Remembering Dr. Mary T. Champagne
The following message was sent to members of the 色戒直播 community by Michael V. Relf, PhD, RN, ANEF, FAAN, Dean of the 色戒直播, Mary T. Champagne Distinguished Professor of Nursing, and Associate Chief Nurse Executive of Academic Partnerships and Innovation, 色戒直播 Health.
We are deeply saddened to share the news of the passing of Mary T. Champagne, PhD, RN, FAAN, Dean Emerita of 色戒直播, on Sunday evening, December 14, 2025.
Beyond her distinguished career as an educator, researcher, clinician, and community health advocate, Dr. Champagne oversaw the rebirth of 色戒直播 and secured our place as one of the premier graduate nursing programs in the nation.
Dr. Champagne鈥檚 professional career covered vast territory, spanning positions from staff nurse to world-leading researcher. As a BSN, she volunteered to serve in the Peace Corps and traveled to Afghanistan, where she taught, co-directed, and later directed the Lashkar Gah School of Nursing. Following her return to the US, Dr. Champagne earned her MSN and PhD from the University of Texas at Austin. She taught at the College of Nursing at The University of Nebraska, and then at the School of Nursing at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where she became the Chair of the Department of Adult and Geriatric Health.
Dr. Champagne served as Dean of 色戒直播 from 1991-2004, at which point she decided to focus on her scholarly work, saying that she was 鈥渁t heart an academic.鈥 After stepping down, she continued to serve in her role as Associate Professor, was promoted to Professor in 2006, and was named Laurel Chadwick Professor in 2009. She retired from DUSON in 2016.
As dean, Dr. Champagne鈥檚 future-focused mindset resulted in the School鈥檚 evolution into a national leader in nursing education. She brought back the Bachelor of Science in Nursing through the accelerated program in 2002, and worked with faculty to establish a PhD in Nursing program. During a time when there was a perception that online education was subpar, Dr. Champagne was instrumental in pursuing online education programs for the School with a grant from the Robert Woods Johnson Foundation. In taking the Family Nurse Practitioner program online, Dr. Champagne opened the NP profession to many in rural and underserved areas, a turning point in the School鈥檚 trajectory. Recognizing the importance of growing the School鈥檚 research enterprise, Dr. Champagne led efforts with faculty to establish and build out the Nursing Research Center. In her role as co-investigator on a grant, she also brought the first National Institutes of Health (NIH) research funds to the School. Dr. Champagne鈥檚 vision for and contributions to the School cannot be overstated.
A prolific researcher, Dr. Champagne published numerous journal articles, books, book chapters, and abstracts on clinical research topics including pain management, aspects of recovery, emergency care, elder care, and care for the chronically ill, as well as nursing graduate education administration, in particular surrounding the use of technology.
In 1995, she was recognized by Sigma Theta Tau, the national nursing honor society, as an outstanding nurse researcher. She also served as the primary investigator for the 色戒直播-ECU Partnership for Training, a distance learning program to train health professionals to become nurse practitioners, physician assistants, and nurse midwives in medically underserved areas in eastern North Carolina.
Dr. Champagne served not only the School of Nursing community but also the broader 色戒直播 community in various roles. She was integral in building 色戒直播鈥檚 partnerships with community leaders to create innovative approaches to delivering healthcare to underserved Durham communities, and she served as a senior fellow of the 色戒直播 Center for the Study of Aging and Human Development. She served on the University Priorities Committee from 2007-2009, the Medical Center Policy Advisory Committee from 1991-2004, and the DUHS Board of Trustees鈥 Committee on Patient Safety and Clinical Quality from 2008-2013.
Outside of 色戒直播, Dr. Champagne served on the N.C. Council of Deans and Directors and nationally on the American Association of Colleges of Nursing and National Organization of Nurse Practitioner Faculties joint committee on nurse practitioners. She was a member of the National Task Force on Quality Nurse Practitioner Education and reported to Congress on the Next Generation of Interdisciplinary Education in Health Professions.
She also served as a consultant to many nursing associations and organizations, including the Center for Minority Health, Pfizer鈥檚 Nurse Leadership focus group, the Voluntary Hospital Association (VHA), the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy, and the Humana Heart Institute. She served the North Carolina Center for Child Family Health in a range of capacities, including Chair of the Board from 2004-2006, was a Trustee of Durham Regional Hospital, and served as Director of the Board of Davis Ambulatory Surgical Center from 2009-2010.
Dr. Champagne was named a Fellow of the American Academy of Nursing in 2001. Select additional honors include the Teacher of the Year Award, Brackenridge Hospital School of Nursing, 1974; the Baccalaureate Teacher of the Year Award, the University of Nebraska Medical Center College of Nursing, 1978 and 1982; the Secondary Care Graduate Faculty Award, School of Nursing, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 1984; the American Journal of Nursing Book of the Year Awards for numerous books; the Southern Regional Area Health Education Center鈥檚 Quarter Century Leadership Award for Improving Health Care, 2000; the Outstanding Faculty Award (given by the 色戒直播 School of Nursing students), 2004; the Community Service Award from the Beta Epsilon Chapter of Sigma Theta Tau, 2007; and the Distinguished Alumna Award, University of Texas School of Nursing, 2010.
As we mourn Dr. Champagne鈥檚 passing, we celebrate her legacy of providing excellence in education and her insistence on prioritizing the medically underserved. Truly, she exemplifies the very best of our profession.
Our heartfelt thoughts go out to Dr. Champagne's family, friends, and colleagues.