The College of New Rochelle
A L U M N A E / I  C O L L E G E
"Defining Wellness in the 21st Century"
June 10, 11, 12, 2005

“Caring in Health Care”

S P E A K E R S

Donna Demarest, R.N., Ed.D.

An alumna of the School of Arts and Sciences, Dr. Demarest has a long-standing history with CNR.  She first joined the College as an instructor in the School of Nursing from 1970-1974. She returned as assistant professor in 1980 and became an associate dean in 1986. She left in 1994 to become director of the nursing department at Oglala Lakota College, a tribal college on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota. In August 1999, she returned as Dean of the School of Nursing.

Dr. Demarest leads a state-of-the-art school offering five programs for undergraduate and graduate students of nursing.  Extremely active in professional and community service, Dr. Demarest serves and has served on many boards and executive committees of schools and hospitals. She earned a B.A. in Psychology from The College of New Rochelle. Upon moving into nursing and education, she received an M.Ed. and Ed.D. from Teachers College, Columbia University.  

Margot DeSevo,  R.N.C., Ph.D.

An Associate Professor at The College of New Rochelle School of Nursing, Dr. Margot DeSevo received her B.S.N. from Syracuse University. Following graduation, she began her clinical practice at NYU Medical Center.  While working in obstetrics, she earned a master’s in Nursing Education from New York University.  She then began her professional career at Cornell University – New York Hospital School of Nursing.  She continued her education at NYU, earning her doctorate while expanding her knowledge in her specialty area, becoming certified in Lamaze Childbirth Education, In-Patient Obstetric Nursing, and Lactation Consultation.

Mary Alice Donius, R.N., Ed.D.

Dr. Mary Alice Donius is an Associate Professor at The College of New Rochelle School of Nursing. She holds a B.S.N. from D’Youville College in Buffalo, NY, a master’s degree and doctoral degree in Nursing Education from Columbia University Teachers College, and a post-master’s certificate in Holistic Nursing from CNR. Currently, Dr. Donius is the coordinator of the Master’s Program and teaches in the Nursing and Health Care Management program. She also holds a Faculty Practice appointment at Sound Shore Medical Center of Westchester.

Dr. Donius’ research interest includes the development of an attitude scale to measure caring as a three dimensional construct of compassion, empathy, and altruism and the design and implementation of a Caring-Healing Nursing Practice Model intended to increase patient satisfaction and support nursing recruitment and retention.

Alumnae/i College Index  |  CNR Main Index