Connor receives Jesuit nursing faculty award

By Ashley Rowland

April 2025

The assistant dean of the Marcella Niehoff School of Nursing’s undergraduate program has been recognized by nursing deans with the Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities (AJCU) for being “a model of excellence in Jesuit nursing education.”  

Jorgia Connor, associate professor and assistant dean of the Bachelor of Science in Nursing program, received an Exemplary Nursing Faculty Award from the AJCU’s 21-member Jesuit Network of Nursing Programs (JNNP). The award, announced in April, honors her impact on the nursing profession and dedication to the organization’s mission of forming nurses for and with others.  

“Through your teaching, mentorship, and leadership, you have consistently embodied cura personalis—care for the whole person—fostering in your students a deep sense of empathy, ethical responsibility, and a call to serve,” the award letter from JNNP deans stated. “You have not only cultivated competent and compassionate nurses but have also empowered them to become agents of justice, healing, and hope in the world.” 

As associate dean, Connor oversees more than 1,100 students in Loyola Nursing’s nationally ranked BSN program, which includes four-year and accelerated tracks. The school’s BSN program achieved its highest ranking ever in last year’s U.S. News & World Report rankings and is consistently ranked among the top 5 percent of undergraduate nursing programs nationwide.  

Connor’s research and scholarship focus on health promotion and preventive care in underserved and vulnerable populations. 

She said the award "reminds me that the quiet work of mentoring, creating inclusive spaces, and walking with others in vulnerable moments truly matters. I’m grateful to be part of a mission-driven network that sees nursing as both a profession and a calling—and this recognition renews my commitment to lead with heart and purpose.”

In her nomination letter, Dean Lorna Finnegan noted Connor’s “reflective and empathetic” approach to working with students and faculty, which builds trust and fosters collaboration and helps students grow academically and personally. 

Connor’s mentorship of students from underrepresented backgrounds, including those in the CARE (Collaboration, Access, Resources, and Equity) Pathway to the Bachelor of Science in Nursing, exemplifies the Jesuit, Catholic mission of service, equity, and holistic care, Finnegan added.  

Connor holds several leadership roles at Loyola, serving on the Strategic Planning Steering Committee and the Institute for Racial Justice strategic planning work group. She also is a member of Loyola Nursing’s Inclusive Excellence Taskforce.  

She is a longtime leader of the school’s annual service immersion trip to Lourdes, France, where nursing students learn how to provide emotional and spiritual care as they assist pilgrims at one of Catholicism’s holiest pilgrimage sites.  

During their week in Lourdes, nursing students learn to quickly assess the needs of those they serve and gain their trust, despite significant language and cultural differences. Faculty leaders challenge them to think about how to put those skills into action in their nursing practice. 

“We talk about how to open up the conversation, how to let patients know it’s okay for them to talk about their faith during their most susceptible times,” Connor said.