Distinguished Alumna of the Year Award

Janice Hudson Ancona, Nurs '75, Grd '95
Racine, Wis.

Janice had no intention of attending Marquette until she was awarded a full-tuition scholarship, which changed the trajectory of her life, as well as the thousands of lives she touched along the way while specializing in NICU care.

Considered a non-traditional student during her time at Marquette, Janice was married and became a mother during her undergraduate studies. “Every person associated with the college was dedicated to helping me achieve my goal of successfully completing the program,” she recalls.

After finishing her graduate degree, she spent the next 40 years at St. Joseph’s Hospital working as a full-time R.N. in the neonatal intensive care unit and as a nurse administrator specializing in the leadership of NICU clinical care and professional practice, including interdisciplinary collaboration.

“It has been my endless privilege to care for infants and their families, to try to make a difference during a tough time in their lives,” she says.

Janice facilitates a statewide quality collaborative group for Level III NICUs and is an appointed member of the Institutional Review Board. She has been involved with numerous community and professional groups focusing on the care of infants withdrawing from maternal substances taken during pregnancy.

“Creativity in nursing practice has been required, along with some risk-taking, willingness to try, flexibility, endless adaptability, advocacy and the recognition of the power of team work,” she says.