Partner in a Revolution
Promoting Health
through Knowledge
Campaign for Delaware:
Positioning the College
for the Challenges Ahead
For the better part of the past two decades, our nation has grappled with important issues related to the delivery and cost of health care. At the heart of the debate is the ages old but often forgotten idea that an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure—that one of the surest and simplest ways of maintaining reasonable health costs is to focus resources on fostering wellness.
Thanks to a growing body of scientific evidence, we now understand better than ever the importance of diet, exercise, and other lifestyle choices in promoting wellness throughout the human life span. While there are some encouraging signs that this message is reaching the population at large, much remains to be done to ensure that each individual receives the education and support necessary to maximize well-being. The College of Health and Nursing Sciences is committed to this concept and adds to this body of knowledge through groundbreaking research while preparing new and continuing health, nutrition, and fitness professionals who will share their expertise with the community.
We have more students applying to the College than ever before. Over the past 10 years, there has been a 30 percent increase in the number of graduate and undergraduate students enrolled in our programs. The quality of these students has shown continuous improvement over this period, and the demand for our graduates is strong because employers recognize that the College prepares students to be productive, innovative, and resourceful. However, many of these students need financial help. Currently, there are no endowed scholarships for students in nutrition and dietetics or health and exercise sciences. New scholarships will attract outstanding students in all our disciplines and will allow part-time students to attend on a full-time basis.
Through the Campaign for Delaware, we hope to secure at least $8.7 million, which will ensure the College’s future vitality. We want to create three named professorships to recognize and retain our very best faculty; to build an endowment to support 20 graduate and undergraduate students involved in research, internships and study abroad; to support curricular reform leading to active learning-based courses; to triple our endowed scholarship funds; and to keep pace with the leading edge of laboratory and educational technologies. Creating and maintaining excellence require resources—we need your help to make our vision for the College a reality.
I also view the Campaign as a way you can play an even broader role in promoting health and wellness. By investing in the College’s activities today, you will be shaping the health professionals of tomorrow and contributing to a healthier community and a more cost-effective future in health care. The Campaign for Delaware will increase the visibility of the College as a significant resource for advancing health awareness, research, and health policy in Delaware and beyond. We hope you will join us in building and expanding the excellence that is the University of Delaware.
Betty J. Paulanka
Dean, College of Health and Nursing Sciences