Grimes donation funds BSN scholarship
A $200 scholarship enabled Professor Emerita Deanna E. Grimes, DrPH, RN, FAAN, to attend nursing school, and now she is paying it forward.
A generous gift from her and her husband, Richard Grimes, PhD, will fund scholarships for undergraduate students at Cizik School of Nursing at UTHealth Houston. Through a limited-time matching opportunity for eligible endowed gifts, the university is doubling the impact of this commitment, which establishes the Deanne E. Grimes Scholarship for Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) Students.
Grimes had given up on her dream of becoming a nurse until she got a call from her high school in Royal Oak, Michigan. Someone had donated funds that enabled her to attend Mercy College in Detroit. Richard credits a scholarship with helping him earn his Master of Business Administration as well.
“One of the reasons I made the donation is to ensure that we don’t turn away individuals who want to practice nursing,” said the scholarship’s namesake, whose career focused on public health nursing. “I want to help make nursing education at the university level accessible to varied populations and to all economic groups who want to go into nursing.”
The family came to Houston in 1972, when Richard accepted a position at UTHealth Houston School of Public Health. Deanna earned her Master of Public Health (MPH) from UTHealth Houston in 1975 and taught at the nursing school for 40 years. She also earned her Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) and Doctor of Public Health (DrPH) from UTHealth Houston.
The couple often worked together. They began researching and teaching about HIV in the 1980s, and they established and taught the dual MPH/MSN program from 1995 to 2007, when Richard retired from the School of Public Health. Both continue their involvement with UTHealth Houston, with Richard serving as an adjunct professor at McGovern Medical School at UTHealth Houston and Deanna in her capacity as professor emerita at Cizik School of Nursing.
“The Grimes have inspired thousands of students and researchers over the past half century, and this gift will enable many more future nurses to fulfill their dreams,” said Dean Diane Santa Maria, DrPH, MSN, ACRN, PHNA-BC, FSAHM, FAAN.
Cizik School of Nursing offers scholarships and traineeships to students in all degree programs. Learn more about scholarship opportunities and how to support nursing education.