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Legacy of a Lifetime

Faculty and student nurses in a research lab
An estate gift from alumna, administrator, and nursing advocate Elsie Beard Studer will fund faculty and student research.

Elsie Beard Studer, MSN ’65 was looking for the perfect gift. A UCLA alumna, faculty, administrator, and donor, she found it in the form of a bequest of more than $650,000 to UCLA School of Nursing. The gift crowns her legacy and reflects commitment to her profession and the clinicians she nurtured.

Masterly Care, Caring Mentorship

In a career spanning more than five decades, Studer took every opportunity to advance the entire nursing field. After working in teaching hospitals in Illinois and Michigan, she earned her master’s degree at UCLA, where she continued to teach and served as director of nursing and associate hospital director. Relishing her double duty for patients and professionals, Studer equipped students and faculty with the technical skills and encouragement they would need to improve patient health.

UCLA Nursing Dean Linda Sarna, MN ’76, PhD is one of those mentees. She recalls, “I was so fortunate to have someone of Elsie’s caliber as a chief nurse when I began my nursing career. She exuded confident leadership and was not afraid of change. She provided pivotal support as I transitioned to my first job as a professional nurse.”

Carrying on Her Commitment

Studer continues to provide support with her estate gift, which will fund faculty and student research — a crucial piece of UCLA’s nursing program, one of the top-ranked schools of nursing in the country. As the school celebrates its 70th year in 2019 during UCLA’s centennial, Studer’s lasting contributions will help UCLA Nursing provide care and promote wellness around the world.

To learn more, contact

Amy Drizhal310-794-2358

Published March 2017

Studer, in her white lab coat, poses over paperwork at her desk.

Donor Elsie Beard Studer, MSN ’65

Students study brain images on a computer screen.

Studer’s gift will support student and faculty research, a crucial piece of UCLA’s nursing program.

Student nurse wraps a blood pressure cuff around a patient’s arm.

With Studer’s generosity, UCLA Nursing will continue to prepare students to improve patient health.

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