Nurses Month 2021

In honor of Nurses Month, celebrated throughout May, we are proud to introduce you to some of the Russell Sage College Nursing department’s students, faculty and alumni who are making a difference everywhere, from Nursing education to the fight against COVID.

Alexandra Betancourt-Pérez ’21, RN

Alexandra Betancourt-Pérez is a nurse in Albany Medical Center’s Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. Looking back at Sage, what she knows was invaluable was how her instructors shared their experiences as nurses, and got into the details. “I was so well prepared,” she says. “My professors really cared. They love nursing so they want to make sure that we’re good nurses.” 

Associate Professor of Nursing Marcy Fiet ’99

“Teaching is a lot like coaching women through labor,” says Certified Nurse Midwife and Associate Professor of Nursing Marcy Fiet. “The work can be hard, but the rewards at the end are amazing.”

Patricia Klimkewicz, Ph.D.

Patricia Klimkewicz earned her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in nursing and her MBA at Sage. Sage played a key role in her career development, she said, and helped her excel in leadership roles in academia, health care and the military. 

Donnie Tessitore, NP

Donnie Tessitore earned a Nursing master’s degree and post-master’s certificate at Sage. He is an acute care nurse practitioner at Albany Medical Center and a preceptor for students in Sage’s graduate Nursing programs. In 2020, he was named Albany Med’s Employee of the Year. More than 100 colleagues nominated him for the honor, several specifically citing his mentorship. 

Chelsea Uzibor ’22

Chelsea Uzibor  has seen her view of nursing expanded at Sage. She attended a Public Health class during her sophomore year, which, she says, opened her eyes to a broader understanding of health care and has her thinking of ways she might have an impact on the community.  

Recent News

June 17, 2025

Q&A with Speech Pathologist Julie Hart, Director of The Aphasia Center at Russell Sage College

Aphasia is a language disorder that results typically from a stroke, brain injury, or a progressive neurologic condition. “It impacts a person’s ability to speak, to understand, read, write, and basically participate in their life,” says speech pathologist Julie Hart, MS, CCC-SLP, director of The Aphasia Center at Russell Sage College.  Hart has worked with […]
Read More
June 10, 2025

Russell Sage Partners with New York State Probation Officers Association to Offer Tuition Discount to Members and Advance Probation Workforce

The New York State Probation Officers Association (NYSPOA) has signed a partnership agreement with Russell Sage College to meet the needs of the community corrections workforce.  The Workforce Development Partnership provides NYSPOA members with a 10% tuition discount and deferred tuition payment for qualifying graduate programs offered at Russell Sage, including its fully online master’s […]
Read More
June 10, 2025

Russell Sage College Among 1% of Institutions in U.S. Designated as Small Professions-focused Undergraduate/Graduate-Doctoral by Carnegie

Russell Sage College stands uniquely among only 58 colleges and universities, or 1% percent of the institutions included in the 2025 Carnegie Classifications, as a small college with a professions focus and a strong mix of undergraduate, master’s, and doctoral programs. The American Council on Education and the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching […]
Read More