Record-setting gift for College of Health Professions and nursing program at TU
“Nursing is a very noble field.”
David M. Schwaber
A generous, $1.32 million gift to the College of Health Professions (CHP), from Alena and David M. Schwaber, will create scholarships for 10 nursing students each year. The donation is the single largest gift to the CHP in Towson University’s history and comes during National Nurses Week.
David says the way nurses have been working during the COVID-19 pandemic inspired him. The Schwabers have previously supported nursing students at Harford Community College and Johns Hopkins University and the pandemic made them want to expand their giving.
Many students from Harford Community College finish at Towson University—a significant reason the Schwabers gave to TU.
TU is the largest provider of health care workers in Maryland and has a nursing licensure examination pass rate of 91%, higher than the national average. Recently announced plans for a new, 240,000-square-foot, $175-million building for CHP represent a significant investment in Towson University’s leadership in health professions.
Lisa Plowfield, CHP dean, says the gift from the Schwabers is “a mark of confidence and trust in nurses and our need for more well-educated and well-prepared nurses.” Plowfield is also grateful for the Schwabers’ dedication to supporting nursing programs and students in the region.
“I am most thankful for their trust in Towson University and in the high caliber of our nursing program,” she says.
“The Schwabers’ gift is a clear demonstration of faith in Towson University as an anchor institution for greater Baltimore, and as a leading provider of bedside nurses in Maryland.”
President Kim Schatzel
The annual scholarships will be awarded to students who demonstrate compelling need based on personal or financial hardship. A total of 10 students at the junior and senior class levels are eligible to receive the scholarship, and it is renewable if the student remains in good academic standing.
The intent is to cover the cost of in-state tuition, and the first awards will be made available for the fall 2021 term.
