Meredith Kazer

Meredith Wallace Kazer was born in Medford, MA, and raised in New Haven, CT. She is currently a professor of nursing and former dean of the Marion Peckham Egan School of Nursing and Health Studies at Fairfield University. Dr. Kazer is an award-winning nurse leader, researcher and an adult and gerontological primary care nurse practitioner. Her work has been disseminated in eleven books, over 100 peer-reviewed journal publications, 26 book chapters, and over 100 research and invited presentations.

Career

Dr. Kazer began her academic nursing career as an assistant professor at Southern Connecticut State University. In 2002, she joined Fairfield University, rising to the rank of associate professor with tenure in 2006, and full professor in 2011. She stepped into the dean role in 2014 after serving for two years in the associate dean role. Dr. Kazer served as dean for eleven years, transforming a small school of nursing to a nationally ranked, named school of nursing and health studies. Under her leadership, A generous gift of $10 million from William P. Egan ’67 and Jacalyn Egan led to the school’s renaming in 2015 and the opening of a state-of-the-art nursing facility in 2017. Dr. Kazer also expanded the school’s academic offerings by launching numerous graduate and doctoral programs, including Connecticut’s first online Doctor of Public Health (DrPH) program, which welcomed its inaugural cohort in fall 2025.

Her tenure was marked by several other significant milestones, including the establishment of the Kanarek Center for Palliative Care through the generosity of Fairfield Trustee Robin Kanarek ’96, RN, BSN, and the Kanarek Family Foundation. In 2024, she launched an international nursing partnership with Florence University of the Arts in Italy, further strengthening the school’s global reach. Building on this momentum, the Egan School expanded its national footprint in 2023 by opening a campus in Austin, Texas. Developed in partnership with leading clinical providers, the new location offers an accelerated second-degree BSN program designed to help address the healthcare needs of the Austin Texas population.

Among her notable career achievements, Dr. Kazer received the Springer Publishing Company Award for Applied Nursing Research and four American Journal of Nursing Book of the Year Awards. In addition, she was the recipient of the Eastern Nursing Research Society/John A. Hartford Foundation junior investigator award.  She was the In augural Editor-in Chief of the Building Healthy Academic Communities Journal, and has been guest editor of five special issues of esteemed journals.  In 2011, she was inducted as a fellow into the American Academy of Nursing, an appointment reserved for nurse leaders at the forefront of the profession nationwide. In 2014, Dr. Kazer was named among the 15 top adult gerontology professors.  In March 2015, test preparation company Mometrix named Kazer the tenth most influential nursing dean in the country. In 2016, Dr. Kazer received the Yale University School of Nursing Distinguished Alumni Award. In 2018, she received the Connecticut League for Nursing's Presidential Award.

In 2019, Dr. Kazer was appointed to the U.S Veterans Administration National Academic Affiliations Committee where she served two terms. In 2020, Kazer was named to the Bridgeport Hospital Board of Trustees. In 2021, she was appointed to the U.S. Health Resources and Services Administration National Advisory Council for Nursing Education & Practice.

Education

Dr. Kazer attended Saint Aedan's School and Sacred Heart Academy, where she developed strong foundations in both the arts and sciences. She earned a Bachelor of Science of Nursing from Boston University, Magna Cum Laude, and completed a Master of Science of Nursing from Yale University. She earned a Ph.D. of Nursing Research and Theory Development from New York University and a Master of Fine Arts Degree in Creative Writing from Fairfield University. During her time at NYU, she was awarded a pre-doctoral fellowship at the Hartford Institute for Geriatric Nursing. In this capacity, she became the original author and editor of Try This: Best Practices in Geriatric Nursing series.

Publications

• Kazer, Meredith Wallace (October 22, 2007). Essentials of Gerontological Nursing. Springer Publishing Company. ISBN 978-0-8261-2053-3.
• Kazer, Meredith Wallace; Grossman, Sheila C. (January 19, 2011). Gerontological Nurse Practitioner Certification Review. Springer Publishing Company. ISBN 978-0-8261-0643-8.
• Kazer, Meredith Wallace; Neal-Boylan, Leslie (November 15, 2011). Case Studies in Gerontological Nursing for the Advanced Practice Nurse. Wiley. ISBN 978-0-8138-2378-2.

External links

• YSN Profile