Dear Friends and Colleagues,
In preparation for writing this letter, I retrieved my last communication to you. It began with “Happy Holidays!” So much has happened since then, I hardly know where to begin. This writing finds our nation in anything but a “happy” place. We are saddened that our students spent the final part of their spring semester in remote instruction. We were unable to celebrate graduation in person, but hopeful that we may still find this opportunity. On a broader scale, we are grieving the loss of lives from the Covid-19 pandemic, knowing that many additional tragic deaths will follow. Mourning the loss of Black men and women who have died at the hands of police, our country remains fractured by systemic racism.
Amidst this, there is good news to share. The Egan School launched almost two hundred and fifty undergraduate and graduate students into professional nursing and healthcare careers this past May, including our first three Public Health students. We congratulate all of our nursing and public health graduates who will provide evidence-based, culturally sensitive care that promotes social justice. As you will read in our newsletter, our School earned excellent rankings during the last academic year and our faculty, staff and students continue to receive grants and awards that foster excellence in practice. Our faculty have earned seats on influential decision-making boards and panels to ensure that the Fairfield vision and mission are implemented on a national scale. We have taken actions to address our current crises and prepare for the delivery of equitable, and high-quality healthcare of the future.
During this difficult time, we will continue the great work of the Egan School, knowing how much the world needs what we do. On behalf of the entire faculty and staff of the Marion Peckham Egan School of Nursing and Health Studies, I wish you and your families’ good health and safety.
Meredith Kazer, PhD, APRN, FAAN
Dean & Professor, Marion Peckham Egan School of Nursing and Health Studies
