Key Takeaways
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$1 million gift will make a lasting investment in nursing education: The Hamill Foundation’s gift establishes an endowed professorship in Community Care Nursing at UH’s Gessner College of Nursing. It is the largest single gift UH has received from the Foundation.
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Professorship will help prepare nurses to care for people in their own communities: The faculty leader will focus on community-based nursing education, research and partnerships, with an emphasis on reaching people in underserved communities.
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The gift brings UH’s nursing, research and community work together: The investment supports UH Health’s broader effort to improve community health and prepare nurses to meet the needs of the people they serve.
As the nation faces a shortage of nurses, the University of Houston Andy and Barbara Gessner College of Nursing has received a $1 million gift from The Hamill Foundation to establish The Hamill Foundation Endowed Professorship in Community Care Nursing.
The professorship will support a faculty leader whose work advances evidence-based care, expands community-based nursing education and strengthens partnerships connecting the College’s expertise with the needs of the communities it serves.
The gift reflects a shared commitment by UH and The Hamill Foundation to improve community health through education, research and leadership development. It also strengthens the Gessner College of Nursing’s growing focus on preparing nurses to address health needs beyond the hospital and clinical setting.
The Hamill Foundation was established in 1969 by Houston oilman Claud B. Hamill and his wife, Marie G. Hamill, with a commitment to the betterment of the city they loved. A significant, longtime philanthropic partner of UH, the Foundation has given more than $6 million across the University and is one of the Gessner College of Nursing’s leading benefactors. This newest commitment is the largest single gift UH has received from the Foundation.
“The Hamill Foundation continues to help us raise the bar for nursing education and address the nursing shortage,” said Kathryn Tart, founding dean and professor at Gessner College and Humana Endowed Dean's Chair in Nursing. “The enduring commitment and generosity of The Hamill Foundation allow us to answer the call and educate generations of competent and caring nursing professionals.”
Addressing Community Health
Community-based care can help reach people who may have the greatest health needs, particularly in underserved communities. The professorship will help the Gessner College of Nursing prepare future nurses to deliver care in those settings while developing new approaches to improving the health of the communities they serve.
The gift also advances Can’t Stop Houston: The Centennial Campaign, the University’s comprehensive fundraising initiative to launch its second century by investing in innovation, student success and campus transformation and creating the opportunities, discoveries and experiences that will shape UH’s next 100 years.
This investment also reflects the broader vision of UH Health, the University’s integrated academic health enterprise, which brings together education, research and clinical partnerships to address community-driven health challenges, improve lives and shape the future of care.
“We are incredibly grateful for the trust The Hamill Foundation has placed in the University of Houston over the years,” said Russell T. Dunlavy, vice president for advancement and alumni at UH. “Their generosity has strengthened so many parts of our University and we are honored that this investment in nursing will be part of their extraordinary legacy in Houston.”