NFL Hall of Famer Mike Singletary and Celebrity Chef Duff Goldman Celebrate 100-year Anniversary with College of Nursing at Resurrection University

CHICAGO, April 17, 2014 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The College of Nursing at Resurrection University proudly presents its Centennial Anniversary Celebration Dinner on May 3, hosted by NFL Hall of Famer and beloved former Chicago Bears Linebacker Mike Singletary, and featuring celebrity pastry chef Duff Goldman.

Held at the Hilton Rosemont, Singletary will be the keynote speaker. Six awards for Outstanding Alumni will also be presented. After the dinner, Goldman, a Food Network celebrity and star of "Ace of Cakes," will present a one-of-a-kind cake to the College of Nursing, its alumni, faculty, staff, health system leaders and community.

Goldman, who rarely makes trips to Chicago to present his signature cakes, will unveil a design that reflects the college's past and present. He will also answer questions about his creation, which will include fire or a candle in a lamp, a simulation of what pioneer nurses like Florence Nightingale carried through the night to care for the sick during the 1800s.

On February 17, 1914, the College of Nursing, first known as West Suburban Hospital School for Nurses, opened its doors in Oak Park, Illinois with four students in its first graduating class. In 2010, the College of Nursing, together with the College of Allied Health, formed Resurrection University, which now graduates nearly 250 students every year at its campus on Chicago's northwest side at Presence Saint Elizabeth Hospital. 

"We're thrilled to plan this extraordinary event to honor and connect with alumni from the College of Nursing who have led such rewarding and amazing careers," said University President Beth A. Brooks, PhD, RN, FACHE, "We look forward to reuniting with them and learning more about their lives after nursing school, as many of them have become missionary nurses, Chief Nursing Officers and nurse leaders who have cared for individuals across the world."

The Centennial Celebration Dinner featuring Singletary and Goldman is open to the public. The reception begins at 6 p.m., followed by dinner from 7-9 p.m. and an after-party from 9-11 p.m. Tickets are $90 each and available at: www.resu.edu/100

Several alumni events are also scheduled from May 2-4. A complete list of events is available at: www.resu.edu/100. The Centennial Weekend includes Homecoming and Class Reunions on May 2 for alumni from the College of Nursing's 100-year history: West Suburban Hospital School for Nurses, West Suburban Hospital School of Nursing, Wheaton College – West Suburban Hospital School of Nursing, Concordia-West Suburban College of Nursing, and Resurrection University.  

Resurrection University is home to a College of Nursing that offers undergraduate and graduate degrees in Nursing (BSN, MSN) and a College of Allied Health that offers Health Informatics and Information Management (BSHIIM).  An upper division school, Resurrection University is for students who have completed general education requirements (usually two years or 61 credit hours at other institutions) prior to acceptance at ResU.  Information about prerequisites can be found on the University's website at www.resu.edu. 

Resurrection University, a part of the new Presence Health, prepares students for professional health care careers and provides undergraduate and graduate learning experiences that integrate personal and professional growth, compassionate service and scholarly activities through a Catholic health care system. The College of Nursing at Resurrection University was founded in 1914, and is celebrating its 100^th Anniversary in 2014.  For information about the Centennial Celebration event in May, visit www.resu.edu/100. 

About Presence Health
Presence Health is the largest Catholic health system based in Illinois, created in November 2011 through the merger of Provena Health and Resurrection Health Care. With more than 150 sites of care, including 12 hospitals, Presence Health has 22,000 employees, 4,000 medical professionals and a revenue base of nearly $3 billion.

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SOURCE Resurrection University