Gormley Re-Appoints Glasgow to Fifth Term as School of Nursing Dean

“By multiple measures, Mary Ellen Glasgow’s three terms as Dean of the School of Nursing have resulted in spectacular success,” said Gormley. “Whether one considers pass rates on professional qualifying exams, rankings against other nursing schools, employment rates, or virtually any other measure of quality, Dean Glasgow has elevated Duquesne and firmly positioned it as a leader in nursing education.” 

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; research and scholarship have significantly increased; and in 2025 the School’s Masters in Nursing Education program was ranked the #1 program in the country by U.S. News. Many of its other graduate programs, as well, are ranked in the top 40 nationally by U.S. News. Moreover, the School overall is regularly included among the top 25 nursing schools nationally by various publications.

Glasgow frequently publishes about issues related to nursing education, professional standards, and the pivotal role of nurses in health care access and practice, in addition to pursuing her own scholarship. She also led the development of the nation's first dual undergraduate Biomedical Engineering and Nursing Program, started Duquesne's Ph.D. 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 of the School of Nursing and to be able to continue advocating for nursing education and student success,” Glasgow said. “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. I am excited to continue our momentum.”

Prior to joining Duquesne, Glasgow was associate dean for nursing, undergraduate health professions and continuing education, as well as chair of undergraduate programs, at Drexel University. She is the author or co-author of five books, two of which earned the American Journal of Nursing's first place Book-of-the-Year Award. Glasgow is a member of the boards of UPMC Presbyterian Hospital and Shadyside Hospital, and the American Association of Colleges of Nursing. In addition, she chairs the National Advisory Council of the Betty Irene Moore School of Nursing at the University of California, Davis. 

Glasgow earned her BSN from Gwynedd Mercy University, her MSN from Villanova University and her Ph.D. in nursing science from Duquesne. Gwynedd Mercy awarded Glasgow its Distinguished Alumni Award in 2013.