Pictured in ribbon-cutting photo (from left): Mary Beth Botts (RU-2024), Dean of the Dr. John A. Cauble School of Nursing and Health Sciences Kimberlin Zelinsky, DNP, Reinhardt Board of Trustees Chairman Phillip M. Landrum III, Sara Jo Cauble, Dr. John A. Cauble, Sally C. Forest, President Mark A. Roberts, Ph.D., Interim Vice President of Academic Affairs Ken Wheeler, Ph.D., and Vice President of Advancement and Communications Johnson Bowles.
Reinhardt University dedicated the new home of the Dr. John A. Cauble School of Nursing and Health Sciences on Friday, November 7, 2025. The Cauble School relocated from a facility in Jasper, Georgia, to Reinhardt’s George M. Lawson Academic Center.
The ribbon-cutting and dedication ceremony held on the Moore Plaza in front of the Fred H. and Mozelle Bates Tarpley Education Center brought the Cauble family, trustees, healthcare partners, nursing alumni, faculty, and students together to laud the continued growth and success of the program.
Attendees heard expressions of gratitude along with remarkable stories of personal achievements, dedication, excellence, and the personalized culture of instruction and care. Mary Beth Botts (RU-2024), who served as president of Cohort 10, delivered an emotional alumni reflection. “I’d like to take this opportunity to personally say thank you to the Cauble family. You may never know the difference your contributions have made, but it impacted my life, and I have goals to reach thousands more.”
Reinhardt President Mark Roberts, Ph.D., presented two plaques: one to the School’s namesake, Dr. John A. Cauble, and another to Sally Cauble Forest, Cauble’s daughter. The new simulation laboratory, named for Forest, honors her dedication to and support of the School. Following the presentation, a ceremonial ribbon-cutting took place. The energy continued as guests excitedly toured the new facilities and enjoyed refreshments.
Reinhardt’s nursing program launched in 2017. A vision supported by determined faculty members and Northside Hospital-Cherokee helped bring it to life. Not long after, transformative gifts from Dr. Cauble, his wife Sara Jo Cauble, and Forest gave the program its forward momentum.
Since the program’s first graduating class in 2020, seven of twelve cohorts earned a 100% National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX) pass rate. Its 94.77 percent average pass rate places Reinhardt among Georgia’s top-performing nursing programs. With the move to the main campus, students now benefit from enhanced access to the University’s resources, stronger faculty collaboration, and a vibrant learning community supporting their growth as healthcare leaders.
What makes this program exceptional extends beyond the classroom. Clinical partnerships with Northside Cherokee, Emory Healthcare, Piedmont Mountainside Hospital, Inc., Piedmont Cartersville Medical Center, Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, Atrium Health Floyd, and AdventHealth-Redmond allow Reinhardt students to learn in top-tier hospitals, gaining hands-on experience that shapes their confidence and compassion.
Dr. Kimberlin Zelinsky, dean of the Dr. John A. Cauble School of Nursing and Health Sciences, reflected on when she first arrived at Reinhardt as an instructor, “I found a place where student success would be measured by more than test scores – a school where faculty are fully invested in their students and students are passionate about making a positive impact.”
The next chapter of the Cauble School isn’t just about a facility, it’s about belonging. It’s about a place where students and faculty can thrive together and continue a legacy that began with the belief that nursing is not just a profession — it’s a calling to serve others.
– By Suzy Alstrin
