen Conway-Welch for her visionary leadership of the Vanderbilt School of Nursing for the past 28 years. The event was hosted by Chancellor Nicholas S. Zeppos and Vice Chancellor for Health Affairs and Dean of the Vanderbilt University School of Medicine Jeff Balser.

Under Conway-Welch’s leadership, the school developed a groundbreaking bridge-to-master’s program, launched successful Ph.D. and Doctor of Nursing Practice programs, initiated blended-distance learning programs, grew total enrollment to nearly 1,000 students and catapulted the school to No. 15 in the U.S. News & World Report rankings of graduate nursing schools.

Conway-Welch officially retires as dean June 30, 2013, followed by a year of sabbatical.