Marie Mairead Liberace: SUNY's Distinguished Service Professor

Ms. Liberace studied Nursing and Midwifery in Ireland and took specialized training in OR Management and Techniques. She served as an administrator at St. Vincent’s Hospital in Dublin. On coming to the United States, she continued her education, receiving a Bachelor of Science in Health Sciences and Communication from Empire State College and a Master of Philosophy from Manhattanville College and post graduate certification in Biomedical Ethics from New York University. She served as nurse supervisor in the operating room at Union Memorial Hospital in Baltimore and later at Mount Auburn Hospital in Cambridge.

She served the business community nationally and internationally as Principle of Management and Technical Resources and as a speaker and program developer for the American Management Association. Ms. Liberace began her career at Rockland Community College as a professor of Speech, Philosophy and Religious Studies at Rockland Community College. She served as Coordinator of the Life Skills Program and as Assistant Dean and later as Chairperson of Health Sciences. She also taught Biomedical Ethics at the State University of New York, New Paltz and Graduate level Speech Communication at Manhattanville College as well as Irish Studies at Empire State College.

Ms. Liberace is also an author. She developed manuals for business and industry, published "A Mandate for Management; the examination of ethics and values in management" and served as Editor of the "Life, Career and Educational Planning Manual". She published two books of poetry, "Walking on Water" in 2016, and "Lament in A Minor Key" in 1918 which received the 2018 Book of the Year Award by the Rockland County Library Association. She has published poems in various anthologies. She has been a speaker for many organizations on literature, poetry and subjects of Irish history and interest.

In 2002 Ms. Liberace received the SUNY Excellence in Teaching Award. She was awarded SUNY’s highest rank as Distinguished Service Professor Award in 2015 and is a member of the SUNY Distinguished Academy. She served for 10 years on the Board of Directors of Bons Secours Health System at Good Samaritan Hospital, Suffern, was Chairperson of the Quality Control Committee and continues to serve on the Ethics Committee. She served on the Board of Directors of the Antrim Players, one of the longest running Community theatres in the United States and also served as Publicity Director for the group.

Ms. Liberace maintains her professional affiliation with the American Society of Law, Medicine and Ethics, the American Conference of Irish Studies, The Irish American Cultural Institute, The Irish Arts Forum, The Irish Midwives Association, The Irish Nurses Organization, MENSA, The National Community College Chair Academy, The Thomas Merton Society and the Alpha Eta Society. She is a member of the NY Archdiocesan Chorale and has been privileged to sing for three Popes and with the Sistine Choir in St. Peters in Rome, as well as in Carnegie Hall. She has also produced, directed, and acted in many theatrical productions both in Ireland and in the United States. She is a Trustee of her parish, serves in various ministerial positions and conducts retreat sessions.

Ms. Liberace plans to continue working on several books, continue her deep interest in theatre, in her church and local nonprofit organizations, and offer her services where needed in her community.