Saint Anselm College has received a transformational donation of $1.8M from the Bedford Falls Foundation-DAF. This generous contribution will support the Jean School of Nursing and Health Sciences with scholarships, staffing resources, and funds for student educational success.
The Bedford Falls Foundation was founded by philanthropists Bill Conway Jr. and his late wife, Joanne Barkett Conway, to remove barriers to a high-quality nursing education and address the critical nursing workforce shortage. The couple have committed to helping educate 20,000 nurses in the United States. Support from Bill and Joanne Conway has helped graduate more than 7,000 nurses to date.
“We are so grateful for the support of the Bedford Falls Foundation as we elevate the work of the Jean School of Nursing and Health Sciences,” said Dean Diane Uzarski. “We are building on our rich legacy of healthcare education excellence and quality nursing practice. As we look to our bright future, we are implementing our strategic plan to position us to provide students with the best possible academic experience at Saint Anselm College.”
With this gift, the college will establish the Joanne and William Conway Nursing Scholarship to provide renewable scholarship awards of $5,000, $7,000, or $10,000 to students with high-demonstrated need, first-generation college students with demonstrated need, and residents of New Hampshire with demonstrated need. Recipients will be known as “Conway Scholars,” with the first awards in the Fall of 2025.
The Bedford Falls Foundation donation also will support funding for an Academic Support and Retention Specialist to provide student advisement, academic coaching and related programming. This position will play a pivotal role in enhancing the academic success of undergraduate and graduate Jean School nursing students through targeted support and partnership with Academic Resource Center; with the ultimate goal to significantly increase the number of nurses who successfully complete the school’s nursing programs.
In addition, a one-time contribution of $100K will be used toward the Joanne Barkett Conway Dean’s Discretionary Fund. These funds will be used for purposes that meet both the Bedford Falls Foundation mission to support nursing education and educational success for students in need, consistent with the Jean School’s strategic plan goal to “Support student access and success by enriching the student experience for all.”
“We are deeply thankful to the Bedford Falls Foundation for this investment in our mission and the belief in the power of education to change lives,” said Saint Anselm President Joseph A. Favazza. “This gift will help ensure that our students and faculty have the resources they need to thrive and make meaningful contributions to the world.”
The Saint Anselm nursing program was established in the 1950s and is considered one of the most respected programs in New England. Saint Anselm nursing students learn through hands-on experience in the college’s simulation labs and hospital clinical rotations that begin in the sophomore year.
In 2022, the Jean School of Nursing and Health Sciences was established to help expand the college’s healthcare education to include health sciences and public health majors.
In January, the college’s newest graduate program was launched through the Jean School of Nursing and Health Sciences, a Master of Science in Nursing Leadership and Innovation (MSN) and its associated Post-master’s Certificate in Leadership and Innovation (PMC). The College is actively recruiting the inaugural class, which will begin in fall 2025, pending accreditation from the New England Commission of Higher Education.
The college also is building a new home for the Jean School. At 45,000 square feet, Grappone Hall will provide nursing, community and public health, and health science students with the learning environment and experiences to become the next generation of healthcare leaders. The facility will include a 150-seat auditorium; a public health community space; an 11,000-square-foot simulation center; collaborative learning spaces for kinesiology, anatomy, and physiology; and multi-purpose spaces on two floors for use by community members and students from all across campus to meet and study.
President Favazza expressed his gratitude to campus leaders who worked with the Bedford Falls Foundation to secure the $1.8M gift: Senior Vice President and Chief Advancement Officer Jim Flanagan; Vice President of Enrollment Steve Goetsch; Assistant Vice President, Major Gifts and Campaign Director Jennifer Williams; Jean School of Nursing and Health Sciences Dean Diane Uzarski; Director of Undergraduate Nursing and Associate Professor Carrie MacLeod; Assistant Vice President for Enrollment and Director of Financial Aid Elizabeth Keuffel; Trustee Margaret Emmons; and Trustee Emeritus Moe Arel.