Donna M Grandbois, Ph.D., RN, Assistant professor of Nursing at NDSU, was invited to present her program of research at the University of Pennsylvania, School of Nursing Seminar Lecture Series on March 16, 2011. The title of her presentation was Native American Elders: Exploring the Resilience of Their Lived Experience. She also talked about her plans to conduct a community-partnered needs assessment survey in the Fargo Moorhead Native community to help procure the funding necessary for a Native American Health & Wellness Center.  Additionally, her discussion included the use of transformative research methods to help empower vulnerable communities to be active participants in finding solutions to their own problems through university to community research collaboration. The University of Pennsylvania, School of Nursing has a long history of embracing students from diverse backgrounds by providing a welcoming and supportive environment to help all students succeed. Their mission is to change the face of nursing to reflect the diversity of a global society in research, education, practice, and policy by developing leaders and researchers for the 21st Century. Mary Lou de Leon Siantz, Ph.D., RN, FAAN, Assistant Dean of Diversity and Cultural Affairs felt that Dr. Grandbois, by sharing her research and commitment to the work she does to collaboratively advance the causes of Native people and communities could well reflect both of these goals. Dr. Grandbois, as one of only 21 doctorally prepared Native American nurses in the United States, is passionate about her work, both as a nurse educator, a researcher and as a gerontologist. Dr. Grandbois also provided consultation with the faculty and staff of the Psychiatric-Mental Health Nursing Program.