The Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing at Emory will observe its 111th convocation on Friday, August 26th from 10am to 11am at Emory’s Glenn Memorial.  This special celebration serves as the school’s official welcome for incoming nursing students and faculty. The School will also pay tribute to the outstanding achievements of AMSN, BSN, and MSN students. Aid worker and Ebola survivor Nancy Writebol, who was treated for the virus at Emory University Hospital, will serve as the keynote speaker.

“We are extremely honored to have Nancy Writebol share her incredible experiences with our faculty, staff, and students,” says Linda McCauley, dean of the Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing.  “Her story is an inspiring testament to the miraculous advances in medical science, the teamwork and expertise of our clinicians, and the indomitable spirit of one individual dedicated to improving health and human dignity around the world.

Writebol contracted Ebola while working with a missionary group in Liberia. On August 5, 2014, she was admitted to Emory’s Serious Communicable Diseases Unit for care.  She was successfully treated and discharged on August 19, 2014. Through her experience, Writebol will provide insight into how she overcame her fear of the unknown and worked with clinicians to provide respectful, culturally competent care in a West African community.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the Ebola outbreak in Western Africa was one of the wort in history. The disease claimed the lives of more than 11,000 people and infected thousands of others throughout the region. The WHO officially declared an end to the most recent outbreak of Ebola virus in Liberia in January 2016.