Online Master of Science in Nursing Faculty Include:

Deborah Kuhn Bruley, PhD, RN

After earning a BSN, Dr. Bruley worked in the orthopedic unit of a Chicago-area teaching hospital for many years. She later went on to earn an MSN at Governors State University and then a PhD at the University of Illinois at Chicago, where she participated in research on delirium in older hospitalized adults and studied quality of life issues for palliative care patients. Her current areas of research and interest are gerontology and end-of-life care.

Michele Poradzisz, PhD, RN, CNL

Dr. Poradzisz is a certified Clinical Nurse Leader and has been involved in nursing education for over 35 years and has been a member of Saint Xavier’s faculty for the last 15 years. She helped to initiate the Clinical Nurse Leader program at SXU and currently serves as interim associate dean for the graduate program, where she has taught Nursing Inquiry, Advanced Pharmacology, and CNL Role.  In August 2009 she was featured in Chicago Hospital News for her article on how the Clinical Nurse Leader Role Can Help Save Lives.

Peg Gallagher, PhD, RN

After earning an MSN at Loyola University of Chicago, where she studied nursing education and oncology, Dr. Gallagher taught medical-surgical nursing at a community college for more than 20 years. She went on to earn a post-master’s interdisciplinary gerontology certificate and then a PhD in Educational Psychology at Northern Illinois University, intending to specialize in adult nursing education with a focus on gerontology. She joined the School of Nursing at Saint Xavier University in 2006 and earned certification as a nurse educator (CNE) from the National League for Nursing the following year. Her professional honors include a Scholarship Recognition Award from SXU and the Illinois Board of Higher Education Nurse Educator Fellowship Award, both in 2009.

About Saint Xavier University

Founded in 1846 by the Sisters of Mercy, Saint Xavier University is a private, Catholic, comprehensive university grounded in the tradition of the liberal arts.

Chicago's oldest Catholic University now adds its online, global Saint Xavier campus to the existing campuses in Chicago, Orland Park, and Chicago Loop.

As one of 18 colleges and universities sponsored by the Sisters of Mercy, Saint Xavier University educates approximately 5,100 students each year.

Saint Xavier’s Catholic tradition promotes ethical development, service to the community, and a search for truth via observation, analysis, and debate. We have a long history of educating students to prepare them for professional success and lay the foundation for personal fulfillment with values such as to explore and respect different viewpoints, work for the betterment of the community, and engage students in the pursuit of lifelong learning.

Saint Xavier continues this tradition throughout our online curriculum with support from experienced faculty, stimulating discussions among a diverse student body, and rigorous coursework.

SXU holds regional accreditation (the highest level of accreditation for institutions of higher education) from the Higher Learning Commission, which is recognized by the US Department of Education and the Council on Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA). In addition: