Endowed Professorships and Fellowships

Endowed Professorships

Dr. Allison Webel & Dr. Oleg Zaslavsky

The Aljoya Endowed Professorship is established to advance knowledge related to healthy aging and is awarded to a permanent or visiting faculty member whose commitment to teaching, research, and practice reflects the standards of academic excellence of the School of Nursing, and who seeks to advance research and scholarship in the study of healthy aging. It is the donors’ wish that through community outreach and education, the Professor will enhance the School’s ability to contribute to health policy and services for older adults.

Eli and Rebecca Almo have been generous friends and partners of the School of Nursing, particularly in the collaborative relationship the School has with The Ida Culver House Broadview. Their thoughtful commitment and exemplary support will help the School maintain its leadership position among American nursing schools. The Aljoya Endowed Professorship is a meaningful tribute to Eli’s parents, Jack and Lilly Almo, in memory of the members of the Almosnino and Aljoya families who perished in the holocaust.

Dr. Cynthia Dougherty & Dr. Maria Bleil

The Charles and Gerda Spence Endowed Professorship in Nursing enhances the University’s ability to attract and retain distinguished faculty in nursing. It is awarded to a permanent or visiting faculty member whose commitment to teaching, research, and practice reflects the standards of academic excellence of the School of Nursing, and furthers the development of scholarship in the selected professor’s area of focus. Charles and Gerda Spence have been generous friends of the University and the School of Nursing over the years. Their thoughtful commitment and exemplary support will help the School maintain its leadership position among American nursing schools. The Charles and Gerda Spence Endowed Professorship in Nursing is a wonderful tribute to Charles and Gerda’s admirable role as benefactors at the University and philanthropists in the community.

Dr. Kerryn Reding

The Elizabeth C. Giblin Endowed Professorship in Symptom Science enhances the University’s ability to recruit, retain, and/or provide opportunities for professional development for faculty in symptom science in the School of Nursing and is awarded to a faculty member who has demonstrated outstanding potential for scholarly and professional contributions in symptom areas including, but not limited to, pain, sleep, fatigue, respiratory distress, nausea/vomiting, anxiety/depression or impaired cognition and/or in self-management of these symptoms in acutely or chronically ill individuals or families across the life span. The professorship honors Dr. Elizabeth Giblin, a pioneer nurse scientist in the School of Nursing who launched early inquiry into symptom sciences through her work on sleep research that began in the late 1960s. Dr. Giblin established the School’s sleep lab in the late 1970s.

This professorship was established by Marjorie Batey, professor emerita in the School of Nursing.

Dr. Betty Bekemeier

The Ellery and Kirby Cramer Endowed Professorship in Nursing enhances the University’s ability to attract and retain distinguished faculty in nursing. The Cramers have a long and committed history with the University of Washington and the healthcare community. This commitment is a reflection of Ellery’s interest in creating a legacy to provide for future generations of nurses.

Dr. Eeeseung Byun

The Harborview Medical Center Endowed Professorship in Critical Care enhances the University’s ability to attract and retain distinguished faculty in critical care.

Dr. Donna Berry

The Health Informatics Endowed Faculty Professorship in Nursing enhances the University’s ability to recruit and retain faculty in health informatics in the School of Nursing.

This professorship was established by Marjorie Batey, professor emerita in the School of Nursing.

Dr. Jennifer Sonney

The Joanne Montgomery Endowed Professorship in Nursing enhances the University’s ability to attract and retain distinguished School of Nursing faculty who advance knowledge related to critical care nursing, with special consideration for respiratory and pulmonary nursing. Joanne Montgomery, BSRN, is a 1977 graduate of University of Washington School of Nursing. She enjoyed a full career specializing Medical/Surgical Intensive Care, Emergency Room and Recovery Room bedside Nursing.

After retirement she was reunited with the UW School of Nursing. In 2002, former Dean Nancy Woods asked her to join the School of Nursing Advisory Board, which she served on until 2021. In 2010, she joined the UW Foundation Board as Nursing School Unit Director and will become an Emeritus Director in Fall 2021. In addition, she has been a member of ARCS (Achievement Awards to College Scientists) for over two decades. She spearheaded efforts for approval for the School of Nursing to be eligible for Graduate level ARCS Fellowships. With her husband, Bruce Montgomery, they have donated two ARCS endowments and led others to create three more endowments.

Joanne has spearheaded many other initiatives as a School of Nursing Advisory Board Member.

She created and initially funded the Nursing Dawg Tank event (formerly Nursing Shark Tank) to promote and showcase nursing science innovation. She co-chaired the UW Be Boundless Campaign for the School of Nursing, raising over 40 million dollars. She co-initiated Magnusson Health Science courtyard beautification project. She avidly supported stewardship of Nurse Camp to inspire high school students to become future nurses. She recruited new board members and reached out to Alumni and other supporters.

Dr. Doris Boutain

The John and Marguerite Walker Corbally Professorship in Public Service enhances the University’s ability to attract and retain distinguished faculty in any field whose professional achievements are recognized as making significant contributions to public service, either regionally or nationally. This Professorship is a product of the joint commitment of John and Marguerite Corbally to public service and to higher education as a vehicle through which public service can be encouraged, supported, and better understood.

Dr. Brenda Zierler

The Kaiser Permanente Endowed Nursing Professorship in Chronic Illness Care enhances the University’s ability to recruit and retain distinguished faculty in chronic illness care nursing within the School of Nursing.

Dr. Monica Oxford

The Kathryn Barnard Endowed Professorship in Infant Mental Health enhances the University’s ability to recognize distinguished faculty who advance knowledge related to infant mental health and development. Kathryn Barnard is a respected faculty member who has dedicated her career to understanding and promoting healthy social, emotional and cognitive development during the critical earliest years of life. She is an internationally recognized pioneer in her field and a leader in the nursing community. Her thoughtful commitment and exemplary support will help the school maintain its position of excellence in nursing. This endowment recognizes in perpetuity her desire to provide on-going leadership in the field of infant mental health and development.

Dr. Mayumi Willgerodt

The Mary S. Tschudin Endowed Professorship in Nursing Education enhances the University’s ability to recruit and retain faculty in nursing and secondarily to provide strategic support for the School of Nursing, at the discretion of the Dean of the School of Nursing. The recipients of this professorship are those able to create and implement strategies to ensure nursing students have high-quality experiences in academic, clinical and research settings. Dean Tschudin was determined to provide nursing students with rigorous educational experiences, and she did so through her leadership and her success in recruiting well-educated, high-caliber faculty to teach at the School. This Professorship is being established to honor her lasting legacy in Nursing by strengthening the School’s teaching endeavors.

This professorship was established by Marjorie Batey, professor emerita in the School of Nursing.

Dr. Basia Belza

The de Tornyay Endowed Professorship for Healthy Aging enhances the University’s ability to attract and retain distinguished faculty in gerontology and to direct the de Tornyay Center for Healthy Aging. It is the donors’ intent that income from the endowment be used at the discretion of the Dean of the School of Nursing to recruit a faculty member in gerontology. This may include, but is not limited to, support for teaching, research, practice and public education about aging. Rheba and Rudy de Tornyay have established this endowment in honor of Rheba’s role as dean, professor, and mentor in the School of Nursing. Rheba and Rudy have generously supported the School of Nursing over the years with contributions of time, leadership and private gifts. This endowment recognizes in perpetuity their desire to provide for on-going leadership in the field of gerontology.

Dr. Jillian Pintye

The University of Washington Medical Center Endowed Professorship in Nursing Leadership enhances the University’s ability to attract and retain distinguished faculty in Nursing Leadership.

