Villanova University Announces the Naming of the M. Louise Fitzpatrick College of Nursing
Villanova University President the Rev. Peter M. Donohue, OSA, PhD, today announced the naming of the M. Louise Fitzpatrick College of Nursing, honoring the college’s visionary dean, who passed away in September. Villanova’s College of Nursing developed into a premier nursing program during Dr. Fitzpatrick’s tenure and was recognized repeatedly by the National League for Nursing as a Center of Excellence in Nursing Education.
“Louise Fitzpatrick will be remembered as one of the most vibrant, transformative leaders in the history of Villanova, and I can think of no more fitting an honor than to name our College of Nursing after her,” said Father Donohue. “Dean Fitzpatrick was a visionary who embodied the spirit of what it means to be a Villanova nurse and a true Villanovan. Her leadership set a course of greatness for the College of Nursing and our University—and through this naming, we are ensuring that such vision and excellence continues to be a hallmark of the Fitzpatrick College of Nursing.”
Throughout nearly four decades as dean of the College of Nursing, Dr. M. Louise Fitzpatrick shaped a leading and transformative educational experience for Villanova nursing students. With a focused eye on the future, Dr. Fitzpatrick made the College’s endowment a priority throughout her career. To date, more than $11 million in additional commitments have been secured for the Fitzpatrick College of Nursing’s endowment to further ensure that Villanova continues as a leader in nursing education.
A pioneer in her field, Dr. Fitzpatrick served as the Connelly Endowed Dean of the College of Nursing and worked tirelessly to expand the College’s academic programs, including initiating the master’s and doctoral programs, as well as an accelerated BSN program for second-degree students. She developed distance learning strategies and clinical simulation initiatives with a focus on scholarship and research. During her tenure, three centers were established: the Center for Nursing Research, the Center for Global and Public Health and the MacDonald Center for Obesity Prevention and Education.
Dr. Fitzpatrick ensured that Villanova’s Augustinian tradition informed every aspect of the College. Throughout her years of leadership, she nurtured a culture of intellectual excellence in teaching and inquiry, service to others and nursing as a healing ministry. She fully committed herself to helping others, both at home and abroad, and sought to globalize the College of Nursing through study abroad and health promotion experiences for students in countries around the world.
About the M. Louise Fitzpatrick College of Nursing: The M. Louise Fitzpatrick College of Nursing at Villanova University is a nationally recognized, premier nursing program, committed to its Augustinian Catholic values and the tireless pursuit of compassion, and academic and clinical excellence in nursing and nursing education. Founded in 1953, the College is designated a Center of Excellence in Nursing Education by the National League for Nursing. The College is committed to a teacher-clinician scholar model, offering undergraduate, graduate, doctoral and continuing education programs that prepare students to assume positions as productive, ethical and socially responsible practitioners and leaders at the forefront of modern health care. Visit villanova.edu/nursing.
About Villanova University: Since 1842, Villanova University’s Augustinian Catholic intellectual tradition has been the cornerstone of an academic community in which students learn to think critically, act compassionately and succeed while serving others. There are more than 10,000 undergraduate, graduate and law students in the University's six colleges—the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, the Villanova School of Business, the College of Engineering, the M. Louise Fitzpatrick College of Nursing, the College of Professional Studies and the Villanova University Charles Widger School of Law. Ranked among the nation’s top universities, Villanova supports its students’ intellectual growth and prepares them to become ethical leaders who create positive change everywhere life takes them. For more, visit www.villanova.edu.