On Friday, October 13, 2023 members of the Saint Anselm College community gathered together to celebrate breaking ground on Grappone Hall, a new building that will house the Jean School of Nursing and Health Sciences.
“With this new home, the School of Nursing and Health Sciences is going to propel the already excellent reputation of our nursing program to new heights, and will support the expansion of our health science programs as Saint Anselm College continues to respond to the health care crises our world faces,” said Joseph Loughrey, chairman of the College’s board of trustees.
The new building estimated at 45,000 square feet, will provide nursing, public health, and health science students with the learning environment and experiences they need to become the next generation of healthcare leaders. It will include a 150-seat auditorium, a public health community space, an 11,000 square foot state-of-the art simulation center, collaborative learning spaces for kinesiology, anatomy, and physiology, and community spaces on two floors for students to meet and study.
“We have embarked on something that I am learning that Saint Anselm does best - honoring our Catholic and Benedictine tradition, building on our strong foundation of Saint Anselm nursing, to create a next gen nursing and health sciences school - that is constructed on our school’s history and a foundation of liberal arts - to prepare our learners to address our most pressing health care and societal needs upon graduation in the unique Anselmian way,” said Diane Uzarski, inaugural dean of the Jean School of Nursing and Health Sciences. A highly regarded healthcare leader at Duke University, Dr. Uzarski brings her diverse nursing career and experiences in research and academic healthcare leadership to this important role.
Saint Anselm nursing has a strong reputation in New England, with students consistently outpacing the national average on the NCLEX licensure exam and finding placements in some of the top hospitals in the country. The Jean School of Nursing and Health Sciences, which launched July 1, 2023 will position the department for growth in graduate programs, community collaborations, and more. Saint Anselm’s new public health and health sciences majors also will be housed at the new school.
Plans for the School of Nursing and Health Sciences are already underway with focus on new interprofessional opportunities for co-learning in both the classroom and local community, bi-directional collaborations with health system, public health, nonprofit and industry partners, building new majors and tracks within existing majors, and building experiences for all students to examine the intersectionality between health care, the liberal arts and Catholic Benedictine tradition.
“Saint Anselm College exemplifies the fact that not only can excellent liberal arts and professional programs co-exist, but in truth, they complement and inform each other – it is, without a doubt one of the features that makes us distinct,” explained Dr. Joseph A. Favazza, president of Saint Anselm College.
During his remarks, Dr. Favazza announced two leadership gift commitments for this project which both led to naming announcements. Students then unveiled a sign with a rendering of the building. Thanks to their transformational gift commitment of $10 million, the School of Nursing and Health Sciences will be named for Roger ‘70 HD’06 and Francine Jean. Additionally, the new building will be named Grappone Hall after a generous $5 million commitment by Robert and Beverly Grappone P’04 HD’21 to the college.
“Both the Jeans and the Grappones have demonstrated, time and again, their incredible commitment to this college and its vital mission,” said Dr. Favazza. “I find it so fitting that in this historic moment for Saint Anselm College, it is Roger and Francine Jean, and Bev and Bob Grappone, who have stepped up to lead us forward. We are forever grateful for your unending support.”
As part of the congressionally directed spending bill from December 2022, Saint Anselm was awarded $2.2 million from the federal government towards the construction of this new facility. Members from N.H. Representative Chris Pappas office were present at the event.
Many thanks to the members of the campaign steering committee: honorary chairs, Roger and Francine Jean, co-chairs Beverly Grappone, Christine (Dixie) Douville ’86, and Margaret Emmons ’75, and committee members Sheila Evjy ’74 HD’19 and Jenn Parent ’89; members of the building committee: co-chairs, William Furlong and Sheila Liotta, Maureen O'Reilly, Anne Knight, Joann Condon, Theresa Dabruzzi, Tauna Sisco, Fr. Benet Phillips O.S.B. ,and Jonathan Woodcock.
