On April 27, UConn School of Nursing’s Sigma Theta Tau Mu Chapter held their annual induction ceremony. Undergraduate and graduate students, as well as nursing professionals and community leaders, were offered membership to the Honor Society.
In 1955, the UConn School of Nursing chartered Mu Chapter as the 11th chapter of Sigma Theta Tau International, the Honor Society of Nursing. There are now over 540 chapters internationally.
President Elizabeth Mayerson, DNP, RN, APRN, FNP-BC, CNE, presided over the ceremony. She explained “in the name of our honor society, Sigma represents love, Theta represents courage, and Tau represents honor. Our crest represents wisdom and discernment, service, professional endeavor, strength of leadership, and knowledge. Our key, which is represented on Sigma’s pin, denotes the satisfaction of professional life, the six founders, the lamp of knowledge, and our charge.”
Based in Indianapolis, Sigma Theta Tau promotes scholarship and research in the field of nursing. The Mu Chapter hosts local meetings year-round and sends delegates to the society’s annual conferences at the regional, national, and international levels. It also supports exceptional research proposals through monetary awards provided by both the Mu Chapter and Sigma Theta Tau International.
“This is a really important and exciting part of your nursing journey,” Dean Victoria Vaughan Dickson, Ph.D., RN, FAHA, FHFSA, FAAN, shared with the inductees. “Many of you, if not all of you will be graduating soon, and that will mark you on your professional journey. This is a recognition of the academic excellence that you have brought to the School of Nursing, your commitment to service, and your leadership that we anticipate will continue throughout your professional career.”
The keynote address was delivered by Judith Hahn, Ph.D., RN, executive director of nursing professional practice and education at Yale New Haven Health System. She is also a graduate of the UConn SoN Ph.D. program.
“When I say leadership, many of you will think about the boardroom or wearing a managerial badge. But let me be clear, leadership in nursing starts long before the title does, it starts with a mindset, a commitment, a refusal to settle for average,” Hahn stated. “Which brings me to the University of Connecticut women’s basketball team. Both groups are forged in pressure, both are grounded in discipline, and most must be prepared to lead, not someday, but every day.”
In 2025, the induction class consisted of 44 undergraduate students, 20 master’s students, and five doctoral students. Additionally, Sigma Mu Chapter recognized Nancy Dupont, UConn Health’s director of epidemiology, as a nurse leader.
“So as a member, I welcome you, as Dean, I want to extend my heartfelt congratulations for your accomplishments, and I also want to say that we are all proud of you as UConn nurses, and we look forward to seeing the many important and meaningful contributions you will make over the course of your career, both as a nurse, and now as a Sigma Honor Society member,” remarked Dickson.
2025 Sigma Inductees:
Undergraduates
- Skyler Arpin
- Michael Asante
- Courtney Balerna
- Nicole Ballas
- Alexa Bartoli
- Phoebe Bergstraser
- Melanie Bisbee
- Maria Bistras
- Molly Brett
- Kaitlynn Brito Torres
- Diamond Bussiere
- Abby Card
- Julia Cassano
- Logan Corey
- Katherine DeVito
- Sean Flaherty
- Tobias Fraedrich
- Gillian Fulton
- Amy Gabriel
- Madison Gaynor
- Flavia Heredia
- Esme Ho
- Khadija Ibrahim
- Brianna Iuteri
- Teresa Leopold
- Vincent Mascoli
- Luke Maynard
- Molly McElhinney
- Christy McEnroe
- Rohan Mistry
- Hailey Nardelli
- Olivia Orphanos
- Gifty Osei
- Skyler Phan
- Emi Rosenthal
- Madison Sastram
- Sherina Sauveur
- Allison Sidell
- Nicole Torres
- Allison Villano
- Daniel Ward
- Isabel Whelan
- Iris White
- Christina Yang
Master’s Students
- Brianna Arnold
- Brittany Barra
- Elizabeth Culbert
- Kimberly Davis
- Eleanor Dowd
- Stephanie Dumas
- Hillary Eisenberg
- Rachel Gold
- Emma Green
- Jawal Hage
- Nicole Hurler
- Kyle Kendall
- Paulina Obojski
- Pedro Ramirez
- Audrey Robertson
- Andrea Shirley
- Danielle Springer
- Emma Sullivan
- Salvatrice Tinsley
- Megan Wilmoth
Doctoral Students
- Wilfred Elliam – PhD
- Laura Karwoski – DNP
- Anita Oppong – PhD
- Jennifer Pilchik – DNP
- Catherine Reilly – DNP
Nurse Leader
- Nancy Dupont
