The School of Nursing’s Grace Peterson Research Colloquium was held on May 27, 2026, celebrating the thesis projects of dozens of graduates from the School’s various programs, including the Doctor of Nursing Practice, Master’s of Entry to Nursing Practice, Master of Science, and Bachelor of Science in Nursing programs.

The annual colloquium is held in honor of legendary benefactor Grace Peterson, MA and RN, who endows a scholarship fund to support faculty and student research in nursing. The event has become a long-established tradition and rite of passage for nursing graduates, marking the beginning of careers that combine years of training in compassionate healthcare and rigorous scholarship during their tenure at DePaul.

This year’s keynote speaker, Thao Griffith, PhD and RN, offered reflections on that theme, sharing her insights on scholarship through purpose and perseverance from nearly a decade of nursing research education as a faculty member at Loyola University Chicago. 

The address was followed by poster presentations on a range of topics, from substance abuse disorder in anesthesia care to infection prevention strategies in intensive care units and more, reflecting the scope of cutting-edge research produced by graduates.

Many of the projects focused on two key populations driving healthcare – patients and nursing care providers.  Doctor of Nursing Practice candidate Alyssa Kondratiuk’s study looked at how workplace factors influence nurse practitioner resilience, burnout, and job satisfaction in emergency room departments, finding that positive perceptions of the workplace were significantly correlated with higher scores across the variables measured.

Others examined vulnerable or overlooked groups in healthcare. Alma Sarai Gonzalez’s project explored telehealth interventions for survivors of intimate partner violence. The study combined a five-year retrospective patient medical chart review with qualitative interviews of clinic providers, revealing that telehealth is an important but context-dependent instrument to increase access and continuity in follow-up care.

Another project looked at school-based interventions for adolescents with mental healthcare needs.  Doctor of Nursing Practice candidates Meredith Jones and Maricela Rodriguez implemented and evaluated a mental health education project at Alcott High School in Chicago to evaluate how such initiatives might support earlier identification, intervention, and reduced stigma for impacted students. Their findings indicated a statistically significant decline in anxiety and a significant improvement in mental health awareness among students who participated.

You can view more highlights from the event on the School of Nursing’s Instagram account.