College of Nursing Alumni

Margaret C. Haley Award:
Maureen A. Schneider, Ph.D ’14,, MBA, RN, NEA, BC, CPHQ, FACHE
Senior Vice President Atlantic Health System
President Chilton Medical Center 

Dr. Schneider has held several executive leadership positions at academic, community and ambulatory organizations including Chief Operating Officer and Chief Nurse Executive in New York and New Jersey. Presently, she is the President at Chilton Medical Center, and Senior Vice President of the Atlantic Health System. 

She received her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in nursing from Hunter College-Bellevue School of Nursing, an MBA from Monmouth University, and a doctorate from Seton Hall University. She is certified in Advanced Nursing Administration, Quality Healthcare, is a Fellow in the College of Healthcare Executives, is a Johnson and Johnson Executive Wharton Fellow, Master Team Stepps safety leader and earned a Black Belt/Lean/Six Sigma certificate from Villanova University. 

She has served and held leadership roles on several Boards and has achieved Magnet Accreditation Recognition for Nursing Excellence at three health care organizations, most at Chilton Medical Center with Distinction. She is an adjunct faculty at Seton Hall University teaching nursing graduate and post graduate leadership/management students and is an accomplished author, coach, presenter, and executive/ leadership mentor. 

Dr. Schneider is a recipient of several honors, including Hospital Executive, New Jersey State Nurses Association Leadership, the Don-Diva Award, the NJ-ONL Executive award and is a recipient of the prestigious Executive Women’s award for Policy Makers. She is a recipient of the NJ Biz Top 50 Women in Business Award; a DAISY Lifetime Achievement Award was nationally named as one of 2022 Becker’s Top 66 CNO’s to know and was recognized by 2023 ROI Influencers for Women in Business and in Becker’s 177 Women Hospital Presidents to Know. 

George J. Hebert Leadership Award:
Ann Marie P. Mauro ’82/M.S.N. ’86, PhD, RN, CNL, CNE, ANEF, FAHA, FNAP, FAAN

She is the Joan Hansen Grabe Dean and professor at the Hunter-Bellevue School of Nursing at Hunter College, leading faculty, staff, and academic programs, including the $52 million Evelyn Lauder Community Care Nurse Practitioner Program. A nationally recognized expert in health professions education, she has driven innovation, diversity, equity, and academic-practice partnerships to advance health equity and population health.

Previously, Dr. Mauro held leadership roles at Teachers College, Columbia University, and Monmouth University, where she developed new programs, secured funding, and led accreditation efforts. She has received numerous national awards, secured over $6.7 million in funding, and held leadership positions in major nursing organizations. A fellow of multiple esteemed academies, she has significantly influenced nursing education, research, and policy.

Dr. Mauro earned her BSN and MSN from Seton Hall University, a PhD from New York University, and leadership certifications from the University of Pennsylvania and UCSF.

Nelson Aquino Humanitarian Award:
Mary E. McCormick ’86/M.S.N. ’98, NP-C

Mary E. McCormick is a highly experienced adult nurse practitioner specializing in gastroenterology. With a career spanning nearly four decades, she has dedicated herself to providing exceptional patient care in both clinical and hospital settings.

For over 20 years, Mary has been a practitioner at Summit Health in Berkeley Heights, NJ, where she focuses on gastroenterology. Her expertise includes problem-based consultations, history and physical exams, patient education, and the interpretation of diagnostic tests such as Small Bowel Capsule endoscopies and breath testing. She has a special interest in irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and patient education.

A graduate of Seton Hall University, Mary earned both her Bachelor and Master of Science in Nursing. She is a member of the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners and has been published in the American Journal of Nursing on ERCP procedures. 

Beyond her clinical work, Mary is passionate about global health and equitable access to healthcare.  She has volunteered extensively with Waves of Health, providing healthcare to underserved populations in the Dominican Republic and Uganda. She has also volunteered with Remote Area Medical, assisting communities in Wise, VA and Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria.  She volunteered as a NP as part of the Federal Government response/disaster relief after Hurricane Katrina in Gulfport MS. Mary is also an active community member, serving on the Winter Games Organizing Committee for the New Jersey Special Olympics for over 30 years and contributing to cultural and charitable initiatives, including the Garden State Arts Center Irish Festival Committee.

 

Dr. Judith Lothian Young Alumni Award:
Kathleen E. Zavotsky, Ph.D. ’15, RN, CCRN, CEN, ACNS-BC-
Senior Director of Nursing Research and Program Evaluation at NYU Langone Health

Kathleen Zavotsky is a PhD prepared nurse researcher with over 20 years of clinical, research, leadership, and education experience. Award recognized educator and national speaker on research, clinical and quality and safety topics. She has received multiple grants for her work and has over 60 publications in peer reviewed journals and textbooks.  In March 2025, the textbook she edited titled: Advancing Evidence-Based Practice in Nursing and Health Care was published in collaboration with her colleague Dr. Mary Jo Vetter. She is a graduate of Rutgers, The State University of NJ for her bachelor’s and master’s Degree and a PhD in Nursing Philosophy from Seton Hall University. She is board-certified as an Advanced Practice Nurse (APRN) in Adult Gerontology and was Inducted as a fellow in the Academy of Emergency Nursing (FAEN) by the Emergency Nurses Association and as a Fellow in the Clinical Nurse Specialist Institute (FCNS) by the National Association of Clinical Nurse Specialists. She is currently the System Senior Director of Nursing Research and Program Evaluation at NYU Langone Health in New York City. 

Dr. Carolyn Rummel Young Alumni Award:
Lauren L. Mellerup ’22

Lauren Mellerup graduated from Seton Hall University College of Nursing in 2022. She began her career at Morristown Medical Center working on a neurological/stroke unit and later transitioned to a pulmonary unit, where she took on the role of charge nurse and has precepted and welcomed new nurses into the field. Lauren is now working at Jersey Shore Medical Center in the Medical ICU and CCU. Outside of the hospital, she has volunteered as a caregiver for older adults. Lauren has attributed her success to the core principles and foundations she learned during her time in Seton Hall’s College of Nursing.