School of Nursing Magazine Spring 2026

Lois Marie Wygonik, RN, CRNA, NP, ARNP (N’74), was recently inducted into the Century Club of Distinguished Duquesne University Alumni, the highest non-academic honor the University bestows upon its graduates.

With a nursing career spanning more than five decades, Wygonik has devoted her life to advancing patient care, anesthesia education and the nursing profession. Her journey began at Butler County Memorial Hospital, where she earned her degree in 1960. She went on to complete her Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA) training at Allegheny Valley Hospital in 1962 and fulfilled her dream of working in the
operating room.

“I always wanted to work in the OR, and I did,” she recalls. “There was one surgeon no one wanted to work
with because he yelled at everyone — but somehow, we always got along fine.”

It was during that time that this perceptive surgeon noticed something was wrong. After encouraging her to undergo further testing, doctors discovered a brain tumor. Wygonik spent nearly six months recovering in the hospital after having surgery, facing what many thought would be insurmountable challenges.

“They were surprised I was still living,” she says. “I couldn’t walk or move my arms.”

Wygonik determined that it was safer for her to get more education and read out of a book than to return to direct patient care.

Determined to continue contributing to the field she loved, Wygonik earned her Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Duquesne University in 1974. Turning adversity into inspiration, she went on to spend more than 50 years working in nursing and anesthesia, including years spent as an educator, before retiring in 2017 at the age of 75.

Wygonik began teaching anesthesia to students at Allegheny Valley Hospital in 1983 and later served as
Professor Emeritus at Winter Haven Hospital in Florida. A longtime member of the American Association of Nurse Anesthetists (AANA), she also served as co-chairman of Tidings, the organization’s bimonthly magazine, and later chaired the AANA Public Relations Committee. Her leadership helped elevate awareness of the CRNA profession through national initiatives, including a commemorative postal stamp marking the 50th anniversary of the credential.

Today, Wygonik continues to embody the compassionate and resilient spirit of Duquesne nurses. The
Duquesne community proudly celebrates her induction into the Century Club and her lifelong commitment to service, education and excellence in nursing.

Duquesne University School of Nursing proudly celebrates Jayna Moceri Brooks, PhD, RN (GN’15), and Maribeth McLaughlin, RN, BSN, MPM (N’85), who were recently named Fellows of the American Academy of Nursing (FAAN) as part of the academy’s 2025 Class of New Fellows.

Induction into the academy—one of the most prestigious honors in nursing—recognizes significant contributions to health, health care and nursing leadership. Brooks and McLaughlin were formally inducted at the academy’s annual Health Policy Conference, held in October 2025 in Washington, D.C.

