UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Penn State Ross and Carol Nese College of Nursing is hosting its annual Gunter-Gooding DEI Lecture from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Monday, Sept. 23, in the Flex Theater in the HUB-Robeson Center. The Gunter-Gooding Lecture Series focuses on challenges and opportunities in nursing and heath care related to diversity, equity, inclusion and justice. Delivered in-person and virtually, the lecture is free and open to the public with registration required.
This year’s lecture, “Unpacking and Demystifying Neurodiversity,” will feature a panel of guest contributors with expertise and research experience at the intersection of neurodiversity, inclusion and health care. The panel will be moderated by Sheldon Fields, research professor and associate dean for equity and inclusion in the college, with the discussion beginning at noon.
Featured speakers include Ji Young Kim, assistant professor of psychology at Penn State Harrisburg and a doctoral-level board-certified behavior analyst; Justyne Passarelli, nursing lecturer at Penn State Schuylkill, registered critical care nurse, and doctoral candidate with a research interest in attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in adults; Isaiah S. Watson, a student in the College of Information Sciences and Technology at Penn State World Campus, diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder and ADHD; and Terry L. Watson, an esteemed author, speaker, educator, and community leader with expertise in disability equity in education, racial justice and law enforcement.
Contact hour information
This activity has been submitted for Nursing Continuing Professional Development contact hours. In-person attendees will have the opportunity to digitally obtain contact hours after the event. Virtual attendees will receive a link via email after the event to complete the contact hour requirement.
Participants with a valid RN license who attend the entire program may earn 1.0 contact hours; partial contact hours are not awarded. Penn State Ross and Carol Nese College of Nursing is approved as a provider of nursing continuing professional development by Pennsylvania State Nurses Association, an accredited approver by the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s Commission on Accreditation.
History of the Gunter-Gooding Lecture Series
The Gunter-Gooding Lecture Series is named in honor of two African American women who served as head of the Department of Nursing at Penn State. Laurie Martin Gunter served as head of the department from 1971 to 1976 and again as interim department head from 1984 to 1985. She retired as professor emerita in 1987 after 16 years of University service. Gunter was a well-respected researcher with a focus on nursing care of older adults. She held fellow status in the Gerontological Society of America and the American Academy of Nursing and was an elected member of the Institute of Medicine of the National Academy of Sciences. Gunter earned a nursing diploma from Meharry Medical College, a bachelor of science in home economics from Tennessee Agricultural and Industrial University, a master of arts in education from Fisk University, and a doctorate in human development from the University of Chicago. She passed away on June 15, 2015.
Marion Gooding was the fifth head of the Department of Nursing at Penn State and served from 1985 to 1987 when the department was part of the then-College of Human Development. She also served as the dean of the School of Nursing at Tennessee State University prior to her arrival at Penn State. Gooding received her diploma in nursing from Saint Mary’s School of Nursing, bachelor’s and master’s in nursing from Teachers College–Columbia University, and a doctorate in educational administration in higher education from Vanderbilt University.