Kean Graduate Endows Medical Education Professorship
Kean University alumna Marian R. Stuart, Ph.D., an author, speaker, psychotherapist and renowned medical educator, recently made a transformative gift to the Kean University Foundation to establish the University’s largest endowed professorship and the first in medical education.
The Dr. Marian R. Stuart ’71 Endowed Professorship in Medical Education will support recruiting and retaining an exceptional clinical faculty member to Kean’s Physician Assistant Studies program in the College of Health Professions and Human Services (CHPHS).
“This remarkable gift from Dr. Stuart will create a lasting legacy for students in Kean University’s physician assistant program,” said Kean President Lamont O. Repollet, Ed.D. “Her generosity marks a significant milestone for the University in establishing our first endowed professorship within the College of Health Professions and Human Services. As we grow as a research university, it’s essential that we recruit top-tier faculty who are leaders in their fields, equipping our students to make significant contributions to their careers and communities.”
Stuart said she was inspired to make a philanthropic investment in the physician assistant program at Kean to reflect the greater role and growing importance of physician assistants as providers of primary care medicine and vital healthcare professionals serving under-resourced neighborhoods at community clinics.
“This gift will significantly enhance the University’s ability to support and attract distinguished faculty while also expanding hands-on learning opportunities for students in the Physician Assistant Studies program,” said William Miller, chief executive officer of the Kean University Foundation. “It is an investment in the future of our students and the communities they will serve.”
Lori Funicello, director of planned giving at the Kean University Foundation, said Stuart is a model for others who would like to support Kean’s educational mission.
“Dr. Stuart’s extraordinary gift, made possible through a transfer of appreciated stock she initially purchased in 1997, is a testament to the power of planned giving in achieving one’s philanthropic goals,” Funicello said. “I feel privileged to help Dr. Stuart realize a legacy at her alma mater.”
Stuart, Professor Emeritus of Family Medicine and Community Health at Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, began her studies at Kean at the age of 38 as a single parent of three young children. She planned to qualify as an elementary school teacher. However, after completing all required education courses, she earned her bachelor’s degree in psychology, reflecting her longstanding, deep interest in that field. She went on to receive her master’s degree and doctorate in social psychology at Rutgers University, work as a clinician at the Mental Health Center, and qualify for a license as a practicing psychologist.
Stuart credits her time at Kean with giving her a solid foundation for a successful career as a medical educator. She said she hopes her gift will inspire Kean’s future physician assistants to provide holistic patient care, recognizing that the mind and body are intimately intertwined.
"Dr. Marian Stuart is an extraordinary individual whose scholarship on patient-centered skill development continues to make a lasting impact on medical education,” said CHPHS Dean James Konopack, Ph.D. “We are honored by her generosity in support of our future clinicians and their patients."
Executive Director of Physician Assistant Studies Carol A. Biscardi, PA-C, Ph.D., said Stuart’s gift will help make Kean’s PA students better communicators.
“Clinicians have limited time with patients and need to have the skills that Dr. Stuart has been teaching to primary care practitioners to effectively obtain information from their patients in order to prescribe treatment and have patients feel satisfied their concerns were addressed,” Biscardi said. “This patient satisfaction will enhance patient adherence to treatment and overall patient outcomes.”
In her 30-year career at Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, Stuart headed the Behavioral Health Program for the Department of Family Medicine. She carved out a unique role as a psychologist working alongside medical doctors, teaching the art of effectively integrating mental and physical health practices. She was elected as an Honorary Member of the American Academy of Family Physicians, an extraordinary achievement for a psychologist.
Stuart is the senior author of The Fifteen Minute Hour: Efficient and Effective Patient-Centered Consultation Skills and is currently working on the 7th edition of the book, expected to be finalized in spring 2025. The new edition will include updated chapters on how to best deliver primary care in a post-pandemic era.