The event will begin with a small reception, allowing guests to mingle and browse the store鈥檚 fashions and accessories. At 7 p.m., the associate dean for undergraduate affairs and three faculty members will take to the 鈥榗atwalk鈥� and model Bella鈥檚 newest spring designs for college alumni, friends and fashion enthusiasts.

Store owner, Susan Johnson, is donating 10% of the store鈥檚 proceeds generated from the fashion show shopping event and select purchases made through Sunday, March 31 to the 麻豆原创 College of Nursing student scholarship fund.

鈥淚鈥檓 honored to show my support again this year by hosting this fashion show event, while giving back to our community and future nurses,鈥� says Johnson. 鈥淢y mother is a retired nurse and I know the commitment it takes in today鈥檚 world to become such a highly skilled medical professional.鈥�

Katie Korkosz, director of development for the 麻豆原创 College of Nursing, is very excited about this unique partnership the college has developed with Johnson and Bella Winter Park, and asks the Central Florida community to show its support again this year.

鈥淭he community will have four days to support this important fundraiser for our students,鈥� said Korkosz. 鈥淎nyone who makes a purchase at Bella Winter Park from the 27th through the 31st of March can request to have 10% of their purchase donated to the 麻豆原创 College of Nursing student scholarship fund. It鈥檚 a win-win partnership 鈥� and a lot of fun!鈥�

Jean D鈥橫eza Leuner, dean of the 麻豆原创 College of Nursing, says scholarships help the college recruit and retain the best and brightest students. 鈥淪cholarship support is a critical factor that helps our students focus on their studies and the demands of a rigorous nursing education, which is especially important in today鈥檚 complex health care environment.鈥�

Faculty model and associate professor Julee Waldrop says she was very nervous about modeling in the fashion show last year but with support and encouragement from her colleague Anne Norris, nursing professor and former teen runway model, she ended up having a great time. 鈥淚 rarely shop for clothes in person so having a group of people there for fashion advice was so much fun. I am excited to do it again this year.鈥�

In addition to Waldrop and Norris, Sigrid Ladores, a nursing instructor and Ph.D. candidate, will strut Bella鈥檚 catwalk again this year. Linda Hennig, associate dean for undergraduate affairs, will join them.

The fashion show shopping evening is an exclusive event open to college alumni, friends and fashion enthusiasts, but seating is limited and an RSVP is required. To register, e-mail nursingevents@ucf.edu or call 407-823-0671.

Bella Winter Park blends a pinch of Rodeo Drive, a dash of 5th and 43rd in New York, and a sprinkling of Old World charm for Winter Park鈥檚 most exclusive boutique. It all began with Johnson, and her passion for fashion that sent her in search of the country鈥檚 most fashion-forward designers, emerging trends and wardrobe must-haves. The result is delightfully packaged in Bella in beautiful downtown Winter Park. Bella is a smart collection of the country鈥檚 most noted and up-and-coming designers, housed in a welcoming boutique that pays homage to style at every turn.

Event location: Bella Winter Park, 329 N. Park Avenue, Suite 105, Winter Park, FL 32789

Photo: Models from last year’s event, (l to r) Anne Norris, Sigrid Ladores, Julee Waldrop, Heather Williams, and Bella Winter Park boutique owner Susan Johnson.

Comprised of the nation鈥檚 top nurse researchers, policy makers, scholars, executives, educators, and practitioners, the academy鈥檚 2012 inductees include 176 nurse leaders. The academy鈥檚 mission is to serve the public and nursing profession by advancing health policy and practice through the development and dissemination of nursing knowledge.

鈥淪election for membership in the academy is one of the most prestigious honors in the field of nursing,鈥� said academy president Joanne Disch. 聽

Karen Aroian, a fellow of the American Academy of Nursing and director of nursing research for the 麻豆原创 College of Nursing, sponsored Leuner in her application to the academy.

鈥淒r. Leuner has shaped health initiatives, nursing education and practice models that improve nursing workforce capacity and population health by developing cutting-edge models and implementing them through her strategic leadership in national, regional, and local boards and task forces,鈥� Aroian said. 鈥淪he began actualizing recommendations from the Institute of Medicine鈥檚 report on the Future of Nursing well before the report was published, and has the knowledge, skills and passion to contribute significantly to the academy鈥檚 mission.鈥�

Leuner said she was honored to be selected as a fellow of the American Academy of Nursing.

鈥淚 look forward to working alongside our nation鈥檚 top nurse leaders, many of whom I have admired throughout my own career, to further advance the nursing profession and address the issues affecting our current health care environment.鈥�

During her tenure, Leuner has made substantial contributions to the field of nursing through her strategic vision and longstanding leadership to improve population health and well-being, and prepare a well-educated nursing workforce. She has served as the sole nurse on three strategically selected national and regional boards to shape health policy and advance the stature of nursing. As an invited member of the Defense Advisory Committee on Women in the Services, she led efforts to advance women鈥檚 health and family care.

