News
Roberts Wesleyan University School of Nursing Appoints Annemarie Dowling-Castronovo, Ph.D., as New Dean
Roberts Wesleyan University is pleased to announce Annemarie Dowling-Castronovo, Ph.D., R.N., GNP-BC, ACHPN, CNE, FNAP as the new dean for the School of Nursing, effective April 2. Dowling-Castronovo joins Roberts Wesleyan from Monmouth University in New Jersey, where she recently served as chair of the nursing department, chief academic nursing officer and professor of nursing at the Marjorie K. Unterberg School of Nursing and Health Studies.
As academic dean for Roberts Wesleyan’s School of Nursing, Dowling-Castronovo will lead a team of expert faculty committed to ongoing excellence in nursing by advancing care through teaching curricular implementation, practice, scholarship and service in a supportive Christian academic environment. In addition to her administrative duties as a member of the academic cabinet and working collaboratively to facilitate relationships with other campus offices to support the strategic mission of the university, Dowling-Castronovo will serve in an academic capacity as a professor of nursing.
In both roles, she will further academic growth and educational experiences for undergraduate and graduate students pursuing a pathway to careers in nursing. The school has 270 students enrolled across a variety of programs: a prelicensure baccalaureate program, an online RN to BS degree completion program, and several online graduate programs that include Nursing Leadership & Administration, Nursing Education and Primary Care Family Nurse Practitioner.
“Following an extensive national search, we’re very pleased to welcome Dr. Annemarie Dowling-Castronovo as the next dean for the School of Nursing,” said Susanne Mohnkern, interim dean and graduate program director for the School of Nursing at Roberts Wesleyan University. “Dr. Dowling-Castronovo possesses the leadership qualities that will not only promote the mission of the School of Nursing and the university but will also enhance educational experiences for students in our program to pursue rewarding careers in essential health care roles.”
Dowling-Castronovo brings to her new role more than two decades of experience as a practitioner and a leader in academic settings. Board-certified in palliative and gerontological care, her background in health care includes a variety of nursing and clinical positions at hospitals and clinics in the New York City area, including Brooklyn Hospital Center, NYU Downtown Family Care Clinic, Staten Island University Hospital and Northwell Health. Prior to her tenure at Monmouth University, Dowling-Castronovo held respective academic appointments and professorial roles as a certified nurse educator at several schools along the East Coast, including New York University, College of Staten Island (City University of New York) and Wagner College.
Extensive research and grants regarding best practices in clinical care for older adults and the aging population garnered Dowling-Castronovo publication in many reputable nursing journals, including the “American Journal of Nursing” and “Journal of Aging Life Care.” Among the many honors and awards achieved throughout her career, such as Distinguished Educator in Gerontological Nursing from the National Hartford Center of Gerontological Nursing Excellence, she was recently inducted into the National Academies of Practice as a distinguished fellow in the Nursing Academy for excellence in evidence-based gerontological care through practice, teaching and scholarship across various interprofessional settings and education levels. Dowling-Castronovo is a founding member of the National Consortium of Academic Nurse Educators and is an active member of the International Learning Collaborative, where she leads a special interest group focused on educational practices for teaching fundamental care. She will be collaboratively leading a workshop in Oxford, UK, this June.
Dowling-Castronovo obtained her Associate in Applied Science and Bachelor of Science from the College of Staten Island, a master’s degree from New York University’s Division of Nursing and her Ph.D. from Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey. She will relocate from Staten Island to the Greater Rochester area this spring as she assumes the role of dean.
To learn more about the university’s School of Nursing and programs, click here. For information about Roberts Wesleyan University, visit roberts.edu.