University of Saint Joseph Appoints Dr. Patricia Padula Morgan as Associate Dean and Chair of Nursing

WEST HARTFORD, Conn. – (August 28, 2013) – Patricia Padula Morgan, Ph.D., R.N., C.N.E. has recently been appointed associate dean of the School of Health and Natural Sciences and chair of the department of Nursing at the University of Saint Joseph (USJ) in West Hartford. Morgan will also serve as associate professor (tenured) of Nursing at USJ. She is a resident of West Hartford.

“I am honored to join the University of Saint Joseph where the Nursing program has established a rich, diverse history since the 1940s, along with a solid reputation in educating students to become leaders in the nursing field,” said Dr. Morgan. “Working in collaboration with USJ’s talented and eminently respected nursing faculty, I look forward to enhancing our degree programs to meet the evolving needs of our students and the health care industry.”

USJ Provost Michelle M. Kalis, Ph.D. said, “Dr. Morgan is a highly regarded nurse educator who brings to the University of Saint Joseph more than 27 years of clinical nursing experience and more than 12 years of teaching and administrative experiences in higher education. Her higher education administrative background will provide leadership in academic program planning, development, and evaluation within the nursing discipline and across health professions.”

Prior to joining USJ, Morgan served as the interim director (chair) and associate professor (tenured) of the department of Nursing, Westbrook College of Health Professions at the University of New England (Portland and Biddeford, Maine). She previously held several administrative and faculty positions at the University of New England including: associate chair and assistant professor of Nursing and associate degree coordinator. Among her accomplishments, Morgan spearheaded the development of a new four-year and a new Accelerated Bachelor of Science degree in Nursing, and she was a key leader in the development of an innovative Interprofessional Core Curriculum for students in health professions at the University of New England. 

Morgan’s research interests are in the area of women’s health across the lifespan as evidenced by her impressive record of publications, professional presentations, grant-funded research initiatives, and service on peer review boards. She earned her B.S. in Nursing from the University of Rhode Island; an M.S. in Nursing from the University of New Hampshire; and a Ph.D. in Nursing from Swansea University (Swansea, Wales, U.K.)