Catherine Lovecchio

Catherine Lovecchio earned her Bachelor of science degree in nursing from Villanova University. She attended College Misericordia for her MSN degree in nursing education and returned to Villanova and completed her Ph.D. in Nursing. She gained valuable experience as a registered nurse at Massachusetts General Hospital and Thomas Jefferson University Hospital with a clinical focus in the area of cardiac and critical care.

For the past 31 years, Catherine has been actively teaching in various nursing education programs. She served a 15- year tenure as an Associate Professor of Nursing at the University of Scranton also having served as Chairperson and Director of the Undergraduate Program. Currently, she serves as the Associate Dean for Undergraduate Nursing at Villanova University. In this administrative role, she is responsible for the oversight of a robust undergraduate program including traditional four-year students, BSN second degree students and transfer students.

Catherine has conducted research in the area of academic-clinical partnerships and its effect on student satisfaction with the clinical learning environment. She was instrumental in the initiation of a large scale academic-clinical partnership called the Clinical Liaison Nurse program at three local hospitals in Scranton, Pennsylvania. In addition, Catherine’s passion for transforming students through service-learning travel experiences led her to the development of three new courses: Health Issues in Africa, Gangs and Urban Health in Los Angeles, and Urban Health, Cultural Immersion and Service in Miami. These courses provided students the opportunity to travel and immerse themselves into diverse cultures while learning about social justice and poverty.