Endowed Professorships
Inspiration
Outstanding faculty and the quality students they attract are the biggest asset of OHSU School of Nursing. Attracting, encouraging and rewarding faculty is at the heart of endowed professorship funds and is one of the top priorities of the school.
Professorships are a lasting tribute to the values and beliefs of their donors. Professorships may be established for a specific program and named for an honoree of the donors’ choosing, thus creating an enduring, highly visible connection between the individual for whom the endowment is named and the ongoing accomplishments of the school.
Professorships are becoming an integral part of schools of nursing throughout the country for many reasons. First, there has been unprecedented global leadership in the area of research in the United States over the past few decades and research conducted by nurses and about nursing has been a part of these major advances. The dramatic increase in the quantity and quality of nursing research supports the increasing need for professorships. Second, as the level of public awareness of nursing education and professional practice increases through advancements in public support for nursing, an accompanying increase in private funding is occurring. In addition, many schools are enhancing their development efforts, thus increasing private funding to support their academic missions. The number of recorded professorships/chairs has increased from 20 in 1984 to 167 in the first half of 1999. All of these points illustrate the importance of nursing research and the role that professorships play in regards to it.
Why are Professorships Important?
Benefits to the School
OHSU is nationally recognized as a leading research enterprise. Qualities of this type of enterprise are a supportive culture, strong mentoring, educational programs to ensure a research workforce, and an infrastructure and funding mechanism to support that research. Professorships help create this important cultural setting that is essential in ensuring that the contributions of nursing research are made to the health of the public.
Endowed professorships are the most meaningful awards presented to faculty. They allow the School of Nursing to attract and retain the most talented and visionary scientists, which ensures the future quality and reputation of OHSU School of Nursing. Professorships enable the school to make a financial commitment to the holder and his or her area of research, thus creating an environment in which excellent work and creative discovery can occur. Furthermore, professorships attract the best young investigators in the field who benefit from working with senior scientists and thus build the research and educational base.
Often following the appointment of professorships are additional grants and funding and the creation of centers for research. This expands the quality-driven environment that is the essence of the OHSU School of Nursing. The research that is conducted has an impact both locally and globally by improving nursing health care practices. Furthermore, teaching from such a research base results in professional graduates who are capable of using scientific knowledge in their practices and contributing to new knowledge.
Benefits to the Donor
Endowed professorships create a unique tie between the School and a donor that enables donors to share in the OHSU School of Nursing’s milestones in advancing the nursing profession and improving the health of our communities. And because of their honorary nature and permanence, professorships establish meaningful emotional rewards through continued generations of a family. As well, professorships support faculty who are considered leaders in their field, thus creating an environment of high-quality, scientific vision and prestige that is shared by the donor, the holder and the School. The distinguished professor’s work is often documented in national publications, news broadcasts and lectures, thus providing national visibility and recognition for the researcher, the School and the donor.
Current Professorships
Dr. May E. Rawlinson Endowed Professorship
Dr. May E. Rawlinson provided leadership and vision to the OHSU School of Nursing and to the profession of nursing in Oregon. Dr. Rawlinson was the first alumna to earn a doctoral degree. Upon joining the faculty at OHSU, Rawlinson enhanced the master’s program and helped establish the doctoral program. Rawlinson and her colleagues were pioneers in nursing research on psychological aspects of chronic illness and were instrumental in the development of clinical nursing research impacting patient care in Oregon. Rawlinson’s scientific advances and educational innovations have had a permanent impact on nursing education and nursing research.
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Lillian M. Nail, PhD, RN, FAAN With her work in cancer research and treatment, Dr. Nail shares Dr. Rawlinson’s pioneering and innovative spirit. She and her colleagues are studying ways to help patients cope with cancer treatment and manage its side effects. She is currently the director of the OHSU Center for Research on Symptom Management in Life-Threatening Illness. |
A.B. Youmans Spaulding Endowed Professorship
As a superintendent of the Multnomah County Hospital, Youmans Spaulding is credited with
beginning the Multnomah Training School in 1920, the precursor to the OHSU School of Nursing. A.B.
Youmans Spaulding’s vision for the School was “education of the mind” — not just technical skill in
nursing — and the value of ability and character as requisites for faculty and school leadership.
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Christine A. Tanner, PhD, RN, FAAN With a background in medical-surgical nursing, Dr. Tanner has led a 25-year program of research on clinical judgment in nursing and the development of expertise in nursing practice. Like Youmans Spaulding, Tanner is well known for her reforms in nursing education. She chaired the Oregon Nursing Leadership Council Education Committee, a group charged with finding solutions to the critical nursing shortage through educational reforms. |
Dr. Carol A. Lindeman Endowed Professorship
Dr. Carol A. Lindeman has a strong interest in nursing research, has been published in professional journals, is a popular speaker and has held offices in many professional organizations. Dr. Lindeman served as Dean of OHSU School of Nursing from 1976 to 1995. Many significant events at the school took place during her tenure: The current Portland school building was constructed, all nursing programs in the Oregon State System of Higher Education were consolidated under what is now OHSU, and the teleconferencing education program was developed for nursing instruction to take place throughout Oregon.
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Michael Bleich, PhD, RN, MPH, FAAN Following Dr. Lindeman’s footsteps as Dean, Dr. Bleich is also a nationally recognized leader. He has published articles and book chapters on leadership, academic-service partnerships and workforce issues. Dr. Bleich has received many teaching awards and is the member of numerous organizations and boards. He was drawn to OHSU because of the innovative regional nursing education model that Dr. Lindeman pioneered. |
Last
updated
December 11, 2008
by OHSU School of Nursing Web Managers.
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