Nursing dedicates center

Top-rated gerontological/geriatric program gets boost from $2.2M donation

On May 4, 2011, the University of Iowa College of Nursing and the UI Foundation dedicated the Barbara and Richard Csomay Center for Geriatric Nursing Excellence.

In December 2010, Barbara Csomay, a UI graduate from Kanawha, Iowa, pledged a gift commitment to the UI Foundation of more than $2.2 million to help support and enhance services of the college's gerontological nursing program.

The dedication of the space, which will be housed on the fourth floor of the Nursing Building, honored the Csomays and celebrated their generous support of this top-ranked program.

In addition to establishing the center, the commitment will also create the Barbara and Richard Csomay Doctoral Scholarship; the Barbara and Richard Csomay Gerontological Nurse Practitioner Scholarship; the Barbara and Richard Csomay Doctorate of Nursing Practice Scholarship; and the Barbara and Richard Csomay Scholarship in Gerontology.

"Older adults comprise the fastest-growing segment of the nation's population, which is why it's more crucial than ever for nursing educators and researchers to address aging-related issues," says Rita Frantz, Kelting dean and professor of the UI College of Nursing. "We are incredibly grateful to Barbara and Richard Csomay for their visionary and generous investment in this important field."

The UI College of Nursing has a long history of leadership in gerontological education, practice, and research. "This gift will help us continue to lead the way in meeting the needs of older adults, their families, and their caregivers," says Janet Specht, professor of nursing and director of the UI Hartford Center for Geriatric Nursing Excellence.

According to the 2012 edition of "America's Best Graduate Programs" by U.S. News & World Report, UI's gerontological/geriatric nursing program is ranked No. 1 in the country among public universities.

"It was so important to my late husband, Dick, and me to find an effective way to promote health care for an aging population in rural Iowa," Barbara Csomay says. "The UI College of Nursing is doing very meaningful work in this area, and I hope our gift will enhance its efforts to change people's lives."