UCLA School of Nursing Awarded Grant from Jonas Philanthropies to Fund Doctoral Nursing Student

Newswise — Los Angeles, California 05/21/2021 – UCLA School of Nursing is proud to announce it has been awarded a new grant of $15,000 from Jonas Philanthropies, a leading national philanthropic funder of graduate nursing education. Matched by $15,000 of its own monies, the grant will fund the scholarship of a doctoral nursing student in 2021. Since 2012, 15 UCLA School of Nursing students have been named Jonas Scholars.  

“I am so humbled to join this network of accomplished Jonas Scholar researchers, and am excited to continue my work to reduce preventable deaths of children. Thank you to Jonas Philanthropies and UCLA School of Nursing for this incredible honor,” said Virgin Watters, PhD ’23, recipient of the 2021 grant. Her research focuses on parental behaviors and perceptions surrounding the environmental phenomena of Pediatric Vehicular Heatstroke (PVH).

As a grant recipient, UCLA School of Nursing joins Jonas Philanthropies’ efforts to improve the quality of healthcare by investing in nursing scholars whose research and clinical foci specifically address our nation’s most urgent needs. The grant will empower and support nursing students with financial assistance, leadership development and networking to expand the pipeline of future nursing faculty, researchers and advanced practice nurses.

With 10,000 baby boomers turning 65 each day, ¹ an entire generation of the healthcare workforce is aging at a rapid pace. ² This, coupled with care for the 22.2 million veterans living across the country, ³ means the United States is facing a dire need for a new era of highly educated nursing professionals. UCLA School of Nursing and Jonas Philanthropies believe the investment in the education of nurse leaders is critically important to improve the healthcare system.

“Any opportunity we have to support the education of the next generation of nurse leaders is an opportunity that must be leveraged. We are so proud to receive this transformative grant that will fund the future of one of our brightest students,” said Linda Sarna, dean of the UCLA School of Nursing.

UCLA School of Nursing’s Jonas Nurse Scholar is part of the new 2021-2023 cohort of more than 75 Scholars pursuing PhD, DNP or EdD degrees at 49 universities across the country whose doctoral work will focus on such critical health priorities as Environmental Health, Vision Health, Psych-Mental Health, and/or Veterans Health. They join more than 1,000 Jonas Scholar alumni representing 157 universities across all 50 states.

“Each year, we grow more in awe of all our Jonas Scholars have achieved. It is with great honor that we welcome and celebrate this new cohort of nurse leaders,” said Donald Jonas, who co-founded Jonas Philanthropies with his late wife Barbara Jonas. “With more than 1,400 Jonas Scholars to date who are committed to meeting the greatest health needs of our time, we look forward to continuing our work with our partner nursing schools and expanding our impact to advance care for the country’s most vulnerable populations.”