Ann Fournier

Associate Professor, School of Nursing & Health Sciences

Professor Ann Fournier joined the faculty at Colby-Sawyer College in 2019. She earned her bachelor’s degree from St. Anselm College. She also holds a Master of Nursing from Massachusetts General Hospital Institute of Health Professions and a Master of Science in Healthcare Administration from New England College, as well as a PhD from Rutgers University. She has been teaching full time in graduate and undergraduate programs since 2004.

At Colby-Sawyer, Ann has developed courses for and teaches in the BS, MSN, DNP and liberal education programs in addition to reviewing curricula and contributing to other new programs. She is deeply involved in campus and community life, having served as a member of the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Advisory Committee, a member of the NECHE Standard Four Subcommittee, and Summer Internship Grant Committee, as well as serving as the chair of the Faculty Development Committee. She was also the faculty mentor to the swimming and diving team. In 2023, she collaborated with a colleague to plan and lead a Spring Break Alternative (SBA) trip to Tennessee, where students assisted with the Appalachia Service Project. Beyond the college, Ann is a member-at-large for New Hampshire Women in Higher Education. She also serves on the leadership team and the learning and engagement working groups for Dartmouth's Center for Advancing Rural Health Equity and is a member of the board for Kearsarge Neighborhood Partners.

“[Ann] clearly has a mission in life that is greater than herself and takes action to achieve her goals," one nominator said. “What I appreciate about her is that she also encourages her students to discover their own missions in life, develop a worldview beyond their personal goals and take actionable steps toward achieving that mission. I believe she exemplifies what a teacher is, or at least should be.”

A student nominator commented on the personal attention she gives to her students, saying, “She truly cares about each student individually and puts time and effort into whatever they may need.”

Ann is a deeply committed holistic educator who trusts in the process and product of the mutual work of engaged pedagogy. She explains that, “By nurturing habits of the heart and mind we might weave together the interior and exterior spaces of our worlds.” She says she aims to do this work through “co-creation, participatory research, community-engaged learning, narrative and reflection.” Her students note that she is not afraid to confront complexity in the classroom, encouraging discourse surrounding race, gender and sexuality and their many intersections with healthcare. “She wants us to be aware of the research surrounding diversity and equity, particularly in healthcare,” one nominator wrote, “but also encourages us to learn the sort of actions we need to work towards removing barriers to care.” Another nominator said, “[Ann] created a safe space to learn and grow.”