A landmark day reveals a brighter future

We recently celebrated a day that will long be remembered as a milestone in the history of Bloomsburg University when we announced our very first endowed professorship, thanks to the generosity of Ed and Julie Breiner and their gift of $1.9 million dollars.

Ed and Julie, both members of the Class of 1977, have shown how much they value the education they received here by giving back, both through this endowed professorship for the Department of Nursing and through a scholarship established two years ago in tribute to the degrees they earned in accounting and biology.

For Bloomsburg University, there is no stronger endorsement of our mission and the lifelong impact we have on our students than the support of our alumni. Ed and Julie Breiner exemplify the devoted alumni who give back to our institution as both a way of saying “thanks” and a way of looking to the future.

Why an endowed professorship is so important?

It is no secret recent economic conditions have had a long-lasting effect on the operating budgets of colleges and universities … especially public universities, like Bloomsburg. It also is no secret talented, experienced professionals can command a much higher salary in the private sector than we can pay them as faculty.

An endowed professorship levels the playing field so we can attract highly qualified professionals to share their knowledge and expertise with today’s students … the next generation of professionals in their field. Ed and Julie’s endowed professorship supports the Department of Nursing and a new senior faculty position. Our goal as a university is to recruit and retain the very best faculty to teach and mentor our students. Ask any alumnus: “Who had the strongest impact on you during the college years?” Without a doubt, you will hear the name of a beloved faculty member … someone who challenged them to reach further, to dream bigger, to accomplish more than they ever dreamed. That is the impact of Ed and Julie’s gift.

With the changing health care environment, the need for talented, well-trained nursing professionals has reached an all-time high. This professorship will enable us to create a new senior faculty position and, with the commitment of funding from the Bloomsburg University Foundation, to support that faculty member’s work outside the classroom in areas such as research, conference attendance and participation, specialized equipment and other agreed-upon expenses that otherwise would not be covered.

An endowed professorship, quite simply, allows our institution to compete successfully for the best and the brightest … so they can teach and mentor our best and brightest.

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