50th Jubilarian
As we celebrate the 50th Jubilee of Sr. Susan Merritt, we fondly recall Sr. Susan’s favorite quote of Mother Mary Veronica, the Divine Compassion Foundress, “What would all we do amount to, unless our hearts went with it?” Sr. Susan poured her heart and soul into all that she accomplished during her remarkable 50-year ministry. Institutions, individuals and the Divine Compassion Community have all greatly benefited from her dedicated and compassionate heart.
An alumna of both Good Counsel Elementary School and Good Counsel Academy High School, while an honor student, Sr. Susan also excelled on the basketball court. After GCA, Sr. Susan went on to earn a Bachelors degree in mathematics from Catholic University, then a Masters degree and later a Ph.D. in computer science from New York University.
After a brief stint at working in the digital business field, Sr. Susan joined the faculty at Good Counsel Academy High School, teaching math and computer science, and later taught at Mercy College in Dobbs Ferry. Then, as a member of Good Counsel College and the College of White Plains faculty, Sister began a far-reaching career at Pace University.
In 1981, Sr. Susan was appointed as the first and founding Chairperson of Pace University’s Department of Computer Science. She soon became the first Dean of the newly established School of Computer Science and Information Systems, later named the Seidenberg School after Ivan G. Seidenberg, Pace alumnus and Chairman and CEO of Verizon Communications, Inc.
Under Sr. Susan’s leadership, Pace became one of the first universities in the country to combine software with systems development and applications in the same comprehensive school. Pace was cited by Crain’s New York Business for its position among the top five institutions in the region granting degrees in information technology (along with Columbia, CUNY, NYPoly and NYU). Sr. Susan’s creatively designed programs in computing resulted in the continuing education of thousands of students in the United States as well as overseas.
Throughout her life, Sr. Susan has been an advocate for the education and leadership of women. In 1991, her successful proposal to Westchester County established a multi-million dollar funded, structured program in personal computer applications for women on public assistance.
On the non-academic side, Sr. Susan was an avid beach-goer, relaxing either at the shore or by skimming the waters of the Sound as she sailed on her Catfish. Special too was spending time with her beloved nieces - Michelle, Carly, Jenny, Ali and Hannah, her devoted younger sisters, Debbie and Nancy, and her dear friend and confidant, Sr. Mary Alice O’Brien.
Widely recognized in the computer science field, Sr. Susan earned several honors and awards including the Carol S. Russet Award for Distinguished Service and the Martin Luther King Social Justice Award from Pace University. Additionally, the Women’s Research and Education Fund’s education scholarship, awarded by the Verizon Foundation, named a “Dr. Susan Merritt Verizon in Technology Award,” in recognition of her leadership in the field of information technology. Sr. Susan remains a valued member of the Pace University faculty, now as its Dean Emeritus.
After completing her 25th year as Dean at Pace University, Sister relinquished the Deanship to assume the Presidency of the Sisters of Divine Compassion from 2008 to 2012. With her concern for our Sisters always paramount, Sr. Susan visited the Divine Compassion infirmary daily, offering compassionate care to the elder Sisters. Simultaneously, Sister championed green technology and practices throughout the Divine Compassion network, enabled by a large grant from the Verizon Foundation. She also successfully led the Divine Compassion Community through the arduous Vatican Visitation of religious congregations.
Another highlight of her presidency was overseeing the Divine Compassion’s memorable 125th anniversary celebration. This involved securing a slot for the Sisters to march in the 2011 New York City St. Patrick’s Day Parade. Hearts were high as the people along Fifth Avenue cheered for our Sisters!
