Clarke’s legacy lives on through new endowment
Long before virtual classrooms became commonplace and lecture recordings were just a click away, Gerald “Jerry” Clarke was quietly making distance education work.
Featured News
Every day VCU Nurse Anesthesia students, alumni, faculty and staff do extraordinary things. Read more about our latest achievements and Department news here.
Insights into the impact of loan limits for nurse anesthesia students
Changes to student loan limits are concerning for students across the Commonwealth and the nation. Earlier this year, as part of the ‘Big Beautiful Bill,’ the Department of Education proposed significant changes to loan limits and repayment programs that directly impact nursing students. The proposal classified nursing programs, including nurse anesthesia, as graduate rather than professional, which limits how much nursing graduate students are eligible to receive in loans. Recently, however, a federal judge blocked the rule, and the Department of Education issued a revised rule to comply with the order.
From concept to classroom
Just months after launching Virginia’s first Cardiovascular Perfusion program, Virginia Commonwealth University’s inaugural class is already moving from textbooks to operating rooms.
Tanya Smith on being interim chief anesthetist at VCU, new workforce challenges, and how CHP still holds a place in her heart
One of the newer leaders within the Virginia Commonwealth University Health System is Tanya Smith, CRNA, DNAP, who was named interim chief nurse anesthesiologist in October 2025. Having attended the College of Health Professions in the early 2000s, Smith has worked for VCU Health for decades and draws on her experience to guide the department into the future.
Two CHP students selected to present research at a major conference for nurse anesthetists
Two doctoral students in the Virginia Commonwealth University College of Health Professions have been selected to present their research at the American Association of Nurse Anesthesiologists’ (AANA) 2026 annual congress in Boston.
Remembering Mike Kammerman
It is with heavy hearts and profound sadness that we share this news of the unexpected passing of our longtime, beloved colleague, Mike Kammerman. To say this is a significant loss feels insufficient, as his absence will be felt far beyond the walls of our College and the communities he served.
Nurse Anesthesia to launch Virginia’s first Cardiac Perfusion program
This year, the VCU College of Health Professions’ Department of Nurse Anesthesia will launch a graduate program in Cardiovascular Perfusion – the first of its kind in Virginia and one of just 22 nationwide.
Strength in numbers
VCU’s Department of Nurse Anesthesia has long been known for excellence. And now, the department is drawing larger pools of potential Doctor of Nurse Anesthesia Practice (DNAP) students, while maintaining the high performance outcomes that matter most.
Continuing to raise our program’s bar of excellence
As we begin the new year, I’m proud to share the incredible momentum within VCU’s Department of Nurse Anesthesia. This issue, our stories reflect both the depth of our tradition and the bold ways we are advancing the future of anesthesia care and education.
Nurse anesthesia student’s passion and research works to advance culturally informed care
As a newly minted registered nurse in 2019, Casey Zhao was passionately working at NYU Langone Health in New York City. Then the COVID-19 pandemic burst into the world, and Zhao found herself caring for desperately ill patients.
Jan Y. Pasnak Nurse Anesthesia Scholarship honors courageous spirit of dedicated caregiver and friend
Jan Pasnak loved nurse anesthesia, and by all accounts nurse anesthesia loved her back.
Lights, cameras, simulation with VCU Department of Nurse Anesthesia’s Nick Darragh
Editor’s note: This story was updated to reflect the passing of Mike Kammerman, director of simulation and a longtime member of the Department of Nurse Anesthesia.
Once the voice of VCU Nurse Anesthesia, now Marjorie T. Goodwin’s scholarship supports future CRNAs
On a cold January evening in 2015, as snow began to fall across Richmond, colleagues, family and students gathered at a local restaurant to celebrate Marjorie T. Goodwin’s retirement. That night, she expected kind words and memories from more than two decades of service in VCU’s Department of Nurse Anesthesia. What she did not expect was the announcement that would bring her to tears: a scholarship would carry her name forward.
Understanding Virginia’s new law to license anesthesia assistants
In early 2025, Virginia passed a law allowing for the licensure of anesthesia assistants (AAs), making it one of about 20 states to permit the profession. Anesthesia assistants will work exclusively under the supervision of physician anesthesiologists, a model different from the training and practice approach of Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists (CRNAs), who are prepared for independent practice.
Russell County native’s travel nursing journey brings him home to study nurse anesthesia
Joseph Osborne adds new meaning to the idea of a traveling nurse.
How I found my research: Cayla Ann DeGuzman studies AI’s role in training for nurse anesthetists
As a researcher, Cayla Ann DeGuzman has managed to find a topic that marries her two favorite topics: technology and nursing.
DeGuzman, a student in the accelerated B.S. in nursing program in the Virginia Commonwealth University School of Nursing, previously earned a bachelor’s degree in computer science from George Mason University. In her research at VCU, DeGuzman is exploring generative artificial intelligence and its role in both academic and clinical practice for Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist students in the College of Health Professions. The research experience has proved powerful.
Nurse Anesthesia Alumna Joins as New Director of Southwest Operations
As a first-year nursing student, Crystal Hunnicutt, DNAP, CRNA, decided to change her career track and become a nurse anesthetist. The trouble was, however, that she was in Southwest Virginia and didn’t have the resources — or want — to relocate elsewhere.
Nurse Anesthesia Remembers Distance Learning Advocate
VCU Nurse Anesthesia is mourning the loss of Rachel Davis Fowlkes, who sparked the department’s movement into distance learning almost two decades ago. Fowlkes died in early April in Abingdon, Va.
Faculty lead at NoVa campus embraces clinical teaching
Crystal O’Guin’s lifelong dream was to become a college professor.
Study: Eliminating GRE in Admissions Drives Diversity
By Kyra Newman
Serving Our Students in a Post-Pandemic World
With every week, we see more signs of a return to our daily practices before COVID-19 upended our lives. Even though caseloads continue to decline, except for an occasional variant-driven spike, we haven’t completely returned to our previous ways of doing things.
Old Dominion University Nursing Announces Interim Dean, nurse anesthesia alum Suzanne Wright, to Lead School
Suzanne Wright assumed the new role of interim dean of the School of Nursing on Jan. 25. Wright, who joined ODU in 2021 as chair of the School of Nursing, previously served as a full professor and in leadership positions at Virginia Commonwealth University for nearly 20 years. She earned her bachelor’s degree in nursing, a master’s degree in nurse anesthesia and a Ph.D. in health-related sciences from VCU.
Two faculty at CHP selected as American Academy of Nursing fellows
The faculty members were among 250 nurse leaders selected to join the academy’s 2022 class of fellows. The inductees will be recognized for their significant contributions to health and health care at the academy’s annual Health Policy Conference, set for Oct. 27-29.
Dreaming Big: Amber Coleman ’18 Building a Brand Beyond the OR
Graduate, pass the National Certification Exam, get certified, practice as a CRNA.
Jiale (Gary) Hu receives interprofessional collaboration research grant from ASAHP
Jiale (Gary) Hu, Ph.D., associate professor and director of research and global outreach in the Department of Nurse Anesthesia, has received the 2021 Interprofessional Research Collaboration Grant from the Association of Schools Advancing Health Professions (ASAHP).
Research program promotes implementation of crisis resource management principles in anesthesia
VCU Nurse Anesthesia begins research to understand, promote implementation of crisis resource management principles in anesthesia practice
Northam Visits Nurse Anesthesia
Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam on Thursday, along with leaders at Virginia Commonwealth University and VCU Health, stressed the importance of the COVID-19 vaccine and of training frontline health care workers in remarks made to reporters during a visit to VCU’s College of Health Professions.