UConn School of Nursing Dean Deborah Chyun has appointed two faculty members to positions on her leadership team on an interim basis.

Effective Jan. 1, clinical professor Annette T. Maruca will be Interim Associate Dean for Academic Affairs, focusing on undergraduate studies, and clinical professor Annette Jakubisin Konicki will be Interim Associate Dean for Graduate Studies.

“I could not be more grateful or delighted that Dr. Maruca and Dr. Jakubisin Konicki were open to this leadership opportunity,” Chyun says. “They will be working with outgoing Associate Dean for Academic Affairs Angela Starkweather over the next two months to ensure a smooth transition. I invite the School and University communities to join me in congratulating them.”

Starkweather will be leaving UConn in early spring to join the University of Florida College of Nursing as its inaugural endowed Chamings Professor and Assistant Dean for Research Development. In her time at UConn School of Nursing, she has led the P20 Center for Accelerating Precision Pain Self-Management, built upon her extensive grant and publication record, and mentored countless nursing students.

“This is an amazing opportunity for Dr. Starkweather, and we wish her great success in her new chapter,” Chyun says. “She has been a wonderful advocate for our School, faculty, and students.”

“I could not be more grateful or delighted that Dr. Maruca and Dr. Jakubisin Konicki were open to this leadership opportunity.” — Dean Deborah Chyun

Jakubisin Konicki has been a member of the School of Nursing’s faculty since 2013 and directs its family nurse practitioner specialty. She was recently inducted as a fellow into the American Academy of Nursing, one of the profession’s highest honors, and was previously inducted as a fellow of the American Association of Nurse Practitioners in 2018. Jakubisin Konicki, a family nurse practitioner, has worked to transform care for underserved populations through better preparation of the advanced practice nurse workforce by integrating her interests in primary prevention, health promotion, and interprofessional education, creating a workforce ready to care for the complex needs of medically underserved populations.

She earned a bachelor’s degree in nursing from the University of Steubenville in Steubenville, Ohio, and a Master of Science in nursing; adult nurse practitioner and family nurse practitioner post-graduate certificates; and a Ph.D. in nursing from the University of Massachusetts Medical School in Worcester, Massachusetts.

“I am honored and humbled to have been selected as the Interim Associate Dean for Graduate Studies, and greatly look forward to partnering and collaborating with my colleagues in the coming days, weeks, and months as we propel our vision and goal of excellence in graduate programs locally, regionally and nationally,” she says. “I look forward to the expansion and improvement of academic partnerships that influence our curriculum, focus on students’ success, and promote our commitment to serve underserved communities.”

Maruca has been a faculty member at the School of Nursing for more than 15 years and is a graduate of its Ph.D. program. A certified nurse educator, Maruca specializes in behavioral health and correctional health care. She supports the specialty of correctional nursing and individuals with an incarceration experience and mental health issues in self-care management during community reintegration.

“I am humbled to serve the School of Nursing in the position as Interim Associate Dean for Academic Affairs,” Maruca says. “For me, humility is an important trait as it reflects the ability to actively listen, to seek and respect another’s opinion, and to recognize that everybody knows more in some subjects. I hope to stay teachable and bring lasting value to the School of Nursing and to the faculty I serve.”

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