Welcome New Faculty

Assistant Professor of the Practice Erin Fusco completed her DNP at Stony Brook University. She joins Egan School from a recent faculty position as an assistant professor at Quinnipiac University. Her clinical research interests focus on oncology, leveraging technology in patient care, and care access for underserved populations. She is from a family of nurses: her mother, three sisters, and two nieces. Her grandmother, who was a midwife in Ireland, is credited for safely delivering thousands of babies in her ten-year career. Fusco is married with two daughters. She loves to run, and always finishes, but is content to be in competition for the slowest runner ever!

Visiting Instructor Janice Holmes completed her master of science and bachelor of science in nursing degrees from Fairfield’s Egan School. As a psychiatric mental health clinical nurse specialist and advanced practice registered nurse, her clinical and scholarly interests include management of development disorders and acute psychiatric crises. Prior to joining Fairfield as a full-time faculty member, Ms. Holmes served as an adjunct professor for the past six years. In 2021, she was honored with the Undergraduate Adjunct of the Year award for her exceptional instruction of students in clinical and simulation areas.

Assistant Professor and Director of the Master of Healthcare Administration Program Lisa Sundean completed her PhD from UConn. She is the former Statewide Director for the CT Nursing Collaborative-Action Coalition and joins Fairfield Egan most recently from her position as an assistant professor at UMass Boston. Her research interests focus on nurse leadership, specifically nurses on boards, health policy, population and public health, and nursing workforce development. She is an avid hiker, snowboarder, reader, gardener, and lover of family time.

Assistant Professor of the Practice and Nurse Anesthesia Clinical Education Coordinator Leigh Taylor recently joined us at Fairfield from Nashville, Tenn., where she was the assistant program director at Middle Tennessee School of Anesthesia. She completed her DNP from Samford University and was recently published in the June 2020 issue of the American Association of Nurse Anesthesia Journal for a protocol for the early identification and prevention of substance use disorder among Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists (CRNAs) in the workplace.

RIGHT: The cutting-edge simulation labs provide nursing students exposure to realistic experiences through the use of technology and professional actors. BACK COVER: Nurse anesthesia students participating in a simulation.

Photos by Fairfield University Media Center

Consistent with the mission of Fairfield University to develop men and women for others, the Marion Peckham Egan School of Nursing and Health Studies inspires students to become leaders in healthcare. These students are actively engaged with faculty in practice, research, scholarship, and service. As a Jesuit institution, a central focus of our care is to improve health outcomes with particular attention given to the needs of the underserved or vulnerable populations.

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