Dear Friends and Colleagues,

In comparison to a year ago, we are in a better place. Covid-19 vaccinations became available to our faculty and students during the earlier months of this year and we recently hosted a vaccination clinic on campus. While we continued to be challenged with the pandemic during the academic year, the resiliency of our faculty, staff, and students continues to impress me. We kept our doors open for on-campus and online instruction. We continued clinical experiences. All students were provided opportunities to complete degree requirements.

I am pleased to report that we will be graduating our first two Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) students and inducted eight students into Chi Psi, our new chapter of Phi Alpha Social Work Honor Society. Sixteen public health students, 129 undergraduate nursing students and 54 masters and doctor of nursing practice (DNP) students will graduate during our May commencement exercises. We also underwent successful accreditation site visits with the Accreditation Commission for Midwifery Education, the American Association of Nurse Anesthetists Council on Accreditation, the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education, and the Council for Social Work Education. These accomplishments would be laudable at any point in time. That they occurred during a pandemic, is a tremendous testament to our Egan School community.   

While I beam with pride at the amazing accomplishments of the Egan School, none of this surprises me. As I reflect upon the Egan School’s actions over the past year, I considered what made us distinctly successful, when other academic institutions failed to open their doors. I recall all that was accomplished to continue educating men and women for others during a pandemic. Our distinctive mission propelled us forward. Our faculty, staff and students energized one another as we continued our good work, knowing the world needs what we do, especially at a time like this.

When I last wrote, I shared hope that the Covid-19 pandemic would be mostly behind us. While we’ve made progress, the pandemic still underscores our operations. But, we’ve demonstrated that while the pandemic was present, we persevered and grew stronger as a result. This ability to be steadfast and true despite all odds, speaks to the tenacity and expertise of the Egan School and portends our future impact on the health of the world. If we could do what we did during a pandemic, our impact is limitless.

Thank you for your ongoing support of our school. I continue to hold our entire Egan community in my thoughts and prayers for good health and safety.

Meredith Kazer, PhD, APRN, FAAN
Dean & Professor, Marion Peckham Egan School of Nursing and Health Studies