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Yvonne Troiani Sweeney’78 always had passion for the well-being of her patients. She dedicated her life to her nursing career that spanned 30 years after earning her bachelor’s degree in nursing from East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania (ESU) and a graduate degree in nursing from Villanova. Her colleagues and patients became her second family. Nursing led her to leadership roles at what is now the Lehigh Valley Health Network, Franklin Square Hospital in Maryland, Albert Einstein Medical Center and the Geisinger Health System. Wherever her occupation led her, she became an inspiration to others for the incredible level of care she delivered every day.

Five years ago, all of that changed for Sweeney and her family who live in Mountaintop, Pa. Diagnosed with a form of early onset dementia called posterior cortical atrophy, she set aside her career and focused her energy on the daily challenges she faced, alongside her loving husband, Chris, and her two sons, Christopher III and Michael.

Support came in many ways from Sweeney’s family. Her sister, Linda Niedbala ’83, with the help of her husband, Sam Niedbala ’82, started the Yvonne Troiani Sweeney Lecture Series for Nursing Enrichment at ESU, which kicked off in March 2014. The Niedbalas wanted this initiative to be a lasting tribute to Sweeney’s devotion to others while making a significant contribution to the education of healthcare professionals and the community-at-large about the cognitive impairment associated with dementia and other diseases of a similar nature.

This year, the lecture series will continue on Thursday, April 7 with a keynote address by Ann M. Kolanowski, Ph.D., RN, FGSA, FAAN, titled “Promoting Behavioral and Cognitive Health in People Living with Dementia.” Dr. Kolanowski is an Elouise Ross Eberly professor in the college of nursing at Pennsylvania State University; center director of the Hartford Center of Geriatric Nursing at Pennsylvania State University; professor of psychiatry, college of medicine; and adjunct professor, associated faculty, school of nursing at the University of Pennsylvania.

She received her undergraduate degree in nursing at what is now Misericordia University and later earned her master of science in adult health and aging from Pennsylvania State University. Kolanowski subsequently received her Ph.D. from New York University in nursing research and theory development. Her post-doctoral training was completed at the University of Pennsylvania and the University of Michigan.

Dr. Kolanowski’s many honors include the Doris Schwartz Nursing Research Award from the Nursing Interest Group and Gerontological Society of America in 2012. She is currently working on three research projects regarding dementia and the nursing faculty shortage.

Dr. Kolanowski’s lecture will take place in room 336 of ESU’s Innovation Center, 562 Independence Road in East Stroudsburg, Pa., at 6 p.m. The event is open to the general public at no cost.

“This endowed lecture series is a tremendous gift to the university and to our medical community,” said  ESU President Marcia G. Welsh, Ph.D.

For more information about the lecture series, please contact Laura Waters, Ph.D., associate professor and chair of nursing, at (570) 422-3569. Those interested in making a gift to the Yvonne Troiani Sweeney Endowed Lecture Series for Nursing Enrichment may call ESU’s Office of University Advancement at (570) 422-7000.