Professor of Communication Arts
Division Chair, Arts and Letters
Degrees
Doctor of Education, Fordham University
Master of Arts, Education, Fairfield University
Master of Arts, Corporate Communication, Fairfield
University
Bachelor of Arts, Mount Saint Mary College
Office: Aquinas Hall, 120-B
Office Hours: Mon/Wed 1:30–4:30 pm; Fri by
appointment
Phone: 845-569-3236
Email: catherine.walsh@msmc.edu
Courses, Fall 2012
CMA 4450 Research and Practice in Communication Arts
CMA 2050 Introduction to Public Relations
Bio
Sr. Catherine Walsh has always loved the world of communication.
At the Mount, Sr. Catherine was responsible for developing the
media studies major and implementing the public relations major
developed under the leadership of Dr. Irene Nunnari.
Sr. Catherine's experience with Mount Saint Mary College began
as a student. She's a graduate of the college with a degree in
English and certification in education. She has served as teacher
in, and principal of, Bishop Dunn Elementary School, taught in the
Mount's Division of Education, and was the coordinator of student
teaching at the Mount.
Sr. Catherine has studied for a total of 32 years, counting
grade school, college, and post-graduate studies. Her love for
study is what brought her to the Dominican Order, which values
study and the pursuit of truth.
The letters after Sr. Catherine's name refer to Order of
Preachers, the formal title of the Dominican Order. She entered the
Dominican Sisters of Newburgh, the founders of the college, after
high school, living in Guzman Hall as a young sister. She later
taught elementary school and junior high school before returning to
the Mount to teach at Bishop Dunn Memorial Elementary School and
then at the college.
From 1991-1995, Sr. Catherine served in leadership for the
Newburgh Dominicans. In 1995, she was elected the first prioress
(president) of the Dominican Sisters of Hope, a new Dominican
congregation founded by the Dominican Sisters of Newburgh; The
Dominican Sisters of Fall River, Massachusetts; and the Dominican
Sisters of the Sick Poor in Ossining, New York. 
You can visit the web page of the Dominican Sisters of Hope
to learn more about the congregation.
Presently, Sr. Catherine lives in the Town of Newburgh with five
other Dominican Sisters and a black lab, Maggie, rescued from the
pound by the Sisters. Maggie (pictured at right) is their second
rescue; the first dog, Chessie, died at 15.
Sr. Catherine's awards and activities include the following:
- Mount Saint Mary College Faculty Award for Excellence,
2010
- Sears Teaching Excellence and Campus Service Award
- Mount Saint Mary College Distinguished Alumni Award
- Board of Directors, Dominican Family Health Services (Chair)
1995-2000
- Board of Newburgh Ministry 1995-1999
- Board of Trustees, Mount Saint Mary College 1996-1999
- President of the Dominican Leadership Conference
- Leadership Conference of Women Religious National Taskforce on
Public Relations
- Board of Open Space, Newburgh
- Consultant on organizational change for religious
congregations
- Member Public Relations Society of America