Renowned textbook author, educator and philanthropist Elaine Nicpon Marieb has pledged $10 million to FGCU’s College of Health Professions and Social Work. In honor of this historic gift, the college has been renamed the Elaine Nicpon Marieb College of Health & Human Services.
This generous investment marks a total of $15 million of philanthropic support from Marieb, who donated $5 million in 2012 when the building that houses the College was named in her honor.
“Dr. Marieb’s gift epitomizes the term transformational,” says President Wilson G. Bradshaw. “Her gifts will enable the Marieb College of Health & Human Services to reach greater heights of excellence and provide an even more comprehensive education to our students.”
Among the ways in which the gift aims to enhance the college’s work are the following:
- Enable the creation and support of faculty-led clinical health centers on-campus and elsewhere, providing comprehensive rehabilitation services, behavioral health services and primary care. This will provide a service to the community and afford students the opportunity to train in professional settings.
- Further support faculty development in teaching and research.
- Provide funding for state-of-the-art clinical technologies that are current and cutting-edge, ensuring an optimal learning environment that produces exceptional healthcare professionals.
- Provide tuition waivers and stipends to attract and retain eminent graduate students across all programs.
- Attract and retain high-quality faculty and visiting scholars.
- Support global healthcare missions to underdeveloped and underserved regions, providing students with unparalleled experience in applying their skills, helping them gain confidence and cultivating civically minded health professionals while benefiting recipients who lack access to regular care.
Mitchell L. Cordova, dean of the Marieb College of Health & Human Services, says, “Dr. Elaine Marieb is a leader among leaders in higher education, impacting millions of students and faculty throughout her career. As the pre-eminent author of undergraduate anatomy and physiology textbooks and laboratory manuals, Dr. Marieb continues to guide students in the most critical and foundational courses as they prepare for careers in nursing, rehabilitation sciences, and medicine.
“To have her name associated with our college is an absolute honor and privilege. Our students, faculty and staff will forever cherish the role she has played in shaping our college into one of the best in Florida.”
He believes that her second gift to the college, “validates the confidence she has in our faculty and staff in preparing students to be exemplary practitioners and professionals in all aspects of health care. We hold this confidence in the highest regard as we strive each day to honor her legacy with nothing short of excellence. Dr. Marieb’s gifts will continue to transform the college – having a profound effect on all of our programs in perpetuity.”[/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]
Q&A with Dr. Elaine Nicpon Marieb
Q: What continues to inspire you to invest in the College of Health & Human Services and FGCU students?
A: I feel FGCU offers a teaching style that was similar to my own, a style that connects lessons to examples and to things the students would remember so the lesson would stick. As for the students, they continue to impress me with their devotion to their studies and to changing their lives. I am gratified by the wonderful work the students have demonstrated. For the students that I have come to know, I continue to be touched by the appreciation they have expressed.
Q: What are you hoping happens as a result of this gift?
A: I am hoping this gift will engage even more students and assist the college in expanding the programs it offers. I also hope this gift helps with the recruitment of professors who all have the same goal of making FGCU’s College for Health & Human Services a premier institution.
Q: Of what accomplishments are you most proud?
A: I am most proud of the sheer number of people who have used my books and how the success of the books has allowed me to help others.
Q: Any advice for current and future students?
A: Education gave me the faith and confidence I have in myself and I would love to help instill that faith in students pursuing careers in health professions. Be diligent in your studies because only when you are can you gain the sense of accomplishment that brings confidence in yourself. With confidence and education you can change your life.
“If you get sick today and are treated by a nurse or other healthcare practitioner, the odds are very good that professional learned anatomy and physiology from a textbook authored by Elaine Marieb. That is the kind of impact Elaine has made in the world today.