The head of the Sisters of Providence will give the 2014 commencement speech at Saint Martin’s University.
Sister Karin Dufault, the general superior of the Montreal-based women’s religious order, will also receive an honorary degree in humane letters at the May 10 ceremony at the university’s Lacey campus.
“Sister Karin has been a champion of the sick and dying through her tireless devotion to health care ministry,” said Saint Martin’s president, Roy F. Heynderickx, in a press release.
“She most certainly serves as the quintessential model of what it means to be of service to others in such a critical area as our physical and emotional wellbeing. She is a remarkable inspiration for our graduating students, as well as for the rest of the Saint Martin’s and surrounding communities. We are very honored to have her join us for commencement.”
Sister Karin is from Yakima and served as the provincial superior for the Mother Joseph Province in Renton from 2010-2012 before becoming the order’s leader.
She previously served as the Supportive Care Coalition’s executive director and as vice president, board chair, acting president and CEO of Providence Health System, which spans Alaska, Washington, Oregon, Montana and Southern California. She has also been administrator of St. Elizabeth Medical Center in Yakima, an assistant administrator at Providence Medical Center in Portland and on the clinical faculty at University of Portland School of Nursing and the Oregon Health Services University School of Nursing.
Sister Karin has bachelor’s degrees in social science and nursing from Seattle University and both a master’s degree in medical/surgical nursing and a doctorate from Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland.
Saint Martin’s is a private, Catholic university run by the Benedictines. For more details on its commencement activities, go to www.stmartin.edu/Commencement2014.
April 16, 2014