The Duquesne University community is mourning the loss of Dr. Eileen Zungolo, dean emerita of nursing, who passed away on Sunday, Sept. 7, after a long illness. Zungolo, who served as nursing dean from 2002-2012, was 73.
Dr. Eileen Zungolo
“As dean, Eileen Zungolo made great contributions to the School of Nursing and Duquesne University,” said President Charles J. Dougherty. “She believed strongly that the future of nursing was in the community, where nurses would have to be independent leaders. Eileen wanted our educational programs to match those anticipated needs.”
When she began her tenure at the School of Nursing in August 2002, Zungolo also was serving a four-year term as president of the National League for Nursing (NLN). She most recently had served as professor of nursing at Northeastern University, where she was dean of nursing from 1989-2001. A past Fulbright scholar at Thailand’s Khon Kaen University, Zungolo also taught and/or held administrative posts at the Boston University School of Medicine, the University of Illinois College of Nursing and the Idaho State University School of Nursing.
Among her many contributions and accomplishments as a nurse, educator and leader at Duquesne, Zungolo was responsible for:
- Leading the School of Nursing to twice earn the NLN’s Center of Excellence designation (from 2008-2011 and 2011-2015), an honor granted to a select number of nursing schools in the country
- Creating the online Doctor of Nursing Practice program
- Establishing the Jacques Laval Chair for Justice for Vulnerable Populations in the School of Nursing
- Developing the annual Rita M. McGinley Symposium to address issues of social justice in healthcare.
“She was very passionate, and she had a deep personal commitment to the mission of the University,” added Dougherty.
Zungolo was a member of numerous professional organizations, including the NLN, for which she served as an Accreditation Committee program evaluator; the Nursing Advisory Committee for the Joint Commission for Accrediting of Healthcare Organizations; and the American Association of Colleges of Nursing. She also chaired the NLN Certification Commission, which oversees the Academic Nurse Educator certification program.
“Eileen was an inspirational leader with a generous spirit and kind heart,” said Dean of Nursing Dr. Mary Ellen Glasgow. “She will be missed by her nursing colleagues.”
In 2011, Zungolo received the Outstanding Service Award from the NLN and the Rita M. McGinley Social Justice Spirit of Service Award from the University. In 2005, she was nominated by her Duquesne students and received the Leader of Leaders Award from the National Student Nurses Association.
Zungolo was bestowed the title of dean emerita of the School of Nursing in 2012. She held a bachelor’s in nursing, a master’s of education in medical-surgical nursing/teaching and an Ed.D. in nursing education from the Columbia University Teacher’s College.
The School of Nursing is sponsoring a Mass in Zungolo’s memory on Tuesday, Oct. 21, at 3 p.m. in the University Chapel.
*Donations can be made to the University’s Eileen Zungolo Scholarship Fund by visiting the Advancement website.