Brigid Noonan Named Dean of SHHS
By Amy Gallo '13
Nazareth College has named Brigid Noonan as its new dean for the School of Health and Human Services (SHHS). Noonan comes to Nazareth with 20 years of experience as an academic, most recently as a professor at Stetson University in Orlando, Fla. Noonan began her appointment this summer.
Her path to academe was not the traditional route. She completed her undergraduate degree at age 27 and, prior to finishing her graduate work, she held a variety of administrative and clinical positions, including research psychologist at the National Institute of Mental Health. After finishing her graduate work, she honed her leadership and teaching skills as an assistant professor and moved to Stetson University in 2003.
Noonan was drawn to Nazareth’s focus on the intersection of a solid liberal arts education and strong professional programs. “The College has a firmly established identity as an institution committed to evidence-based best practices, inspiring students who want to make difference in the world, and encouraging them to continue developing understanding while leading intentional lives,” she says.
She is especially excited for the opening of the new Wellness and Rehabilitation Institute in fall 2015. “The institute is going to have an extraordinary, lasting impact within the Nazareth community and beyond,” she says. “I look forward to working with Dr. Shirley Szekeres and the SHHS faculty as we enter this new era.”
Noonan received her bachelor’s degree in behavioral science at University College (Maryland) and both her master’s degree in rehabilitation counseling and her Ph.D. in counselor education at the University of Maryland, College Park. She has more than 20 years of clinical experience and has maintained her private practice during the course of her academic career, specializing in adolescent issues, couples and family therapy, and LGBTQ issues.
“What an exciting opportunity to bring new energy, vision, experience, and integrity to lead the School of Health and Human Services,” says Noonan. “I look forward to helping students achieve a sound education and make a difference in their own and global communities.”
Amy Gallo '13 is a freelance writer in Rochester, New York.