Leuner served on the board for the Heart of Florida United Way and sits on the board of trustees for the Winter Park Health Foundation. She also chaired the Older Adult Work Group at the Winter Park Health Foundation, where she reviewed and allocated grant funding for innovative, evidence-based community projects. Her leadership and community engagement were honored in 2010 by the Orlando Business Journal鈥檚 鈥淲omen Who Mean Business.鈥�

Leuner served as co-leader for the Florida statewide Future of Nursing Robert Wood Johnson Foundation initiative and chair for the Florida Association of Colleges of Nursing. She has implemented an innovative education model in Florida with seamless articulation and concurrent enrollment in associate and baccalaureate nursing programs. With three locations and expanding, this innovative model accelerates the route to earn a baccalaureate degree and provides regional access to the nursing baccalaureate. She has raised more than $6 million in endowments for nursing education and established four endowed chairs in one decade.

Leuner serves on the board of directors for the American Association of Colleges of Nursing and is the immediate past president of Sigma Theta Tau鈥檚 Theta Epsilon chapter. She received her B.S.N. from Seton Hall University in New Jersey and her M.S.N. and Ph.D. from Boston College.

With Leuner鈥檚 induction into the academy, she joins four other 麻豆原创 College of Nursing faculty members who also hold this nursing honor: Karen Aroian, Angeline Bushy, Anne Norris and Mary Lou Sole.

The academy is made up of more than 1,850 nursing leaders. Leadership positions held by academy fellows include university presidents, chancellors, and deans; state and federal political appointees; hospital chief executives and vice presidents for nursing; researchers and entrepreneurs; and practicing nurses.

Selection criteria include evidence of significant contributions to nursing and health care and sponsorship by two current academy fellows. Applicants are reviewed by a panel comprised of elected and appointed fellows, and selection is based, in part, on the extent to which nominees鈥� nursing careers influence health policies and the health and well-being of all.

The show was March 15, and 10 percent of the proceeds from purchases made March 15-18 will benefit College of Nursing student scholarships in the 2012-2013 academic year. Every year students who are currently enrolled in one of the College of Nursing BSN, MSN, DNP, or Ph.D. programs are eligible to apply for scholarships.

In 2011-2012, about 35 different scholarships awarded approximately $65,000 to 47 nursing student recipients.

The Fashion Show Fundraiser featured four models: Sigrid Ladores, Anne Norris, Julee Waldrop, and Heather Williams, all of whom are faculty and staff members in the College of Nursing. Each model showed five looks, displaying to the audience the designers that Bella carries. Guests who attended the fashion show included friends and family members of the models and hosts, College of Nursing faculty and staff members, as well as other 麻豆原创 constituents and community partners.

Bella Winter Park鈥檚 store owner, Susan Johnson, wanted to give back to her community by supporting the College of Nursing student scholarship fund, as well as hosting the event. Johnson said: 鈥淚 was thrilled to have the opportunity to work with the College of Nursing. Dr. Leuner (dean of the college) is a shining example of true leadership in a university setting, by engaging the community and bringing awareness to the needs of the nursing students. My mother is a retired nurse and I know the commitment it takes in today鈥檚 world to become such a highly skilled medical professional.鈥�

Proceeds from the sales of the evening resulted in more than $600 benefiting College of Nursing student scholarships.聽 Dean聽Jean Leuner expressed her appreciation to Johnson and the staff at Bella Winter Park for hosting the fundraiser. Dr. Leuner is grateful to everyone for their support of 麻豆原创 nursing students, who are the next generation of health care leaders.

Accepted nursing students can find a listing of scholarships by visiting the College of Nursing website at https://www.nursing.ucf.edu/students/undergraduate-students/college-scholarships/ .

For information on making a donation toward a student scholarship please contact Katie Korkosz at 407-823-1600.

Anne Norris, a 麻豆原创 nursing professor, and Charles Hughes, a 麻豆原创 computer science professor, will work together with 麻豆原创鈥檚 Institute for Simulation & Training during the next two years on the project.

The game is intended to be played in after-school and youth outreach programs run by trained teachers and counselors. It will be designed to improve girls鈥� skills in responding to peer pressure to engage in sexual behavior.

To develop the game characters, Norris and her team are collecting data from focus groups of Latina students participating in the city of Orlando After-School All-Stars program based at Stonewall Jackson Middle School. In April, two groups of girls each came to 麻豆原创 twice to participate in games and other activities supervised by Jeff Wirth, director of the Interactive Performance Lab at 麻豆原创鈥檚 Institute for Simulation & Training.

鈥淥ur ultimate goal is to reduce pregnancy and sexually transmitted disease among the young Latina population,鈥� Norris said.

After the game is developed, it will be tested on a small group of Latina girls. Their progress will be studied three, six and nine months after they start playing the game.

If the game is successful for the Latina girls, Norris plans to develop a similar game for boys and girls of other ethnicities.

Source: Orlando Business Journal,