Endowed Fellowships

Commander S. Joseph & Margaret Elizabeth Patroni Endowed Fund
Lila Scott Endowed Fund
Henry Theresa Gai Endowed Fund

Dr. Megan Streur

The Commander S. Joseph and Margaret Elizabeth Patroni Endowed Fund was established to support cardiovascular disease prevention research and behavior-based prevention education programs in the School of Nursing. The gift was initially donated to the Hope Heart Institute, a 501(c)3 organization founded in 1957 by the late Dr. Lester Sauvage, to support research and treatment of cardiovascular disease.

Over the years, The Hope Heart Institute (The Hope) transitioned from supporting clinical research to funding prevention science research and delivering evidence-based community education to equip Washington state residents to reduce their risk for cardiovascular disease. In June 2017, the Board of Directors voted to voluntarily dissolve, choosing to transfer assets to the University of Washington, a long-time research partner, to carry on the important work.

This new University endowment honors the original donors, Commander S. Joseph and Margaret Elizabeth Patroni, who made the gift in 1991 through their estate.

The Lila Scott Endowed Fund and Theresa Gai Endowed Fund were established to support research with a focus on behavior-based, community education to equip Washington state residents to reduce their risk for cardiovascular disease.

This University endowment honors the original donor, Lila Scott, who made this gift in 1981, and Henry and Theresa Gai, who made the gift in 1984 through their estate.

Dr. Pam Kohler & Dr. Sarah Iribarren

The Marian Van Steenvort Endowed Fund was established to support work that advances one of the many initiatives at the School of Nursing.

Dr. Monica Oxford

The Marilee Rasmussen Endowed Fund was established to support work that advances one of the many initiatives at the School of Nursing

Dr. Ira Kantrowitz-Gordon

The Lucia S. and Herbert L. Pruzan Endowed Faculty Fellowship enhances the University’s ability to recruit, retain, and/or provide opportunities for professional development for faculty in the School of Nursing and secondarily to provide strategic support for the School of Nursing. Lucy and Herb Pruzan both graduated from the University of Washington and remained close to the “U” ever since. They have participated in classes, seminars, alumni trips and as volunteers. Herb, (B.A. 1957 in General Studies) chaired the Visiting Committee of the Stroum Jewish Studies Program of the Jackson School. Lucy (B.S. 1961 in Nursing) is a member of the Arts and Sciences Advisory Board and has served on the Foundation Board. Both have been active in University Endowment Campaigns. Herb and Lucy both have held leadership positions in the Seattle Jewish Community and in the United Way of King County.

Lucy Pruzan, whose name is reflected in this endowment, graduated from the UW School of Nursing in 1961 with a BS in Nursing. Lucy, who grew up in both Uruguay and Seattle, chose to pursue nursing because she was interested in working with people and making a difference in their lives. After she graduated, she worked as a registered Nurse for Swedish Hospital. Lucy was the first of her family to graduate from university and this endowment is to provide faculty support to continue the excellence of UW School of Nursing.

Active Recruitment of Endowed Professorships & Fellowships

The Alumni Endowed Professorship enhances the University’s ability to attract and retain distinguished faculty in the School of Nursing.

The Marilee Rasmussen Endowed Fund was established to support work that advances one of the many initiatives at the School of Nursing.

The Rebecca and Eli Almo Endowed Faculty Fellowship gift shall be used to create an endowed faculty fellowship fund (“the fund”) to enhance the University’s ability to recruit and retain and/or provide professional development opportunities for the University of Washington Seattle, School of Nursing faculty specializing in dementia care research, education and/or practice; and secondarily, to provide strategic support for the School of Nursing.

The Almos are the owners and founders of Era Living retirement communities and as such are passionate about all issues around healthy aging. They are always looking for ways to improve the lives of the individuals they serve, and their support of healthy aging at the School of Nursing is a way to do that for all. At the time of this Agreement’s execution, Eli is the current president of the School of Nursing Advisory Board, as well as a long-serving member.

The School of Nursing Endowed Chair for Health Promotion was established to support a faculty chair and a public lecture in the School of Nursing.

Endowed Professorships and Fellowships