At University of Bridgeport (UB), memory runs deep, and as we commemorate the one-year anniversary of the passing of Kelly Anne Caulfield, M.S. ’18, we are proud to officially announce the formation of a memorial scholarship fund at UB’s Physician Assistant Institute (UBPAI) in her honor.
Kelly passed away suddenly at the age of 35 on December 23, 2020. She was the youngest daughter of Patrick J. and Carolyn L. Caulfield, the sister of Jeannette Routhier and Karen Simpson, and the fiancé of Nicholas Montini.
Kelly’s parents shared: “We are extremely pleased to establish this memorial scholarship fund in honor of Kelly and in partnership with the University. Kelly loved the UBPAI and was very grateful for the amazing education she received there. This fund will provide many scholarships to students in the years to come and assist them to achieve their dreams of becoming physician assistants, just like Kelly.”
Kelly graduated with her M.S., summa cum laude, in 2018. She was a member of the Phi Kappa Phi National Honor Society, the Pi Alpha Honor Society for Physician Assistants, the American Academy of Physician Assistants, the Connecticut Academy of Physician Assistants, and Alpha Epsilon Delta, the National Health Preprofessional Honor Society. Kelly was also a member of a three-person UBPAI team that won district and regional competitions against other physician assistant programs and went on to participate in the 2017 AAPA National Medical Challenge Bowl, where they finished in the top 10.
Following graduation, Kelly worked for DOCS Urgent Care, AFC Urgent Care, and Bridgeport Family Medicine. Just prior to her passing, she had accepted a new position at Internal Medicine of West Haven and was scheduled to start in January 2021. She also had remained highly engaged with the UBPAI and mentored many UBPAI students, including those who had clinical rotations at her places of employment. She also continued to participate in the UBPAI annual fundraising gala.
The Kelly A. Caulfield, MS 2018 Memorial Scholarship Fund is off to an excellent start thanks to initial donations from the Caulfield family and friends, but we are just at the beginning of the journey. The goal is to significantly increase contributions to the fund in the years to come. The first scholarship will be awarded in the summer of 2022, and additional scholarships will be awarded every year thereafter. Applications for the first scholarship will be open to UB PAI students in 2022.
For those interested in contributing, please visit give.bridgeport.edu and note that your gift is intended for the “Kelly A. Caulfield, MS 2018 Memorial Scholarship Fund.” All donations, no matter the size, will be deeply appreciated. For more information, please contact Jay Abrams, Director of Development & Alumni Relations, by emailing jabrams@bridgeport.edu.