Catherine Quay selected to lead the Elon University Department of Nursing

Quay comes to Elon from the Drexel University College of Nursing and Health Professions where she was a course chair for holistic gerontological nursing.

Catherine Quay has been selected to join the faculty in the Elon University School of Health Sciences as an associate professor and will serve as chair of the Department of Nursing and director of the university’s nursing programs. Quay will step into the new role on June 17.

Catherine Quay

In the role, Quay will provide the leadership necessary to ensure the continued growth and success of the university’s Department of Nursing, which welcomed its first students in 2021 and is now graduating qualified health care professionals ready to serve in the field.

“Dr. Quay brings to this new role a wealth of experience within the field of nursing and the leadership necessary to continue Elon’s growth within the field of nursing,” said Maha Lund, dean of the School of Health Sciences. “She will play an integral role in guiding our nursing programs and ensuring that students have the support, guidance and hands-on education necessary to be impactful health care providers and leaders in the future.”

As department chair and director, Quay will be responsible for guiding the accreditation process and the implementation of progressive nursing programs and curricula focused on the reduction of health disparities and community-based, population health. Quay recently earned her doctorate in nursing education from Columbia University and holds a master’s degree in nursing from Pace University. She is currently a course chair for holistic gerontological nursing at Drexel University’s College of Nursing and Health Professions.

Grounded in a commitment to providing quality education to future nurses, Quay brings with her to Elon nearly 20 years of experience in nursing education, both in the collegiate setting and in nursing professional development. Prior to her work at Drexel, Quay served as a nursing and educational consultant at several health care facilities and previously served as an acute care clinical nurse educator at MedStar Montgomery Medical Center. Earlier in her career she was a registered nurse at Frederick Memorial Hospital in Frederick, Maryland.

Quay’s selection follows a national search and interviews with highly qualified candidates from diverse backgrounds. The search committee was made up of faculty and staff members led by co-chairs Jeanmarie Koonts, assistant professor of nursing, and Kim Stokes, associate professor of physician assistant studies and department chair and program director for the Department of Physician Assistant Studies.

Search Committee Members

  • Matthew Clark, Associate Professor of Biology
  • Stephen Folger, Director of Operations and Accreditation for the School of Health Sciences
  • Cyra Kussman, Lecturer in Nursing
  • Nita Skillman, Director of Interprofessional Simulation
  • Elizabeth Van Horn, Associate Professor of Nursing