• Dr. Chris Baker, clinical assistant professor, passed the NLN Certified Nurse Educator Certification Exam.
• Dr. Laura Crimm, clinical assistant professor and director of the Family (Individual Across the Lifespan) Nurse Practitioner Program, passed the National League for Nursing Certified Nurse Educator Certification Exam.
• Dr. Kate DeLuca, associate dean for Student and Alumni Affairs, was awarded $89,866 through the HRSA Nurse Faculty Loan Program.
• Dr. Jessica Devido, associate professor, received a 2025 Duquesne University Eugene P. Beard Presidential Prize for Innovation and Distinction Award for Leveraging a Menstrual Cycle App to Develop a Standardized Method for Collecting Menstrual Health Data: A Community-Engaged Pilot Study. She was also selected as a 2026-2027 Duquesne Bridges to Health Faculty Fellow.
• Dr. Deborah Dillon, clinical associate professor and director of the Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner Program, joined the Angels of Allegheny Nurses Honor Guard. She also received a 2025 Duquesne University Eugene P. Beard Presidential Prize for Innovation and Distinction Award for The Art of Communication and the Culture of Safety in Healthcare: A University Interdisciplinary Collaborative — A Mock Paging Simulation.
• Dr. Ruth Foreman, clinical associate professor, published two articles in The Nurse Practitioner Journal: “Understanding the Correlative Relationship Between Obesity and Alzheimer’s Disease” and “Understanding Disabilities: Prevalence, Health Disparities and Pathways to Improvement.”
• Dr. Ergie Inocian, clinical assistant professor, was awarded the Presidential Faculty Summer Writing Award to support research on the palliative care needs of older patients with stroke. He also received a STTI Member Research Award, Epsilon Phi Chapter for his proposed study, Development and Validation of Sources of Clinical Practice Anxiety Tool for Prelicensure Baccalaureate Nursing Student.
• Dr. Ruth Irwin, clinical associate professor, has been selected as the Chair of the TruMerit Registered Nurse Professional Standards Committee (formerly Commission of Graduates of Foreign Nursing Schools). She will also serve as a constituent member of the International Commission on Healthcare Professions (ICHP) for the same term.
• Dr. Melissa Kalarchian, professor and associate dean for research, was recognized on the Stanford/Elsevier Top 2% Scientist List; she was co-awarded a $238,783 NIH/NINDS grant for Materials to Enhance Training in Experimental Rigor; and she coreceived a 2025 Duquesne University Eugene P. Beard Presidential Prize for Innovation and Distinction Award for Leveraging a Menstrual Cycle App to Develop a Standardized Method for Collecting Menstrual Health Data: A Community-Engaged Pilot Study.
• Dr. Angela Karakachian, assistant professor, received the 2025 Nightingale Award of Pennsylvania in the Nursing Education: Academia category.
• Dr. Rebecca Kronk, professor and associate dean for Academic Affairs, received continued funding from the Edith L. Trees Charitable Trust to support the STAGES II and STAGES+ Theater Programs for youth and young adults with disabilities; she also received a $794,448 NIH/NHGRI R25 resubmission grant for Genomic Competencies for Nurses from Theory to Application: An Online Long Course.
• Dr. Jodi Licata, clinical assistant professor, and colleagues received second prize for their poster presentation, Click, Learn, Clear: Evaluating Virtual Training’s Impact on BSN Students’ Biomedical Proficiency — A Pilot Study, at the Society of Gastroenterology Nurses and Associates Conference.
• Dr. Denise Lucas, clinical associate professor and chair of Advanced Practice Programs, passed the National League for Nursing Certified Nurse Educator (CNE) Certification Exam, demonstrating her competency in the nurse faculty role.
• Dr. Lauren Narbey, assistant professor, has been selected as a 2026-2027 Bridges to Health (B2H) Faculty Fellow in the Duquesne University Center for Integrative Health.
• Dr. Michael Neft, clinical professor/director of Nurse Anesthesia Studies and Scholarly Projects, was appointed to the American Academy of Nursing Fellows Selection Committee.
• Dr. James Schreiber, professor, was recognized on the Stanford/Elsevier Top 2% Scientist List.
• Dr. L. Kathleen Sekula, professor and Noble J. Dick Endowed Chair in Academic Leadership, received a $50,000 grant from the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency to support training for pediatric sexual assault nurses.
• Dr. Mary Ellen Smith Glasgow, professor and dean, was elected to the American Association of Colleges of Nursing Board of Directors and was reappointed to the Board of Directors of UPMC Presbyterian Hospital and UPMC Shadyside Hospital.
• Dr. Torrie Snyder, assistant professor and undergraduate programs chair, received a $1,663,134 HRSA NWD grant to support success for second-degree BSN students and was also accepted as a fellow in the Vanderbilt University Academy for Diverse Emerging Nurse Leaders.
• Dr. Mai-Ly Steers, assistant professor, co-published a journal article, “Qualitative Analysis of How U.S. College Students Construct Their Alcohol-Related Content Identities via Social Media,” in Substance Abuse Treatment, Prevention, and Policy.
• Dr. Theresa Stujenske, assistant professor, along with nursing colleagues, received a 2025 Duquesne University Eugene P. Beard Presidential Prize for Innovation and Distinction Award for Leveraging a Menstrual Cycle App to Develop a Standardized Method for Collecting Menstrual Health Data: A Community-Engaged Pilot Study.
• Dr. Melanie Turk, professor, was recognized with a University of Pittsburgh 2025 Cameos of Caring Award. In addition, she secured a grant to study multi-stakeholder determinants of Medicare Diabetes Prevention Program, and she also received an NIH R01 subcontract with Denver Health and Hospital Authority to enhance enrollment in the National Diabetes Prevention Program for underserved populations.
• Dr. Yvonne Wiedeman, clinical associate professor and director of the BME/BSN Program, and colleagues received second prize for their poster presentation, Click, Learn, Clear: Evaluating Virtual Training’s Impact on BSN Students’ Biomedical Proficiency — A Pilot Study, at the Society
  of Gastroenterology Nurses and Associates Conference.
• Susan Williams, assistant dean for Clinical Skills and Simulation Education, instructor and simulated participant coordinator, and colleagues received second prize for their poster presentation, Click, Learn, Clear: Evaluating Virtual Training’s Impact on BSN Students’ Biomedical Proficiency — A Pilot Study, at the Society of Gastroenterology Nurses and Associates Conference.
• Dr. Rick Zoucha, professor, chair of Advanced Role and PhD Program, and director of Nursing Education, was elected as a Fellow of the Academy of Diversity Leaders in Nursing. He was also recognized with a University of Pittsburgh 2025 Cameos of Caring Award.

