Columbia University – Presbyterian Hospital School of Nursing Alumni Association Inc. (CUPHSONAA) / Penny Hund West Scholarship
For Columbia University School of Nursing Students and Alumni
Since 1892, the Columbia University Presbyterian Hospital School of Nursing Alumni Association, Inc. (CUPHSONAA) has served all graduates of the School of Nursing of the Presbyterian Hospital in the City of New York, all graduates of the Columbia University School of Nursing, and all members of the unincorporated body known as the "Alumnae Association of the Presbyterian Hospital Training School for Nurses in the City of New York." For more information on CUPHSONAA, visit the association’s website.
CUPHSONAA donated $50,000 to Nurses Educational Funds, Inc. (NEF) in 2024 to create a second permanent NEF scholarship. This scholarship honors Penny Hund West in memoriam. Ms. West graduated from Columbia Nursing in 1969. Her classmates remember her vividly and enjoyed studying and living together in Maxwell Hall. Ms. West dedicated her life to nursing and caring for others. She had many interests and talents, including being an avid gardener, accomplished horsewoman, and devoted animal rescuer. She also trained at Le Cordon Bleu in Paris and enjoyed presenting her exquisite culinary creations to friends and neighbors. Penny Hund West died in 2021.
Preference for this scholarship is given to a Columbia University School of Nursing student or alumnus to study at a graduate nursing program of their choice.
Featured CUPHSONAA / Penny Hund West Scholarship Recipients
Two graduate nursing students have received this scholarship since its inception:
Jill C. Doyle, MS, CNM
- Practiced as a Certified Nurse-Midwife for more than 15 years across academic medical centers and community health centers in the Boston area, caring for women and birthing people across the reproductive lifespan
- Performing doctoral research that examines how social and structural inequities shape postpartum health and care experiences
- Serves as a peer reviewer for the Journal of Midwifery & Women’s Health
- Plans to pursue postdoctoral training at the intersection of population health, maternal cardiovascular health, and health equity science, with a particular interest in systems-level interventions that improve postpartum health and reduce maternal cardiovascular risk
Meredith Casella Jean-Baptiste, CNM
- Was a Peace Corps and Carter Center volunteer in Niger and Ghana conducting community-based education in rural health centers
- Has practiced nurse-midwifery for close to 20 years
- Worked with Partners In Health (PIH) as the Women’s Health Coordinator in Haiti and co-launched Journey Nine with her PIH colleagues, an innovative model of care that integrates and streamlines access to services for pregnant patients
- Centered her doctoral studies on the intersection of respectful maternity care in the presence of obstetrical emergencies
With this second NEF scholarship, the Columbia University Presbyterian Hospital School of Nursing Alumni Association, Inc. continues to support the future of nursing leadership, while honoring the memory of a dedicated nurse and friend. To contribute to the advancement of nurse leaders like these, donate to the CUPHSONAA / Penny Hund West Scholarship today.