Saint Joseph College Announces Recipients of the 2009 Distinguished Alumnae Awards and the Winifred E. Coleman Service Award
Three members of the Saint Joseph College community were recently honored by the College for their outstanding professional accomplishments and service. Pictured from left to right: Sister Fay F. O’Brien, RSM, Ph.D., recipient of the 2009 Winifred E. Coleman Service Award; Saint Joseph College President Pamela Trotman Reid, Ph.D.; Joyce S. Fontana ’81, Ph.D., RN, Acting Dean of the Saint Joseph College School of Health and Natural Sciences, recipient of the 2009 Distinguished Alumnae Award, designated The Mary Rosa McDonough Award; and Barbara Kavanagh Haight ’59, DrPH, RNC, FAAN, recipient of the 2009 Distinguished Alumnae Award, designated The Mary Rosa McDonough Award.
Saint Joseph College recently recognized two alumnae who have distinguished themselves by making outstanding contributions within their professional fields, respective communities, and in their family lives. In addition, a member of the Saint Joseph College community has been honored for her exceptional service with a recognition named for a beloved and respected past president of the College.
Recipients of the 2009 Saint Joseph College Distinguished Alumnae Awards:
Joyce S. Fontana ’81, Ph.D., RN, Acting Dean of the Saint Joseph College School of Health and Natural Sciences, has been selected as a recipient of the 2009 Distinguished Alumnae Award, designated The Mary Rosa McDonough Award for outstanding service to both her profession and the community. A resident of Wethersfield, Dr. Fontana worked as a registered nurse following her graduation from Saint Joseph College in 1981. She went on to earn a master’s degree from the University of Hartford, a doctoral degree from the University of Connecticut, and subsequently launched her teaching career.
A published writer in many esteemed journals and professional periodicals including Journal of Nursing Education and Journal of Nursing Scholarship, Dr. Fontana is widely recognized for her research methodology, her expertise in chronic pain management and nurses’ prescribing practices. She has generously shared her background, experience and skills in preparing future nurses for their role in the health care system.
Barbara Kavanagh Haight ’59, DrPH, RNC, FAAN,has been selected as a recipient of the 2009 Distinguished Alumnae Award, designated The Mary Rosa McDonough Award for outstanding service to both her profession and the community. Originally from Middletown, CT, Dr. Haight currently resides in Sullivan's Island, S.C.
Following her graduation from Saint Joseph College, Dr. Haight worked as a registered nurse and raised five children. She returned to school, earning a master’s degree in Community Health/Gerontological Nursing from the University of Kansas and a doctoral degree in Health Education/Counseling from the University of South Carolina. In 1985, Dr. Haight joined the faculty of the College of Nursing at the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) where her pioneering work in a critical area of Gerontology, the Life Review, is one of her many professional achievements significantly impacting the Nursing profession. While serving at MUSC, Dr. Haight held numerous leadership positions and was the first nursing faculty member to receive the University’s Distinguished Service Award. Upon her retirement from MUSC in 2003, Dr. Haight was named professor emeritus. She has also published articles on nursing home survival, addiction, depression, AIDS, and suicide — all in the elderly population. Additionally, Dr. Haight is the author of several books, one of which — The Handbook of Structured Life Review— she co-authored with her husband, Barrett Haight, J.D.
The Winifred E. Coleman Service Award
A highly-respected, longtime member of the Saint Joseph College community, Sister Fay F. O’Brien, RSM, Ph.D., has been selected as the recipient of the 2009 Winifred E. Coleman Service Award for her dedicated years of service to the College and her embodiment of its Core Values. She is a resident of West Hartford.
Sister Fay came to campus as a student and worked with Sister Mary deLourdes, founder of The School for Young Children. Under Sister deLourdes’ tutelage, Sister Fay began to develop her own theories and approach to early child development which she cultivated at Diocesan Sisters College (where she earned a bachelor’s degree in Education) and Fordham University (where she completed a master’s degree in Experimental Psychology). Before going on for a doctorate in Supervision and Curriculum Development (University of Connecticut, 1979), Sister Fay applied her expertise to preschool and elementary school classrooms throughout the region.
In addition to teaching, Sister Fay served as director and founder of the Cathedral Day Care Center, director of The School for Young Children, and associate professor and chair of the Department of Child Study. Her circle of influence embraced hundreds of young learners and their families, along with countless college students who trained with her for careers in Education. In her life and in her work, Sister Fay embodies compassionate service to others and respect for the integrity and potential of every child. In her busy retirement, Sister Fay serves on the Saint Joseph College Board of Trustees.
