New Faculty
As we launch the new School of Nursing and Health Sciences, we are honored to be joined by esteemed faculty with the highest academic credentials. These individuals embody the mission and vision of SNHS and Providence College, and will build a culture of academic excellence recognized for high standards of achievement and unparalleled opportunities for innovation and creativity.
Nancy L. Meedzan, DNP, RN, CNE, NEA-BC was named the inaugural chair of the Department of Nursing in 2023. In addition to serving as chair, Dr. Meedzan was also appointed as a professor in the department.
After graduating from Boston College in 1987 with a Bachelor of Science degree in nursing, Dr. Meedzan began a nearly 20-year nursing career that involved working at several Rhode Island and Massachusetts hospitals and other medical facilities. Her academic career began at Endicott, where she was appointed an adjunct faculty member in 2004. She became an assistant professor in 2006 and advanced through the faculty ranks, becoming dean in 2019. Dr. Meedzan has also taught at North Shore Community College, Northern Essex Community College, and Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences University. The Rhode Island native earned a master’s in nursing at Salem State University in 1999 and a doctorate in nursing practice degree from Regis College in 2012.
A committed scholar whose primary interest is in global health, Dr. Meedzan is currently co-investigator of an international study of the impact of COVID-19 on patients living with HIV. She is the co-editor of the textbook Global Health Nursing in the 21st Century, and she has taken students on short-term immersion experiences to places such as Guatemala, South Africa, and the Dominican Republic to study the delivery of compassionate nursing care in places challenged to provide healthcare resources.
Dr. Meedzan currently serves as president of the Massachusetts Association of Colleges of Nursing, an organization comprising all the deans of the commonwealth’s nursing programs, and she serves as an evaluator for the New England Commission of Higher Education.
Jillian Waugh, RN, MSN, CNE ’04, serves as a clinical assistant professor of nursing. Jillian completed her Bachelor of Science in management from Providence College in 2004, Bachelor of Science in nursing from Curry College in 2006, and her Master of Science in nursing from St. Joseph’s College in 2020. She is currently enrolled in the Doctor of Nursing Practice at Regis College with an expected completion in 2024.
Jillian is an experienced nurse educator with 9 years of classroom and clinical instruction including high fidelity simulation. She has taught courses in Introduction to Nursing, Health Assessment, Fundamentals of Nursing, Medical-Surgical Nursing, Mental Health Nursing, and Advanced Concept of Nursing. Jillian is a National League of Nursing’s Certified Nurse Educator, the gold standard of nursing education certification.
Jillian is also an experienced practicing nurse with a specialty in medical-surgical nursing. She served as a staff nurse in the medical surgical unit at South Shore Hospital in Weymouth, MA from 2006 – 2013. In addition to teaching a variety of courses in her specialty and advising students, Jillian will provide a leadership role in developing and teaching clinical simulation experiences.
Amy Delaney, RN, MSN, CPNP-AC/P is an assistant professor of nursing. Amy received her Bachelor of Science degree in nursing from Georgetown University in 1992 and Master of Science in nursing from Catholic University in 1996. She is a Ph.D. candidate and served as Research Fellow at Boston College’s William F. Connell School of Nursing. She will defend her dissertation later this summer.
An expert in all aspects of pediatric nursing ranging from newborns through early emerging adulthood, Amy has practiced in several hospitals in the Boston area including Boston Children’s Hospital, Tufts Medical Center, and the Franciscan Hospital. Her program of research and advocacy work and has focused on the issues of access to care for families profoundly impacted by chronic illness, particularly complex congenital heart disease.
An experienced Pediatric Nurse Practitioner, Amy was recognized by the Massachusetts Coalition of Nurse practitioners in May of 2022 as the Massachusetts Distinguished Nurse Practitioner of the Year. Amy will lead the pediatric course and clinical experiences of the PC nursing curriculum, as well as support the development of the nursing research capstone and related courses.
Dr. Brett Romano-Ely is an assistant professor in the Department of Health Sciences. Before coming to Providence College, Brett was a member of the Department of Sport & Movement Science at Salem State University where her teaching, research, and clinical experiences include a broad spectrum of health science courses, including anatomy & physiology, nutrition, pathophysiology, and exercise science.
Brett received her Bachelor of Science degree in dietetics from James Madison University in 2001. She continued her studies at JMU and received her Master of Science degree in nutrition and physical activity in 2003. After six years of employment at both Mass General Hospital and at the US Army Research Institute of Environmental Medicine, Brett joined the Department of Physiology at the University of Oregon as a graduate teaching and research assistant. There she continued her doctoral preparation and received her Ph.D. in 2012.
Dr. Matt Ely is an assistant professor in the Department of Health sciences. Prior to Providence College, Matt was a Postdoctoral Research Fellow in the Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Department at Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital in Cambridge, Massachusetts with an appointment at Harvard Medical School. He is also a Pro Tempore instructor of Medical Terminology at the University of Oregon. As an integrative physiologist, his research has centered around the cardiovascular system, but also encompasses related fields including exercise performance, bone health, and inflammation. His classroom teaching experience includes courses in human physiology, anatomy, and the physiology of exercise.
In 2000, Matt received his bachelor’s degree in exercise science from the University of Massachusetts-Amhurst School of Public Health and went on to receive his Master of Science in exercise physiology from James Madison University in 2002. In 2019, Matt received his Doctor of Philosophy degree in Human Physiology from the University of Oregon.
Dr. Margaret “Maggie” Morrissey-Basler is an assistant professor in the Department of Health Sciences. Maggie comes to PC from the University of Connecticut where she recently received her Doctor of Philosophy in Kinesiology and served as an adjunct faculty member in the Department of Kinesiology. She received her Bachelor of Science in Health and Exercise Sciences from Skidmore College in 2014 and her Master of Science in Exercise Physiology (Sports Nutrition) from Florida State University in 2018.
Maggie’s research area has focused on worker physiology and the physiological strain of working in hot conditions. She has advised companies and organizations (e.g., American Industrial Hygienist, Occupational Safety and Health Administration [OSHA], National Safety Council) on the health effects of extreme heat on worker health, safety, and productivity. Her array of publications and experiences working on funded projects will provide a strong foundation to further develop the department of health sciences at PC.
