Sister Rosemary Donley, S.C. Ph.D., ANP-BC, FAAN
The Jacques Laval Endowed Chair in Justice for Vulnerable Populations

Addressing social injustice is a key aspect of Duquesne University’s heritage and character.

Our commitment to helping those most in need will be advanced through the efforts of Sister Rosemary Donley, the newly appointed holder of the Jacques Laval Endowed Chair in Justice for Vulnerable Populations.

Sister Donley is a leader in nursing education, research and public service whose career has been devoted to providing better care for the underprivileged and the chronically ill.

A native Pittsburgher and member of the Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill, she has taught health policy at The Catholic University of America for more than three decades, and has served as that institution’s executive vice president, chief operating officer and dean of nursing.

For the past 10 years at The Catholic University of America, she has taught graduate courses in community health nursing, course work she was instrumental in developing, which focuses on the care of vulnerable populations, including inner city residents, immigrants and refugees.

The faculty of the School of Nursing has identified health care disparities among the elderly, poor, disadvantaged and other marginalized groups as its research priority. As holder of the Laval Chair, Sister Donley will teach and conduct research related to health care access and quality for underserved persons and communities. Her responsibilities will also include developing community partnerships, organizing academic colloquia and establishing an annual lecture series on social justice issues in health care.

“My philosophy has been shaped by the traditions of the Sisters of Charity, the French School of Spirituality and the Catholic Church’s teachings on social justice, which have given me a deep concern for the sick and a passion for improving their lives. I strive every day to integrate what I have learned into my research, nursing practice and teaching.”
Sr. Rosemary Donley, S.C.

Reflecting on the mission of the Laval chair, Sister Donley says that its intent is to ground nursing actions in social justice and to assist others to work in the community and at the policy level to lessen the impact of injustice.  She believes that nurses have phenomenal opportunities to express the works of justice by: increasing the level of understanding of the social justice tradition and its particular application to vulnerable populations; acting to decrease vulnerability; and working collectively to identify and change the structures which perpetuate injustice.

The Jacques Laval Endowed Chair in Justice for Vulnerable Populations underscores our commitment to provide a nursing education for the mind, heart and spirit.

Download Sister Donley's CV