Verna Adwell Rhodes Endowed Professorship
Friday, May 3, friends, family, former students and faculty from the Sinclair School of Nursing filled the Jesse Rotunda for the announcement and celebration of the establishment of the Verna Adwell Rhodes Endowed Professorship in Nursing. In honor of Rhodes’ achievements, service and generosity, her family and friends have come together to give $1 million…
May 8, 2019
Friday, May 3, friends, family, former students and faculty from the Sinclair School of Nursing filled the Jesse Rotunda for the announcement and celebration of the establishment of the Verna Adwell Rhodes Endowed Professorship in Nursing.
In honor of Rhodes’ achievements, service and generosity, her family and friends have come together to give $1 million to establish the professorship which will help attract and retain influential research faculty in the School of Nursing.
Verna Adwell Rhodes’ career as a nurse, professor and researcher has taken her around the world. Her dedication to improving the field of nursing also has helped put the University of Missouri Sinclair School of Nursing on the map in the field of oncology nursing. Friday was a culmination of a dazzling career to celebrate Verna’s accomplishments.
Latha Ramchand, Provost and Executive Vice Chancellor of Academic Affairs at MU greeted the crowd on Friday speaking of the impact Jim and Verna Rhodes have had on the university, former students, and the Sinclair School of Nursing.
Dean Sarah Thompson also addressed the crowd and thanked the Rhodes family for their generosity. “Verna’s impact on thousands of students over three decades has left an indelible mark on nursing researchers and professionals throughout the country,” Thompson said. “This professorship will allow the school to attract nursing research faculty who will continue to add to the Sinclair School of Nursing’s international prestige and renown.”
Mei Fu, Associate Professor with Tenure NYU Rory Meyers College of Nursing, New York University, and former student of Verna’s also spoke at the announcement. As an undergraduate student, Mei Fu received the Verna Rhodes Undergraduate Nursing Scholarship for $500. This news came just days before the start of the semester and Fu explained that that money helped her buy all her textbooks for the semester.
“Verna epitomizes every quality of a nursing scholar as well as human kindness,” Fu said.
Click here for the full press release from the MU News Bureau.
