Mercy College of Ohio December 15, 2017 Commencement
Mercy College of Ohio will hold its fall commencement ceremony at 6 p.m. Friday, December 15, 2017, at Our Lady, Queen of the Most Holy Rosary Cathedral at 2535 Collingwood Blvd. in Toledo, Ohio (6:00 p.m. Prayer Service immediately followed by 6:30 p.m. Commencement Ceremony).
142 graduates will receive a bachelor’s degree, associate degree or credit certificate in nursing and allied health fields, and biology and general studies. Graduates include Dawn VanDaele and Kevin VanDaele who are husband and wife and Aurora Ndini and Martha Ndini who are in-laws. Many graduates already have positions or job offers.
The fall commencement ceremony will also include the presentation of the Misericordia et Cura Award which is the highest honor bestowed by Mercy College. It recognizes individuals who focus on the values which are vital to the healing ministry and by their lives embody the College motto “Misericordia et Cura” meaning compassion and care. The award will be presented to Dr. Daniel and Mrs. Mary Jo Hanson and Joan Rutherford.
The Hansons are staunch advocates of higher education and strongly support the advancement of students who are seeking careers in healthcare. They support Mercy College through scholarships and Mary Jo also serves on the Mercy College Foundation Board of Directors. They have donated the single largest gift that will provide funding for the Dr. Daniel Hanson Learning Commons. This new space will provide students with state-of-the art facilities where they can study, collaborate with one another on projects and work with faculty and staff.
Joan Rutherford has worked at Mercy College for the last 15 years in the role of College Chief Financial Officer and for the Mercy Health System for the past 49 years. She is the embodiment of compassion and caring as she assists everyone with their needs and is passionate in her life and work. She is retiring in the spring. The Joan Rutherford endowed scholarship is being established and is nearly funded.
About the Commencement Speaker
Dr. Thomas Welch began his medical career in 1975 with Toledo Cardiology Consultants as the President and CEO. He remained with TCC until 2015 when he was named the Chief Medical Officer at Mercy Health – St. Vincent Medical Center. Dr. Welch transitioned into the Regional Chief Clinical Officer for Mercy Health – Toledo Region in 2016 and currently serves in this position. Dr. Welch’s professional successes range from leading the cardiovascular program, to improving quality in acute care, to writing a self-help book entitled Minute Health Tips, to even hosting Minute Health Tips on Channel 13 for seven years.
He completed his Internship at Cincinnati General Hospital, his Residency in Internal Medicine at the University of Colorado and a Fellowship in Cardiology at The Ohio State University. He and his wife Corrine have six children and they reside in Toledo.
Mercy College of Ohio is a Catholic undergraduate institution sponsored by Mercy Health and focuses on healthcare and health science programs.