This year’s Founder’s Day event and presentation will be held on:

Date: Sunday, October 4, 2026

Time: 10: 00 am

Location:  Saint Peter's University Hospital

                 252 Easton Avenue, New Brunswick, NJ

Speaker: TBA

The NJ Consortium invites you to participate in the annual Founders Day celebration by submitting nominees for the Mary Ann Rooney -Essence of Nursing and Elaine M.Kopp Rising Star Awards. 

Please contact Dr. Clare Rovito (crovito@saintpeters.edu) for information and application criteria for each. 

The submission deadline is May 6, 2026.

Please share this information with nursing colleagues, facilities, and members & schools of nursing associated with your chapter.

**Information regarding the speaker, registration/Eventbrite, and chapter dues will be forthcoming.

The Awards Committee will rate the submitted applications based upon all areas of the eligibility criteria. Incomplete submissions or incorrect subject lines will not be considered.

All required documents should be submitted together to the committee member's contact person. A confirmation email will be sent upon receipt within 3 business days. If confirmation is not received, the contact should be notified before the deadline date at the email provided below. 

Please submit any questions and all applications by May 6, 2026.  Submissions should be made as Word documents with the subject line as  Awards NJ Consortium Sigma to the following:

Awards Committee member: Dr. Julia Fitzgerald at jfitzge3@ramapo.edu 

Looking forward to your participation.

Thank you!

Dear Mu Theta At-Large Members,

We invite you to participate in one of our most meaningful annual initiatives, our Mu Theta At-Large 2026 Annual Food Drive.

As part of our commitment to service and in alignment with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, we are asking each of you to consider contributing by bringing a bag of non-perishable food items. Your donation will directly support individuals and families in need within our community.  

Donations may be brought to the induction event or dropped off at the designated collection area at STEU or STP before the ceremony. Venmo donations are welcome @Patricia-McQuade-1

Your participation reflects the spirit of leadership, compassion, and community engagement that defines Mu Theta At-Large. We truly appreciate your support in helping us make a difference.

Thank you in advance for your generosity.

Warm regards,

Dr. Patricia McQuade

Dear Members of the Mu Theta At-Large Chapter,

It is with great sadness that we share the passing of our dear colleague and friend, Dr. Eileen Carrigg Specchio.

Dr. Specchio was a founding member of the Mu Theta At-Large Chapter of Sigma and a remarkable leader whose influence shaped generations of nurses. Throughout her career at Saint Elizabeth University (formerly the College of Saint Elizabeth), especially within the Department of Nursing, Eileen demonstrated an unwavering commitment to excellence in nursing education, scholarship, and compassionate care.

Many of us have our own stories of the extraordinary lengths Eileen would go to for her patients, her students, and her colleagues. She moved mountains to advocate for those she served and to ensure that every student had the opportunity to grow into a confident and compassionate nurse. Her dedication, wisdom, and quiet strength left a profound mark on our university community and on this chapter.

As members of Mu Theta At-Large, we continue the important work that Eileen helped to establish. Her vision for nursing leadership, scholarship, and service lives on in the programs we create, the students we mentor, and the care we provide to our communities.

We invite you to join us in celebrating the life and legacy of this remarkable nurse leader. In the coming weeks, we will share additional information about opportunities to gather, reflect, and honor Dr. Specchio’s many contributions.

Please keep Eileen’s family, friends, and the many students and colleagues whose lives she touched in your thoughts.

With gratitude for the legacy she leaves with us.

Mu Theta At-Large Chapter

Scholarships - 2026

Mu Theta at Large Chapter offers three Scholarship Awards every year. Please submit your application and other necessary documents no later than March 31, 2026. 

Please complete your application for the scholarship award. The application and required documents are to be sent to the Mu Theta At Large Chapter scholarship committee no later than March 31, 2026.

