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Golisano Fellowship in Developmental Disability Nursing

Thanks to the generous support of Tom Golisano and the Golisano Foundation, there are no tuition or fees associated with the Fellowship.

Fellowship Overview

The Golisano Fellowship in Developmental Disability Nursing is a 12-month program designed to develop thought leaders in nursing who support and promote the health and well-being of persons with ID/DD across their lifespan and settings.

Experiences

  • Educational, practice, policy and advocacy, knowledge translation, and leadership activities.
  • Individualized mentoring by international leaders in the field.
  • An action learning project focused on improving and promoting the health and well-being of individuals with ID/DD where they live, learn, work, play, and pray (Environmental Justice; Novotny, 2000).

Goals

The goal of the Fellowship is to create nursing leaders in education, practice, and service who will work in partnership with cross-sector health systems and organizations to advance inclusive practices, foster innovation, promote health, and support self-determination to support wellness and close the health disparities gap among people with ID/DD.

Structure and Expectations

The 2023-2024 Golisano Fellowship will be entirely remote, and sessions will take place over Zoom meeting software. The initial 4-day session is planned for June 12-16, 2023. Activities will occur throughout fall semester 2023 and spring semester 2024. The concluding events and sessions will take place the week of June 10, 2024.

All participants are expected to actively engage in the learning activities and satisfactorily complete the assigned deliverables, including an individual or small group Action Learning Project in an area of interest and targeted domain over the 12-month course of the fellowship. All activities will be structured to meet the learning goals of the participants and the identified outcomes for the fellowship. A Scholarly Project will be designed during the fellowship and will focus on the participants’ area of interest in IDD nursing. Participants should plan on committing an average of approximately two hours per week to fellowship activities. Any participant who is unable to share in the learning activities or complete the assigned projects may be asked to leave the fellowship.

Successful completion of the requirements of the fellowship will confer upon the participant the title of Golisano Fellow in Developmental Disability Nursing.

Planned Schedule

June 12-16, 2023

First Session of the Golisano Fellowship

  • Introductions/Fellowship Overview/Meet and Greet
  • Activities include lectures, panels, discussions, small group activities, team building, and networking
  • Identification of a scholarly project, small workgroup
  • Assignment/meeting with a mentor

Fall 2023

  • Participants meet with mentors monthly
  • Participants meet with small workgroup as needed
  • 2-3 evening guest lectures/panels 
  • Participants present the progress of their projects at beginning of December 

Spring 2024

  • Participants meet with mentors monthly
  • Participants meet with small workgroup as needed
  • 2-3 evening guest lectures/panels 
  • Participants present the progress of their projects in mid-March

June 10-15, 2024

  • Activities include lectures, panels, discussions, small group activities, team building, and networking
  • Presentation of a scholarly project
  • Planning for continued commitment and networking for fellows

“ The Fellowship experience was overall, beyond incredible... The sessions would consistently leave me feeling empowered with tools/ideas to go forth and create positive change for individuals with developmental disabilities, both in my organization and community. ”

Ellen Eulberg
  • Ellen M. Eulberg, RN, BSN, CNML
  • Inaugural Golisano Fellow

“ I came into this fellowship with a more traditional nursing concept, being the person that fixes things for people with IDD. Through our readings around disability rights and discussion groups, it became clear that this was not only patronizing, it was a dangerous attitude that did not actually center people with IDD but my own perspectives of what they needed.  ”

Guy Weissinger
  • Guy Weissinger
  • Inaugural Golisano Fellow

“ I have always had an interest, a passion for improving the lives of children and adolescents with complex health conditions, that include IDD, autism, chronic disease, I now feel prepared to extend that passion to all persons across the lifespan… Through the Fellowship and listening to all the wonderful project presentations I realized the opportunities to improve lives are endless. ”

Jane Tobias
  • Jane Tobias, DNP, RN, MSN, CPNP-PC
  • Inaugural Golisano Fellow

“ I feel so, so lucky to have been part of the GIDDN fellowship. It is hard to put it into words how much I have learned from the experience. During the final fellowship week as I listened to all the other fellows' presentations, I felt a genuine sense of excitement about the work we have produced collectively. ”

Layla Hughes
  • Layla Hughes, BSc, RNID
  • Inaugural Golisano Fellow

“ It was fantastic to meet other like-minded professionals with the same passion and dedication. This space provided a great opportunity for me to network and create lifelong friendships. Had it not been for this fellowship, I would not have focused on the next steps of my dissertation. ”

Regine Reeves
  • Dr. Régine Placide Reaves, PhD, MSN, MPH
  • Inaugural Golisano Fellow