New York University College of Nursing’s (NYUCN) Dr. Mathy Mezey, PhD, RN, FAAN, was awarded the honorary degree of Doctor of Science, honoris causa during Case Western Reserve University’s 2007 commencement convocation on May 20, 2007.
Along with Dr. Mezey, three other individuals-Ihsan Dogramaci, Angela Johnson, and Morton Mandel -were recognized for their distinctive contributions to education and to society in general.
The remarks by Case Western Reserve University’s Provost and Interim President are as follows:
Provost and University Vice President John Anderson said: Mr. President, on behalf of the Honorary Degree Committee of the University Faculty, I present Mathy Mezey as a candidate for the degree of Doctor of Science, honoris causa.
Dr. Mezey’s distinguished career has focused on raising the standards of the nursing profession. Since beginning her as a public health nurse, Dr. Mezey went on to become a professor at the University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing. Dr. Mezey’s writings include 10 books and more than 60 publications to prepare advanced practice nurses to care for older adults, to enhance nursing practice with older adults, and to address bioethical issues that affect decisions at the end of life.
Since 1996, Dr. Mezey has directed the John A. Hartford Foundation Institute for Geriatric Nursing in the NYU Division of Nursing. This is the only nurse-led Institute in the country that seeks to shape the quality of the nation’s health care for older Americans by promoting geriatric nursing excellence to the larger health care community and the nursing profession. Dr. Mezey’s work supports those who care for older adults and ensures that people age with comfort and dignity.
Interim President Gregory L. Eastwood, M.D. said: Mathy Mezey, for your pioneering work to advance health care for older adults and on the recommendation of the University Faculty and vote of the Board of Trustees, it is my pleasure to admit you to the degree of Doctor of Science, honoris causa, with all the rights and privileges pertaining thereto; to grant you this diploma; and to bestow upon you the hood of this university.
About Dr. Mathy Mezey, PhD, RN, FAAN, the Independence Foundation Professor of Nursing Education and Director, The John A. Hartford Foundation Institute for Geriatric Nursing Department: College of Nursing
Dr. Mezey has authored 10 books and has over 60 publications that focus on the preparation of baccalaureate and advanced practice nurses to care for older adults, nursing practice with older adults and bioethical issues that affect end of life decisions. A Fellow in the American Academy of Nursing, Mezey is an editor for the Springer Series in Geriatric Nursing and of the Springer publication The Encyclopedia of Elder Care. Her current research and writing focuses on quality of care for older people in hospitals and long-term care. She has been a professor at New York University since 1991, and assumed the position as director of NYU’s John A. Hartford Foundation Institute for Geriatric Nursing in 1996. She received Lifetime Achievement Awards from Nursing Spectrum and the National Gerontological Nursing Association.
About the NYU College of Nursing
The NYU College of Nursing at the College of Dentistry is located on New York University’s historic Greenwich Village campus in New York City. The College of Nursing is one of the leading nursing programs in the United States. The College offers a Bachelor of Science in Nursing; Master of Arts and Post-Master’s Certificate Programs; and a Doctor of Philosophy in Research Theory and Development. For more information, visitwww.nyu.edu/nursing.