If you have any questions, please contact any or all of the following committee members: Dr. Mary Ann Anderson at manderson@steu.edu, Dr. Lisa Garsman at lgarsman@saintpeters.edu and/or Dr. Kathleen Fagan at kamafrnphd7@gmail.com

All awardees are required to attend The Mu Theta at-Large Chapter of Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society of Nursing 2025 Member Induction Ceremony.

The Mu Theta at-Large Chapter of Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society of Nursing 2026 Member Induction Ceremony will be held on:

Date: Sunday, April 19, 2026 time TBD

Location: Saint Peter’s University, The Duncan Family Skyroom,6^th floor Mac Mahon Student Center, 47 Glenwood Ave, Jersey City, NJ - 07306, Jersey City, New Jersey.

Mu Theta At Large
Nursing Honor Society
Annual Food Drive 2026

Date: March 1, 2026 – April 19, 2026

Please consider donating to this wonderful cause:
a) Direct: Non-Perishable food items can be purchased and dropped off at each school nursing department by
4/15/26
b) We have a Venmo account: Donate and we will shop for you @Patricia-McQuade-1
Donations will benefit local Mu Theta At Large Communities!
With much appreciation.

Mu Theta At Large

Nursing Honor Society

Annual Holiday Toy Drive

Date: November 1, 2025 – December 5, 2025

Please consider donating to this wonderful cause:

a)    Direct gifts can be purchased and dropped off at each school nursing department by 12/5/25

b)   We have a Venmo account: Send donation and we will shop for you @Patricia-McQuade-1

With the Love and Blessing of the Holiday season upon us, let us spread the joy.

 With much appreciation.

Let’s get together

We’re hosting a new event, and we’d love to see you there. Join us for NJ Consortium of Sigma Chapters - Founders Day 2025, October 5, 2025 at 10:30 AM.

Register soon because space is limited.

$55 for Brunch and Founders Day Program

Chapter select representatives contact Jacq906@gmail.com for Promo code

We hope you’re able to join us!

Mu Theta At Large Chapter - members, family and friends.  

This is a call to Save the date for a very special event!

Sunday, December 7, 2025  (brunch)

Location: Duncan Skyroom at Saint Peter's University

A Year of Excellence:   It is time for us to come together to celebrate the amazing accomplishments of STTI, our chapter, and our members.

1. We submitted our application for the Chapter Key Award based on diligent commitment to our strategic plan for 2023-2025.
2. We presented $3,000 in scholarships to our membership
3. We nominated our members for Northern NJ Consortium Regional Awards - and they were chosen!  Congratulations to Dr. Eileen Carrigg Specchio for the Lifetime Achievement Award and to Natalie Ricca, RN BSN, for the Rising Star Award.

We are hoping that you will pencil us in on your calendar and join our celebration.  Bring your friends and family as we celebrate Excellence in Nursing, amongst those who work diligently to make good things happen!

Feel free to contact me directly if you would like to be on the event planning committee to make this an extraordinary event!

More information to follow!

Dear New Members of Sigma Mu Theta at Large Chapter,
Congratulations on your induction into the Sigma Mu Theta at Large Chapter of Sigma Theta Tau
International Honor Society of Nursing! My name is Karina Colon, and it is both an honor and a joy to
welcome you into this distinguished organization. Your hard work, commitment to excellence, and
dedication to the Saint Elizabeth University nursing program have earned you this well-deserved
recognition. You should be incredibly proud of reaching this important milestone!
As new members of Sigma, you are now part of a global community of nurses committed to leadership,
scholarship, and service. I encourage you to explore the many opportunities Sigma offers, from
professional development and research support to networking and lifelong learning.
One opportunity I’d like to highlight is the Nursing Student Leadership Internship, which I currently have
the privilege of serving in. Through this role, I’ve had the chance to take part in the planning efforts for
the Sigma induction ceremony, contribute to our campus food pantry initiatives, and later this year, I’ll
be attending Sigma’s 48th Biennial Convention along with Professor Harmon at the Sigma headquarters
in Indiana. It’s been an incredibly rewarding experience, and I strongly encourage you to consider
applying. The internship offers a unique way to grow your leadership skills, engage with the Sigma
community, and make a meaningful impact. Be on the lookout for application details!
As you continue through your nursing journey, please know that I’m here to support you however I can.
Whether you have questions, need advice, or just want to connect, don’t hesitate to reach out!
Once again, congratulations on your induction into Sigma Mu Theta at Large. I’m so excited to see all that
you’ll accomplish as part of this incredible organization. I look forward to helping elevate the student
voice and creating new opportunities for engagement and leadership.
Warmly,
Karina Colon, RN BSN (Saint Elizabeth University)

