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Historic $15M Gift Will Name School of Nursing

 

Dean Catherine L. Gilliss, BSN'71, DNSc, RN, FAAN, and Christine Siegler Pearson, BSN’84Christine Siegler Pearson, BSN’84, will have the Duke University School of Nursing building named in her honor thanks to a historic $15 million gift from her husband, J. Michael Pearson, MBA, E’81.

The gift, the largest ever to the school of nursing, was informally announced at the Chancellor’s Gala on May 5, to a standing ovation from top philanthropic supporters, including Mr. and Mrs. Pearson, faculty, and community leaders. The official public announcement followed the next day.

“This generous gift recognizes the school’s recent growth and progress in leading nursing education and research,” said Dzau.

Currently the school has 700 students enrolled, the largest number in its 80-year history, and the faculty has more than doubled under the leadership of Dean Catherine Gilliss, BSN’71, DNSc, RN, FAAN. This spring, U.S. News & World Report ranked Duke 7th among nursing schools nationally, a significant jump from 29^th in 2004 and 15^th in 2007.

Christine Pearson is a member of the last class to complete the traditional BSN program at Duke before the program closed.

“My recent involvement with the Nursing Alumni Council has made me aware of the wonderful advances that have occurred in the school,” said Pearson. “I have renewed respect and appreciation for Duke University School of Nursing and all of its activities that result in improved health care.”

Dean Gilliss noted the emotional and historical significance of having the building named to honor an alumna. “I am deeply moved by Mike Pearson’s generous gift in honor of his wife, Christine,” she said. “This is a transformative gift, and we are grateful beyond words.”

Michael Pearson is the chairman and CEO of Valeant Pharmaceuticals International, Inc., headquartered in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada. The Pearsons have four children: Andrew, a freshman at Duke, Morgan, who will enter Duke’s freshman class in Fall 2011, and 14-year-old twins Trevor and John.

The School of Nursing building that will be named for Christine Pearson was completed in 2006. The 59,000 square-foot, silver LEED-certified building sits prominently on Trent Drive and faces what will become the new Oval Courtyard Garden that unites Duke Clinic, three new patient care and educational buildings—Duke Cancer Center building, Duke Medicine Pavilion, and the School of Medicine Learning Center—and Duke University Hospital.