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Stories of Impact

Get to know our donors, and read stories of the meaningful impact their philanthropic support has in the lives of our students and faculty.

Robert M. and Thelma G. Flory Doctoral Study Award

Kathy Leonardo Pennsylvania College of Health Sciences faculty member Kathy R. Leonardo, MSN, RN, CCRN-K won the 2022-23 Robert M. and Thelma G. Flory Doctoral Study Award during the College’s annual Convocation ceremony on August 9. Kathy is a faculty member and course coordinator in Advanced Care for our ASN and BSN nursing programs. She previously held the positions of adjunct instructor and Education Facilitator on our Education Innovation team. In that role, she developed and delivered educational services for the classroom, skills lab and simulation settings.

Kathy earned her BSN degree from Oral Roberts University and served as a staff nurse and then charge nurse for hospital ICUs in Tulsa, Oklahoma. She later served as a Patient Education Coordinator and Supervising Public Health Nurse at health care organizations in New York State. She worked as a Clinical Practice Educator for Critical Care at the Reading Hospital, where she was honored with an Excellence in Teaching Award in 2011. Kathy earned her MSN from Drexel University in 2015.

As this year’s honoree, Kathy said she intends to use the Flory Award to support her doctoral studies in Education Curriculum and Design at Liberty University in Lynchburg, Virginia. As part of her program, Kathy will complete a capstone project designed to apply current research to her teaching practice. “I am excited about this new educational journey,” Kathy said. “A doctorate in education will provide me with the tools needed to improve my teaching at PA College by examining the current trends and theories in education. I will be able to apply my learning to classroom teaching, improving our students’ education.”

Learn More about Robert and Thelma Flory and their reasons for giving!

Kenneth G. Stoudt Faculty Excellence Award

Alyssa Liggieri Alyssa Leggieri, MSN, RN, a PA College Instructor and Clinical Coordinator for the Associate of Science in Nursing program, won this year’s Kenneth G. Stoudt Faculty Excellence Award at Convocation. Alyssa also serves as Chair of the Undergraduate Nursing Curriculum Committee. Earning her BSN from the University of Pittsburgh, Alyssa later completed her MSN at Drexel University. She has clinical experience in cardiac, step-down and emergency nursing. Alyssa has traveled a lot in her career, working in places like Honolulu, Hawaii, New York City and Philadelphia.

When learning of her nomination, Alyssa said, “It is such honor to be nominated for the Stoudt Faculty Excellence Award for a second year in a row. I try my best to instill knowledge into each student that crosses my path, but I never take for granted the lessons that they teach me every day. I am so thankful for the opportunity to teach on a topic that I love, knowing that I am small part of preparing the nurses of tomorrow.”

A student who nominated Alyssa for the Stoudt Award shared the following, “I want to nominate Ms. Leggieri for her outstanding job as an instructor, but I also like to recognize her for her great sense of compassion and humanity. My father died at the beginning of the class, and I traveled [abroad] during his illness. I was so scared to miss the semester or get behind in class that she followed up very closely and made me feel I was not only a number at PA College. She has this extraordinary way of teaching in the classroom that after her lessons, I felt I didn’t have to struggle…or be overwhelmed.”

Learn More about Kenneth G. Stoudt and his reasons for giving!