Hello Membership

Thank you for your continued dedication and involvement in Mu Theta At Large, Sigma Theta Tau International, during the 2024–2025 year. Your engagement, leadership, and commitment to excellence in nursing have been vital to our chapter's success.

Whether you participated in events, shared your expertise, or supported our initiatives, your contributions have strengthened our community and furthered our mission to advance nursing scholarship, leadership, and service.

We are happy to announce that we have submitted our chapter for STTI THE CHAPTER KEY AWARD!  This submission reflects our past two-year commitment to our strategic plan.

Strategic Goal 1: Recruitment - we completed the new induction process and hosted our induction ceremony in April 2025.  The planning and execution of this event has been in the oversight of our Student Nurse Leadership Interns for the past two years and has been a wonderful event attended by new members, families, board of directors, and alumni.  We hope to see you there next April!

Strategic Goal 2 Retention and Engagement:  We know how busy everyone is - but we ask that you please review any STTI related emails or communications - especially as they relate to your membership.  We need our membership to provide the critical services to our membership which includes scholarships, community service events, education, and networking.  Please contact us directly if you have any questions.  We have implemented a virtual Zoom session "Getting to Know Sigma" to assist with questions from potential members, new members, and to help onboard our board.  Please contact Dr. Kathleen Fagan for more information.

Strategic Goal 3 Chapter Operations.  We have reviewed and updated our By-laws and are working diligently on creation of a policy and procedure manual which will be accessible to all members.  For more information, please contact Dr. Marie Anderson

Strategic Goal 4 Communications. We love to share our accomplishments with our membership!  To this end we have a presence on Facebook and Instagram and would love for you to follow us!  Please contact Dr Patricia McQuade or Kristin Harmon for more information.   We also use "The Circle" to send out monthly information and announcements.   In the Fall we send you our Mu Theta At Large Needs Assessment survey.  We want to be all that you need in a honor society of nursing.  We look forward to and appreciate your feedback as we develop our programing from these responses.

Strategic Goal 5:  Community Involvement.  This is one of the proud moments for Mu Theta At Large as we have historically supported those in need across our communities.  We have annual Holiday Toy Drive, Food Drives and added a Hurricane Relief effort this past fall to assist nurses with boots on the ground in North Carolina - by sending critical supplies needed to help in mobile units after the storm.  This was coordinated through networking of our Mu Theta At Large membership with key people who could immediately help in North Carolina.  Many thanks to all.   Thank you to Dr. Eileen Carrigg Specchio for her continued support of our good deeds!

We have adopted the United Nations Sustainable Development goals and have taken action to support three of them over the past two years.

·       Number 1:  No poverty

·       Number 2: Zero Hunger

·       Number 13: Climate Action 

Together - we make a difference in the lives of so many people!

We encourage you to stay connected with Mu Theta At Large and remain actively involved as we continue to grow and support excellence in nursing together.

We are truly grateful for your support and look forward to another impactful year together.

Warm regards,

Just sending a warm welcome to each of you with MUCH appreciation for all you do and for being such Exceptional, Caring and Competent Nurses!

Celebrate NURSES week and OUR PROFESSION!!!