(SACRAMENTO, Calif.) — Candidates from this spring’s graduating class of the Doctor of Philosophy program at the Betty Irene Moore School of Nursing at UC Davis announced a $27,156 endowed scholarship fund for future students of the program, beginning this fall.
The six Nursing Science and Health-Care Leadership Graduate Degree Program students established the Class of 2015 Doctoral Student Scholarship Fund to provide support to School of Nursing doctoral students demonstrating career achievements in scholarship, leadership, advocacy, community engagement or research. They presented Founding Dean Heather M. Young with a check totaling their commitment of $27,156 at the Betty Irene Moore School of Nursing at UC Davis Lecture Series Wednesday evening. The candidates also ensured that their initial cash gifts, along with their pledges, would allow a scholarship award in September.
“I am overwhelmed with this generosity from a class of such talented and dedicated people,” Young said. “I am so impressed that amid all that is happening in their busy lives in advance of graduation, that they though to pay it forward for future School of Nursing students.”
Barbara Hanna, Rocio Hernandez, Kristine Himmerick, Rebecca Lash, Satish Mahajan, and Rayne Soriano will be the second class to complete the four-year Nursing Science and Health-Care Leadership Doctor of Philosophy program. While each came to the School of Nursing with a different area of focus and research, all are united in their gratitude for the opportunity and support provided to them from the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, as well as other scholarship funds developed over the last five years.
“We all received a generous stipend to attend this amazing program. Recognizing the start-up funds for student scholarships will decrease as the school matures, we began discussing how we could support future students,” explained Himmerick, a physician assistant educator studying the contribution of physician assistants in primary care. “We wanted to support future students with some of the same financial freedom we received during our scholarly development. As a group, we were able to achieve a substantial and sustainable contribution.”
The new fund joins 36 scholarships at the School of Nursing, along with an annual fund, which awarded $115,000 in scholarships to 29 students this past fall. Invested in perpetuity, the funds enable the school to evolve in innovation and planning to meet the changing needs of the students and the communities the school serves. As one of the early classes, the candidates said the launch conditions enabled them to also participate in the shaping of the coursework.
“We joined the program when it was a sort of start-up environment — with an attitude of flexibility and the opportunity to guide its development,” explained Mahajan, a software engineer who became a nurse to develop technology platforms to address current problems in health care. “We feel like we’ve left our thumbprint on the school in helping to shape curriculum and course development. Now, with this scholarship for future generations of students, we are nurturing personal growth and excellence.”
Mahajan’s research in data science is at the core of managing the changing business models in the health industry. He currently collaborates with the University of California and the Veterans Health Administration to test the methods he developed. Other members of the doctoral Class of 2015 contribute in the areas of public health, health equity, emergency department utilization and overcrowding, as well as informatics. Himmerick said she’s not alone when looking toward a bright future after graduation with limitless possibilities.
“There is a unique diversity of knowledge and experience at this school that you don’t find in most educational programs,” Himmerick said. “With this degree and all that I have learned, I’m not hoping which opportunity comes to me, but rather deciding which avenue I want to sink my teeth into.”
Former students and current alumni who supported the Nursing Science and Health-Care Leadership Student and Alumni Fund inspired Himmerick and her fellow doctoral classmates to give back as well. When the Class of 2015 graduates in June, members hope to motivate others to carry on the tradition for future School of Nursing students.
About the Betty Irene Moore School of Nursing at UC Davis
The Betty Irene Moore School of Nursing at UC Davis was established in March 2009 through a $100 million commitment from the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, the nation's largest grant for nursing education. The vision of the Betty Irene Moore School of Nursing is to transform health care through nursing education and research. The school’s first programs, doctoral and master’s degrees, opened in fall 2010. Master’s degree programs for nurse practitioners and physician assistants, with a focus on preparing primary-care providers for rural and underserved communities, opened in summer 2013. The Betty Irene Moore School of Nursing is part of UC Davis Health System, an integrated, academic health system encompassing the UC Davis School of Medicine, UC Davis Medical Center and the UC Davis Medical Group. For more information, visit http://nursing.ucdavis.edu.
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