The School of Nursing has been recognized as a National League for Nursing (NLN) Center of Excellence in Nursing Education for 2025 — a national distinction placing Duquesne University among an elite group of 21 nursing programs across the United States. It also marks the nursing school’s fifth designation since 2008.

Duquesne University is one of just 12 institutions recognized in the “Enhancing Student Learning and Professional Development” category, affirming the nursing school’s dedication to preparing nursing professionals who always think bigger, and whose ingenuity is driven by compassion and empathy.

“This fifth Center of Excellence designation from the National League for Nursing, which coincided with
the School of Nursing celebrating its 96.36% first-time NCLEX-RN pass rate for the 2024–2025 academic year, reflects the continued strengths of our programs and the dedication of our amazing faculty and students,” says Duquesne Nursing Dean Dr. Mary Ellen Smith Glasgow.

These accolades support the Duquesne University School of Nursing as a national model and leader for top ranked interdisciplinary and interprofessional programs that offer rigorous academic work, hands-on training and a strong emphasis on ethical values.

“We have all heard, ‘It takes a village,’” says Dr. Beverly Malone, NLN president and chief executive officer. “Nowhere is that truer than in the shared vision and values, mutual support, respect and inclusivity among faculty, leadership and students that must come together for an extraordinary nursing program to be nationally recognized for their innovation and commitment in becoming an NLN Center of Excellence.”

Irene Crabtree Felsman, DNP, MPH, RN, C-GH (GN’15), received the National League for Nursing Lilian Wald Humanitarian Award. Felsman has dedicated her career to improving health and access to care for women and children worldwide through culturally aligned interventions. Her work spans Asia, Africa, Latin America, the Caribbean and the U.S., with recent initiatives including training Latino community health workers and using storytelling as a psychosocial and advocacy tool for resettled refugees.

Ariana Miller - Forensic Nursing
Under the mentorship of Dr. Kimberly Kasper, co-authored the manuscript “The Evolution of DNA and Its Impact on Sexual Assault Case Prosecution,” published in the Journal of the Academy of Forensic Nursing.

Maggie Blake - DNP Student
Awarded a DAISY Health Equity Grant for her quality improvement initiative utilizing HELP to reduce delirium, improve patient outcomes and provide age-friendly care for patients 65 years and older with two delirium risk factors. Mentored by Dr. Laura Crimm.

April Morris - PhD Student
Co-authored the article “Qualitative Analysis of How U.S. College Students Construct Their Alcohol-Related Content Identities via Social Media,” published in Substance Abuse Treatment, Prevention, and Policy. Collaborators include Dr. Mai-Ly Steers, clinical PhD student Mackenzie Farbo and clinical psychology PhD alumnus Dr. Pavan Brar.

“Dean (Mary Ellen Smith) Glasgow has elevated Duquesne and firmly positioned it as a leader in nursing
education,” says Duquesne University President Ken Gormley.

Glasgow, who has served as dean of the School of Nursing since July 2012, has grown the school’s overall enrollment steadily over the last several years despite a decline in student interest post-pandemic that is only now recovering.

Under Glasgow’s leadership, Duquesne nursing students have achieved the highest NCLEX-RN scores in school history, and research and scholarship have significantly increased. In 2025 the school’s Masters in
Nursing Education program was ranked the No.1 program in the country by U.S. News & World Report, with many of its other graduate programs ranked in the top 40 nationally.

Glasgow led the development of the nation’s first dual undergraduate Biomedical Engineering and Nursing
Program, started Duquesne’s PhD program in Nursing Ethics and was instrumental in securing significant recent philanthropic support for enhanced facilities for the school.

“I am thankful and honored to have been reappointed dean,” Glasgow says. “Our faculty do an incredible job educating nurses to the highest professional standards and commit themselves to the needs of our field and our community.”