About the Morrison Family College of Health
At the Morrison Family College of Health, we prepare students to improve health care and access in a world shaped by increasing complexity, advances in technology, and change, while staying anchored in uplifting human dignity, social justice, and solidarity with the marginalized.
Through programs in nursing, social work, counseling psychology, and health and exercise science, students learn to approach care holistically—understanding how relationships, systems, and communities influence health outcomes.
Health care is evolving — and so is how we prepare future professionals.
The Morrison Family College of Health was built to address workforce shortages, health inequities, and increasingly complex systems of care. We emphasize prevention, collaboration, and an understanding of whole-person health alongside clinical and technical excellence.
Here, students learn to:
The Morrison Family College of Health is home to three schools and one department, each with distinct strengths and areas of focus — and all united by a shared commitment to whole-person health.
The School of Nursing prepares nurses to deliver patient-centered, evidence-based care across hospital, clinic, and community settings.
The School of Social Work educates practitioners, advocates, and educators who address health and well-being at individual, community, and systems levels.
The Graduate School of Professional Psychology prepares practitioner-scholars for ethical, culturally responsive mental health practice.
This department provides students with practical skills and knowledge to promote healthy living and well-being for individuals and their communities, including public health.
Across the College, faculty are educators first — deeply invested in student learning and success. Our faculty are:
Rather than teaching in silos, faculty model the teamwork students will need in practice — helping graduates enter the workforce prepared, confident, and connected.
Education in the Morrison Family College of Health is hands-on, applied, and deeply connected to practice.
Students gain experience through:
These experiences allow students to apply theory, develop professional identity and networks, and build the skills needed to thrive in complex health environments.
Informed by Catholic Social Teaching, we believe a whole person approach – one that sees people beyond their diagnoses and attends to all dimensions of health and well-being: physical, mental, social, and spiritual – is foundational to reimagining care.
Grounded in social justice and in solidarity with the marginalized, which calls upon on us to work towards having every person be able to access health care, whole person health is inseparable from health equity. When we take a holistic, person-centered approach, individuals are seen fully and in the context of their family, community, and culture. Centering the whole person also requires addressing the policies, practices, and structural barriers that impact opportunities for health, access to resources, and quality of care.
This belief in whole person health is the organizing framework of the College through its vision and mission.
It shapes how students learn, how faculty collaborate, and how the university engages the broader community. This commitment extends beyond the classroom through initiatives like the Whole Person Health Initiative and the annual Whole Person Health Summit, which convene practitioners, educators, policymakers, students, and community members to share knowledge and co-create solutions that advance health equity.
The Morrison Family College of Health is an active and sustaining member of the health care community.
We work closely with:
These partnerships inform curriculum, expand student opportunities, support workforce development, and strengthen our shared ability to respond to community needs.
The College also offers Continuing Education opportunities for professionals seeking to deepen skills, maintain licensure, and stay current in a rapidly changing field — an area of ongoing growth and innovation.
The Morrison Family College of Health was established in 2019 under the leadership of Founding Dean Dr. MayKao Y. Hang.
With a vision rooted in collaboration, equity, and community engagement, Dr. Hang has guided the College through a period of rapid growth — launching new programs, strengthening partnerships, and building an integrated model of health education that prepares graduates to lead with skill and heart.
The College is named in honor of John and Susan Morrison, whose generosity reflects a deep belief in education, health, and service.
Their support helped launch the College and the Susan S. Morrison School of Nursing, strengthening St. Thomas’ ability to educate future health professionals who serve with compassion, integrity, and purpose.
Start exploring programs, deepen your understanding of whole person health, or learn what drives our mission.
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