Geralyn Meyer Named Ring Award Winner

11/24/2020

Geralyn Meyer, Ph.D., a professor in the Trudy Busch Valentine School of Nursing, has been selected as the winner of the 2020 Nancy McNeir Ring Award for Excellence in Teaching.

“In my introductory nursing course, Dr. Meyer presented the concept of cura personalis,” a student who nominated Meyer for the award wrote. “She explained the importance of not only considering the medical components of a patient’s life, but also his or her emotional, spiritual, and social well-being. At the same time, she described what it means to live out the Jesuit mission, encouraging me to volunteer, advocate for the rights of others, and practice self-reflection.”

Meyer has been a nurse educator for more than 25 years. Throughout her teaching career, she has been an inspiration to students and faculty. She has a passion for knowing her students as well as a deep understanding of curriculum, teaching approaches and the discipline of nursing.

“Dr. Meyer, an Alpha Sigma Nu member, has studied resilience and transition to practice and, as an administrator, worked to create better ways to prepare nursing students for the realities of the healthcare settings for which they enter,” said Kris L’Ecuyer, Ph.D., associate dean of undergraduate and pre-licensure education in the Trudy Busch Valentine School of Nursing. “She is a seasoned nurse educator, she is an expert teacher and she has served tirelessly to promote the mission of both the School of Nursing and the University.”

Meyer has received the Trudy Busch Valentine School of Nursing Teaching Excellence Award (2004, 2012); the SLU Student Government Association Faculty Excellence Award (2009); and the St. Louis Magazine Excellence in Nursing Education Award (2015).

“We are really excited to learn that Dr. Meyer will be the recipient of this prestigious SLU award,” said Danny Willis, Ph.D., dean of the Trudy Busch Valentine School of Nursing. “There is no doubt of her strong influence on the profession of nursing through her dedication and excellence in teaching. She has ensured that society receives humanized, compassionate, evidence-based care from our nursing graduates wherever they practice. There are many stories of impact from current students, faculty colleagues, and practicing nurses who studied under her guidance.”

Meyer earned her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in nursing at Saint Louis University. She completed her doctorate at the University of Missouri - St. Louis. 

The Nancy McNeir Ring Award was established in 1966 to honor the University’s first dean of women, who was known for her devotion to students. It is presented annually to a member of the faculty who displays a special dedication to students both inside and outside the classroom. It is the only student-initiated and sponsored teaching award at SLU that encompasses all colleges and schools of the University.