USF College of Nursing Launches Signature Lecture Series

The former dean of the Yale School of Nursing, who is a leading expert on diabetes management in children, will be the inaugural speaker for the USF College of Nursing’s Alexander and Victoria L. Rich Distinguished Lecture Series.

The signature lecture series, which will feature prominent scholarly thought leaders in the health and health sciences, kicks off next week.

Margaret Grey, DrPH, RN, FAAN, will present “Self-Management of Diabetes: Past, Present, Future” during her discussion at noon on May 30 at the College of Nursing.

College of Nursing Dean Victoria L. Rich, PhD, RN, FAAN, established the new lecture series this year as a tangible way to honor her late husband’s academic career in psychology and their shared commitment to the health sciences and research.

“We really wanted something that symbolizes the importance of and value in scholarship, science and health,” she said.

Alexander R. Rich, PhD, who was a retired Professor Emeritus of Psychology at Indiana University of Pennsylvania, died in April 2018 after a 25-year struggle with cancer. The two were married for 35 years.

Dr. Rich said when her husband became ill, they discussed the idea of establishing a distinguished lecture series in their name as a sustainable way to continue a shared legacy of scholarship as a means to improve mankind.

A series of invited speakers would also bring a continual influx of new ideas from the outside.

“One thing that (Alex and I) said we wanted was to validate the humanist, humanity and mankind. And to this day, I still want to do that — to validate the humanity that mankind must have,” said Dr. Rich. 

At Indiana University of Pennsylvania, Dr. Alex Rich was the major professor for the first PhD graduate in psychology and a key leader in the establishment of a clinical doctorate program. He was the clinical director for the Open Door Drug and Alcohol Counseling Center from 1978 to 1991 and had a private clinical practice for 20 years.

USF College of Nursing Dean Victoria L. Rich is launching the Alexander and Victoria L. Rich Distinguished Lecture Series.

Dr. Rich said Dr. Grey is the ideal inaugural speaker.

The two first met as academic colleagues at the University of Pittsburgh where Dr. Rich received her master’s degree and PhD in nursing administration.

Dr. Grey is the Annie Goodrich Professor, and she holds an appointment as professor of pediatrics in the Yale Medical School. She earned a BSN from the University of Pittsburgh, an MSN in pediatric nursing from Yale University, and a Doctorate in Public Health and social psychology from Columbia University. 

A pediatric nurse practitioner, Dr. Grey has focused her research on the behavioral aspects of diabetes in children, as well as the study of interventions that improve both metabolic control of diabetes and the quality of life in young people and their parents. She also explores the prevention of Type 2 diabetes in high-risk youth and lifestyle management of youth with Type 2 diabetes. 

Dr. Grey has been the principal investigator for grants totaling more than $45 million and is the author of 390 journal articles, chapters, and abstracts. She has received numerous honors for her research.

Dr. Rich said the distinguished lecture series will feature at least one speaker each year, with the hopes to expand its frequency to two to three invitees each year.

Anyone who is interested in supporting the lecture series can contribute specifically to the Alexander and Victoria L. Rich Distinguished Lectureship Fund (#276019) within USF Foundation under USF Health’s College of Nursing.

Story by Elizabeth L. Brown, USF College of Nursing

Photo of Margaret Grey courtesy of New Haven Register.