Newman alumna Melissa Grelinger ’82 shared her memories as a student at Kansas Newman College, now Newman University, at the Facing Forward announcement event Saturday, Feb. 6.
Grelinger, who with her husband Bart Grelinger, M.D. ’83 serves as a Facing Forward campaign co-chair, encouraged event attendees to give to the Newman University Bishop Gerber Science Center to provide new science education opportunities for students.
In her speech, Grelinger highlighted the university’s many science, nursing and allied health alumni, including nearly 1,800 nursing alumni — half of whom work in Sedgwick or surrounding counties. One third of Newman nurse anesthetist alumni have remained in Kansas, she said.
Other alumni serve in respiratory care, radiologic technology, sonography, occupational therapy, physical therapy, medical technology, pharmacy and more. Plus, more than 200 Newman graduates are working as physicians, dentists and optometrists.
Grelinger argued that “For those of you who have worked to recruit professionals to Kansas, you can appreciate the importance of educating our own.” For that reason, she said, Newman University, Wichita and the surrounding region need the Bishop Gerber Science Center.
Learn more about Facing Forward and the Bishop Gerber Science Center >>
Give to the Newman University Facing Forward campaign >>
