Brother Ignatius Perkins Named Founding Director of the St. Martin de Porres Center for Health and Human Dignity
The School of Nursing and Health Sciences is proud to share that Brother Ignatius Perkins, O.P., Ph.D., RN, has been appointed as the Founding Director of the newly established St. Martin de Porres Center for Health and Human Dignity. His appointment marks a significant step in the College’s commitment to ethical healthcare education and service.
Brother Ignatius brings extensive experience in nursing education, healthcare ethics, and faith-based service. He has previously served as Chair of multiple nursing schools, Dean of the College of Health and Natural Sciences at Spalding University, and Executive Vice President of the National Catholic Bioethics Center. His career has focused on serving vulnerable populations and advancing ethical healthcare practices, aligning with the mission of the new center.
The St. Martin de Porres Center, housed within the Mondor Center for Nursing and Health Sciences, aims to be a hub for scholarship, research, and collaboration. Under Brother Ignatius’ leadership, the Center will bring together students, faculty, and healthcare professionals to promote humanistic healthcare rooted in Catholic teachings. The Center aspires to gain national recognition for its work in ethical and compassionate healthcare education that integrates faith, service, and academic excellence.
A key initiative of the Center will be building collaborations with the global network of the Dominican Order in healthcare. It will work to support underserved communities, promote faith-based healthcare solutions, and integrate Catholic social teaching into healthcare practice and education.
The search committee for the Founding Director position included Jim Keating, Ph.D. (Chair), Nancy Meedzan, DNP, RN, Debby Levine, Ph.D., Fr. Simon Teller, O.P., and Mr. Robert Ferreira ’83. The College also recognized Kyle McInnis, Sc.D., Founding Dean of the School of Nursing and Health Sciences, for his leadership in developing this initiative.
Providence College expects the Center to play a transformative role in shaping the future of ethical and faith-driven healthcare education, benefiting students, faculty, and the broader healthcare community.
