Nursing School reaches fund-raising goal

Since leaving the gate in 1993, the School of Nursing campaign has exceeded its established goals three times, racing past the original $5.1 million goal in 1995 and surpassing a $5.85 million goal in 1996. With a recent pledge of $800,000 in scholarship funds, the Theresa A. Thomas Memorial Foundation pushes the school over its most recent $10.2 million target.

Since 1993, support from alumni, friends and organizations has created 33 endowed scholarships and fellowships, eight professorships, one endowed lectureship, one endowed research award, approximately $1 million in private funds for faculty research and $1.2 million in unrestricted gifts.

The Thomas Foundation launched the effort with a $1 million gift in 1993, and with this new pledge has now committed $4.8 million to the U.Va. Health System, $3.4 million of that for Nursing.

"Our phenomenal success to date has energized and motivated us to set our sights on even larger goals," said Dean Jeanette Lancaster. "Some of the needs we identified early on remain, and new priorities in nursing education have developed since 1993."