The $2 million gift to fund scholarships-one of the largest gifts from an individual in the 151-year history of UB-was received from the late Nova G. Petsan, a UB alumnus who worked as a high-school teacher and then a state employment counselor. It will benefit the Nova G. Petsan and Gustave Petsan Scholarship Fund, named in honor of Petsan and her late husband.

The $200,000 bequest to support nursing research was received from Shirley D. DeVoe of Buffalo, who holds bachelor's and master's degrees in nursing from UB and worked for 35 years as a nurse before retiring in 1975. It will establish the Shirley D. DeVoe Nursing Research Support Fund to assist nursing faculty members and graduate students.

Dean Mecca S. Cranley said the $2 million gift from Petsan, who died in March, will better position the School of Nursing to attract top-quality students.

"As student aid is getting harder to obtain, this is a great time for the school to receive so much support for student scholarships," she added. "These scholarships will give the school a competitive edge in recruiting the best and brightest students.

"It is especially significant because this is a perpetual gift...as long as there is a School of Nursing, there will be Petsan scholarships to benefit students."

President William R. Greiner praised Petsan and her support for the nursing school.

"We are deeply grateful to have enjoyed Mrs. Petsan's confidence and support over the years, and we are honored by her bequest," said Greiner. "Most of all, we are thankful to be able to offer new opportunities for UB nursing students for years to come."

A 1922 UB alumnus, Petsan taught French and Latin at Niagara Falls High School from 1928-42, and was an employment counselor for the New York State Department of Labor from 1943 until her retirement in 1970.

During the time she was an undergraduate student in the Faculty of Arts and Letters, few women attended UB. She earned a degree in French from Middlebury College in Vermont in 1925.

William Broderick, Sr., her attorney and longtime friend, said Petsan firmly believed in creating opportunities for young students to enable them to achieve similar educational aspirations.

"Throughout the 20 years I knew Mrs. Petsan, she had a very strong interest in seeing her support directly aiding people," said Broderick. "In particular, she wanted to help young people get a good start in receiving a quality education and it is something she is accomplishing with this gift."

Petsan was a strong supporter of the nursing school; her bequest brings her total giving to the school to nearly $2.25 million. A previous gift established the Gustave & Nova Petsan Fund, which brought Petsan back to UB as recently as last year to personally present scholarship awards to students.

"She was an amazing lady," said Cranley. "It was apparent that meeting the students was very important to her because she had prepared a brief speech for each scholarship recipient. She encouraged the students to receive a good education and to continue doing good for others."

The first Nova G. Petsan and Gustave Petsan Scholarship funded by the bequest is expected to be presented in Fall 1998.

Cranley said the bequest from Shirley DeVoe "will provide the opportunity for faculty and students to conduct pilot research and small studies in the field. Research supported by this seed money will enable the researchers to show the significance of their work and successfully secure other funding to conduct larger scale studies."

Research, Cranley added, "is important to nursing because it provides the scientific data upon which the practice is based."

DeVoe, noting the rapid changes in nursing practice, said "research is vital to maintain the objectives of nursing and the necessary changes in educational preparation. Knowing this, it seemed only logical to me to give my support to research."

A lifelong Buffalo resident, DeVoe studied nursing at the former E.J. Meyer Hospital before attending UB's nursing school on a scholarship.

"I could not have afforded school without the scholarship," said DeVoe, who received her bachelor's degree in 1942.

After serving as a nurse in the Army Air Corps from 1943-46, she joined the Army Reserves, from which she retired as a lieutenant colonel in 1968. She is the only woman serving on the Erie-Niagara Sub-Council for Fort Drum.

DeVoe worked at Buffalo VA Medical Center from 1950 until retiring in 1975. With a federal traineeship, she returned to UB and earned a master's degree in nursing in 1958.

Now 79, she is a member of the board of the School of Nursing Alumni Association and served on the organizing committee for the school's 60th anniversary celebration in 1996.

DeVoe said her commitment to supporting UB's nursing school is fueled by her "goal in life to leave something to benefit others, particularly in the realm of education."

She added: "State support is minimal. In order to have a vibrant, active nursing program at UB, outside support in the form of gifts and continued involvement with the school as an alumnus is needed."

A long-time supporter of the nursing school, DeVoe previously established the Sally and Shirley DeVoe Fund for Continuing Education in Nursing and the Shirley DeVoe Nursing Award for Excellence in Communication.