Berkley School of Nursing
Berkley School of Nursing
Faculty line up on the stage during the 2026 Tropaia
News Story

Berkley School of Nursing Faculty Celebrate Student Achievements in Annual Tropaia Ceremony

(May 18, 2026) — Berkley School of Nursing faculty celebrated the extraordinary accomplishments of the class of 2026 at the school’s annual Tropaia ceremony on May 14 in Lohrfink Auditorium.

Roberta Waite speaks from a podium

Roberta Waite, EdD, RN, PMHCNS, ANEF, FAAN

“Today, we honor students who, in the judgment of their faculty, best exemplify the spirit and aspirations of their respective disciplines,” said Roberta Waite, EdD, RN, PMHCNS, ANEF, FAAN, dean of the Berkley School of Nursing. “We hope that the Jesuit values of this university, above all cura personalis, the care of the whole person, have provided you with a foundation from which to serve, not only as skilled clinicians, but as people for others.”

Joanna Ranelli (G’26), a graduate of the dual Nurse-Midwifery and Women’s Health Nurse Practitioner program, delivered the student address. Reflecting on her journey through graduate nursing education while navigating personal grief and family responsibilities, she spoke about the importance of compassion, advocacy and principled leadership in nursing.

“Cura personalis is not passive compassion, it is active responsibility and commitment,” said Ranelli. “We must have a seat at the table and advocate for those who cannot speak for themselves.”

Joanna Ranelli speaks from a podium in cap and gown

Joanna Ranelli (G’26) delivered the student address.

Ranelli encouraged graduates to carry Georgetown’s Jesuit values into every aspect of their careers, emphasizing that nursing extends beyond bedside care to advancing health equity and transforming healthcare systems. “You are not just clinically prepared,” she told her fellow graduates. “You are intellectually rigorous. You are ethically grounded. You are formed in a tradition that demands reflection and action.”

During the ceremony, faculty members presented awards recognizing academic excellence, clinical achievement, leadership, scholarship, service and commitment to social justice across the school’s undergraduate and graduate programs.

Heather Wilpone-Welborn
GUMC Communications

Scenes from This Year’s Tropaia Ceremony

Slide 1 of 8

Seven people stand together
Six students received honors in nursing, allowing them to wear the yellow honors cord recognizing this achievement (l to r): Ji Ye Yoon (N’26), Josephine Davis (N’26), Kimberly Salgado (N’26), Melissa Hamada (N’26), Lily Martucci (N’26), Jasmin Lamnii (N’26).
Dean Waite and Josephine Davis stand together
Josephine Davis (N’26) received the Dean’s Medal.
Dean Waite and Melinda Davies-Cole stand together
Melinda Davies-Cole (G’26) received the Ite Inflammate Omnia Award.
Three individuals stand together
Julia Strimling (N’26) received the Marianne Cardillo Lyons Commitment to Cura Personalis Award from Danny Lyons, Marianne Cardillo Lyons’ son and an adjunct faculty member of the Berkley School of Nursing.
Dean Waite and Shristi stand together
Shrishti Chhjalani (N’26) received a Leadership and Advocacy Award.
Four individuals stand together
Claire Auslander (N’26), My Nguyen (N’26) and Julia Strimling (N’26) accepted this year’s Colleen Krebs Norton Scholarly Project Awards.
Four individuals stand together
Griffin Redeker (G’26), Kate Patrick (G’26) and Danielle Amaral (G’26) received the DNAP Research Excellence Award.
Two individuals stand together
Heather Lloyd (G’26) accepted the Family Nurse Practitioner Program Leadership Award.

2026 School of Nursing Tropaia Awardees

The Colleen Krebs Norton Scholarly Project Awards

Claire Auslander, My Nguyen and Julia Strimling

Honors Student Award for Excellence in Nursing Research

Kimberly Salgado

BSN Clinical Excellence Award

Josephine Davis

The Leadership and Advocacy Awards

Shrishti Chhjalani and Amanda Mitchell

Loyola Award

Ainsley Bliss

Marianne Cardillo Lyons Commitment to Cura Personalis Award

Julia Strimling

Sr. Helen Scarry Social Justice Award

Chloe Smith

Rose Ann McGarrity Service Award

Claire Auslander

Dean’s Medal

Josephine Davis

Tropaia Award for Outstanding Student in Bachelor of Science in Nursing 2026

Melissa Hamada

Tropaia Award for Outstanding Student in Master of Science, Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner 2026

Eric Murray

Family Nurse Practitioner Leadership Award

Heather Lloyd

Tropaia Award for Outstanding Student in Master of Science, Family Nurse Practitioner 2026

Jenna Grant

Evidence-Based Project Award (MS-Entry to Nursing)

Mari Washington

Excellence in Clinical Practice Award (MS-Entry to Nursing)

Mari Washington

Ite Inflammate Omnia Award

Melinda Davies-Cole

Student Service Award (MS-Entry to Nursing)

Grace Deleon

Tropaia Award for Outstanding Student in MS-Entry to Nursing 2026

Moriah Bempong

Tropaia Award for Outstanding Student in the Nurse-Midwifery/Women’s Health Nurse Practitioner Program 2026

Cassie Sewald

Tropaia Award for Outstanding Student in the Women’s Health Nurse Practitioner Program 2026

Alexandra Anderson

DNAP Academic Excellence Award

Aly Tromer

DNAP Program Leadership Award

Regina Sorina

DNAP Clinical Excellence Award

Lauren Jewell and Anna Wilen

DNAP Research Excellence Award

Danielle Amaral, Kate Patrick and Griffin Redeker

Tropaia Award for Outstanding Student in Doctor of Nurse Anesthesia Practice 2026

Anna Jent

DNP Leadership Award

Claire Burke

DNP Scholar of Distinction Award

Natalia Surak

Tropaia Award for Outstanding Student in Doctor of Nursing Practice 2026

Austin Brook

Tagged
Commencement 2026
Tropaia ceremony