05/21/2026
We are so proud of our own Dr Marueen "Mo" Pascal who was this year’s recipient of the Pauly and Sidney Friedman Excellence in Service Award. This award recognizes sustained impact, leadership, and commitment to the University, profession, and broader community.
Dr. Pascal has provided outstanding leadership at Misericordia University through her continuous service in Faculty Senate since 2013, including roles as Senate Secretary and, since 2022, Senate Chair. In these roles, she has represented faculty interests, promoted collaboration between faculty and administration, and contributed to faculty handbook revisions, non-tenure track promotion processes, curriculum and program approvals, and committee review work, always grounded in Misericordia’s charisms of mercy, justice, and hospitality.
Her service to students and the community is especially evident in her work with Misericordia’s Pro Bono Physical Therapy Clinic, which she has coordinated for more than twenty years. Through this work, she has supervised students, organized clinic operations, and provided care for individuals who might not otherwise have access to physical therapy. Patients and families describe her work as life-changing, and under her leadership the clinic was recognized in 2024 by Volunteers in Medicine as an outstanding clinical partner.
Dr. Pascal’s impact also extends well beyond campus through service trips in the United States and abroad, including Jamaica, Guyana, Texas, North Carolina, and New Jersey. These experiences have involved direct patient care, educational outreach, and meaningful service-learning opportunities for students. Her work in Guyana has been especially influential, contributing to stroke support initiatives, fall prevention programs, and professional collaborations that strengthened physical therapy services.
She has also shown a strong commitment to diversity, inclusion, and social justice by helping establish the Black Student Union, serving as an advisor, participating in the Sexual Assault Response Team, supporting PACT and the Hispanic-Serving Institution Task Force, and securing grant funding for the “PT in Every Community” camp to promote diversity in physical therapy and awareness of social determinants of health.
Dr. Pascal has provided meaningful leadership within her profession as Vice Chair of the Minority Affairs Committee of the Pennsylvania Chapter of the American Physical Therapy Association, while also contributing to conference reviews, diversity initiatives, environmental health education, and mentorship.
Dr. Pascal truly embodies the values of Misericordia University as an advocate, mentor, educator, and servant to others. Through her unwavering commitment to students, faculty, patients, and the larger community, she has made a profound and lasting difference.
Congratulations Mo!
