Rutgers School of Nursing Magazine - Summer 2026

NURSING.RUTGERS.EDU 15 (Facing page, left to right) Rutgers School of Nursing Dean Angela Starkweather, William “Bill” Conway Jr. (Right) Jodiefoss Ramos is one of the many graduates who have benefited from student emergency resources across Rutgers. uniforms and stethoscopes, which will be available free of charge to finan- cially vulnerable students. The fund reflects the School of Nursing’s commitment to helping students navigate life’s exigencies that threaten their success or interrupt their studies. Supporting students in need is deeply ingrained in the culture across the university. The Joanne Barkett Conway Fund is one of several resources available to students facing financial hardship. It adds to the School of Nursing’s long-established Student Emer- gency Fund, which recently received $100,000 in gifts from BD (Becton, Dickinson and Company). As a new resource, “the Joanne Barkett Conway Fund has expanded our ability to assist our students, something we are always striving for,” says Michael Varano, MBA, assistant dean for student engagement and wellbeing. “That’s an incredible blessing.” Another undergraduate nursing student—who had been living in her car—demonstrates the impact of that assistance. Through the Joanne Barkett Conway Fund, the School of Nursing was able to secure emergency housing, supporting not only her academic suc- cess but also her overall quality of life. The commitment to student suc- cess extends across Rutgers, where a range of programs and services help students manage financial hardship and other challenges while pursuing their degrees. Jodiefoss Ramos, BS, knows first- hand how much that assistance can matter. Struggling to pay for food, housing, and tuition, she believed she had to do it on her own, and at one point questioned whether she would be able to complete her nursing degree. Support from the Rutgers Stu- dent Food Pantry helped her persevere through those challenges. In May 2026, Ramos was recognized as Rutgers School of Nursing’s Outstanding Senior of the Year before graduating with a bachelor of science in nursing. “It gave me the support I needed to keep going when I wasn’t sure I could,” she says. To make a gift to the School of Nursing supporting these efforts, visit nursing.rutgers.edu/giving or scan the QR code. RN “When we support students who want to get a nursing degree, we enable them to support themselves, their families, and ultimately the rest of us.” BILL CONWAY • M A K E A G I F T •