Dorrie Fontaine has been appointed to a second five-year term as dean of the Nursing School, the University announced Wednesday.
“Dorrie has proven her effectiveness as an administrator, innovator, fundraiser and contributor to the vibrancy and academic excellence of the School of Nursing and the University overall,” Provost John Simon said in a press release.
Since her original appointment in 2008, Fontaine has raised millions of dollars for the Nursing School, despite stepping into her role in the middle of an economic crisis.
“There were a lot of things she had to deal with when she came,” Assoc. Nursing Prof. Marianne Baernholdt said. “She has not only kept us on course, but improved what was here, despite those challenges.”
In 2012, she secured a $12 million donation from Sonia and Paul Jones to establish the Contemplative Sciences Center, which is devoted to integrating several University schools to form a cohesive body to examine the impact of contemplative practices such as yoga and meditation.
Earlier this year, she helped obtain a $5 million donation from Bill and Joanne Conway that will be used to provide need-based financial aid and expand the size of the Clinical Nurse Leader program for the next five years.
“We were so proud to receive the Conway’s support last spring, $5 million that will truly enable us to have a real impact on the nursing workforce of the Commonwealth,” Fontaine said in an email.
Fontaine, who previously worked as President of the American Association of Critical Care Nurses, has established herself at the University as a strong advocate of compassion in health care. On top of a heavy curriculum, Nursing students are asked to practice yoga and meditation and are encouraged to have open discussions about the challenges they face.
“Nursing hasn’t always done a good job of teaching folks while they’re still students how to go out there and have these intense positions where they have 12-hour shifts,” Asst. Nursing School Dean Theresa Carroll said. “If you’re not preparing them to be resilient, what you see is that it doesn’t take them very long to get exhausted.”
Though the Nursing School is currently recognized as one of the top institutions in the country, Fontaine’s staff hopes that her leadership will translate to increased recognition in national rankings. The University is currently in a six-way tie for 15th place on the U.S. News & World Report nursing school rankings list.
Since July 2011, Fontaine has lived on the Lawn in Pavilion IX and is known to host students, dinners, and the occasional birthday party.
“I can say without hesitation that my students are the best part of being a dean,” she said.
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