ALBANY – Maria College is enjoying unprecedented growth this year, with the largest incoming class in the college’s history. There are 393 students in the incoming class, an increase of 36 percent over last year. Primarily, students are coming for the college’s nursing program, with the largest growth in the preparatory program where students take prerequisites like anatomy and physiology.

On Tuesday, September 27, Maria College held its inaugural New Student Convocation to officially welcome new students to their educational journey at Maria College. The ceremony is an important step for students in recognizing their entrance into the College community. It also serves as a “bookend” to each student’s collegiate experience, with convocation as the opening ceremony and commencement as the final goal.

Maria College Dean of Nursing Colleen Carmody, EdD, RN, CNS, recently spoke with the Albany Business Review about the shortage of nurses in the Capital Region and how Maria College is planning to implement new partnerships and plans geared toward fixing the problem.

Maria College hosted a public Farmers Market and Wellness Fair on Friday, September 30, on the College’s Great Lawn, with produce from the Regional Food Bank of Northeastern New York and more than 30 wellness and food tables. The event was co-sponsored by St. Peter’s Health Partners.

Maria College is proud to announce Mary Pat Garvin, RSM, Ph.D., as its keynote speaker to kick off the College’s Mercy Week, a week-long series of events to celebrate the College’s heritage. Dr. Garvin’s lecture, “A Social Mystic: Who Me?” is this year’s Dorothy A. Connolly Annual Lecture, a series that honors the late Maria College Trustee Emeritus. The lecture will be held on Monday, September 26, at 6pm at Maria College, and is open to the public.