Office of the Dean

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The College of Nursing Dean's office is located on the second floor of the historic Garrand building.

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Dean's Welcome

As the new Dean of the College of Nursing, starting July 1, 2023, I am excited to take the helm of a college with an admirable history and strong reputation of producing graduates with the passion to make an impactful difference in service for the greater good of society. Our academic programs and institutional infrastructure are designed not just to train skilled health care professionals, but, in the Jesuit tradition, to educate them as whole persons empowered to lead in making transformational changes toward a just and humane world. This is the mission that I, as the Dean, am inspired to lead for.

I relish opportunities to engage with our students. They choose to come to Seattle University with hopes and dreams, and bring vitality and enthusiasm that pumps the heart and nurtures the soul of our college and university. More than that, it is clear to me that they come to learn with a sense of purpose and responsibility to develop themselves as a person for others. They are not just looking for a path, they are dedicated to the journey. They are not simply seeking a direction they are pledged to a calling. Our students are the next generation of the most trusted health practitioners and leaders. This is a student body that I, as an educator, am honored to help guide and mentor.

And, I so admire the commitment, spirit, and energy that our faculty, staff, alumni, and community collaborators collectively have to uphold high standards of scholarly learning, promote achievement and success, cultivate inclusion and belonging, all in endeavoring to make the world better and more equitable for all. They, individually and together, play many roles, create a variety of spaces, and pursue meaningful actions in support of individuals, families, communities, and populations so they can achieve and maintain the highest level of health and well-being they deserve. This is a group of colleagues with whom I know that I will thrive.

Lastly, I was drawn to the possibilities and prospects for what is next for our College of Nursing and Seattle University, overall. I am animated by the big-thinking vision being crafted by our university leadership team, led by President Eduardo Peñalver and Provost Shane Martin, and what that will mean for our college. The College of Nursing will be a significant focus for how Seattle University will see itself and what it will become known for locally, regionally, nationally, and globally. This is a future that I, as an administrator, felt compelled to help realize.

All that said, entering my first year at Seattle University as the Dean of the College of Nursing, there is much I will need to learn and understand. With sincere humility yet also abundant alacrity, I will patiently observe, actively listen, kindly ask, and curiously wonder—so that I can best serve our college’s students, faculty, staff, and partners throughout the university, community, and beyond. Join me in discovering all that Seattle University has to offer!

About the Dean

News and Updates

Quarterly updates and announcements from Dean de Castro.

May 6, 2024

Today marks the beginning of National Nurses Week (May 6-12)! We honor each one of our faculty, staff, students, and alumni who represent Seattle University College of Nursing so well throughout our city, region, state, and nation. We also beam with pride and optimism of the impact that our immediate next cohorts of nurses who complete our undergraduate and graduate programs will make as they move onto professional practice with brilliance as Redhawk Nurses. And, beyond that, we, of course, pay tribute to all nurses globally who selflessly dedicate their lives to bettering the health and well-being of others.

According to the annual Gallup 2023 Honesty and Ethics poll, nurses remained the most trusted profession for the 22nd straight year. While this is certainly worth highlighting, this comes as no surprise to us at Seattle University given our rootedness in the Jesuit tradition which is reflected in the ways we approach educating and inspiring leaders who will transform health care for a just and humane world.

Thinking back on my 31 years across various roles in professional practice and academia, I am reminded of so many moments, big and small, where being a nurse has benefited me as well as allowed me, as Pedro Arrupe, a prior Superior General of the Jesuits, encouraged, to be a person for others. And, every day, throughout our College of Nursing community, I see glowing acts of caring and kindness extended between and beyond our faculty, staff, and students, that power me forward.

To commemorate this year’s National Nurses Week, I share with you two things that brighten my emotions about being a nurse. First, as we gain more distance from and shed, though for some still continue to endure, the struggles, pains, and losses from the pandemic over the past few years, the poem “The Miracle of Morning" (recited radiantly by its author Amanda Gorman here) offers more than a glimmer of optimism as we move ahead with each new day striving to become “… the best of beings” (special thanks to Assistant Dean Marilyn Cope for calling attention to these beautiful words). Second, as member of the American Nurses Association, I look forward to seeing nurses spotlighted against the backdrop of illuminated city landmarks across the nation through the Nurses Light Up the Sky campaign.

Happy Nurses Week to all, whether already or soon-to-be, nurses!

February 16, 2024

It’s been an exciting, energetic, and enriching time for me since stepping into the Deanship of the College of Nursing last July. I’ve gotten better acquainted with faculty and staff throughout our college and the university and have had wonderful opportunities to engage with our students. Everyone has made settling in easy and enjoyable. I’m so appreciative of the continued warmth and ready assistance extended by all. I can honestly say that I do not feel like I am new to Seattle University anymore. That said, I sincerely look forward to deeper engagement with all that Seattle University offers and greater rapport with all members of its community.

Honoring Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and Black History Month

As we move through the first quarter of 2024, in January, taking time to honor the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and celebrating Black history throughout February, it is important to reaffirm our institution’s commitment to diversity and inclusion. I celebrated the holiday dedicated to Dr. King and his accomplishments by attending a mass at our Chapel of St. Ignatius organized by the Black Catholic Advisory Circle.

In our Jesuit tradition, I remind that we must respond to Dr. King’s statement that, “Of all the forms of inequality, injustice in health care is the most shocking and inhumane.” I’m proud that our academic programs are designed to educate and inspire leaders to transform health care for a just and humane world. Recognizing and attending to the needs of those who are marginalized and oppressed by unfair systems and actions are core to how we at Seattle University prepare health care professionals.

Congratulations to our Newest Redhawk Nurses!

I’m pleased to share that we saw high success among BSN graduates and current DNP students completing their NCLEX exams in 2023. These pass rates reflect the commitment of our faculty and staff to prepare students for the new generation NCLEX exam and provide them with firm footing as they proceed into professional practice.

  • Bachelor of Science in Nursing program traditional 4-year graduates: First-time pass rates was 89.61% with an overall rate of 94.8%
  • Bachelor of Science in Nursing program transfer graduates: First-time pass rates was 82.1% with an overall rate of 90.5%
  • Doctoral students in the Advanced Practice Nursing Immersion program: First-time pass rates was 92.75% and the overall pass rate was 97.1%

I extend heartfelt congratulations to all of you who completed this important step on your way to starting your nursing career.

New Nursing Advisory Board

I welcome and thank all the members of our newly convened Academic Nursing Advisory Board. This advisory board will provide a channel for perspectives from nurses in professional practice, health systems leadership positions, and community-/public-service roles to guide our pursuits to fulfill our mission and actualize our vision. Our College of Nursing leadership team is thrilled to have these wonderful, well-accomplished nurses advise and support us in delivering high-quality education and training across our undergraduate and graduate nursing programs. Many thanks to each of them for agreeing to serve.

Office of the Dean

Faculty and Staff located in the Dean's office.

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