UB Alumnus Makes $200,000 Bequest For Nursing Research

BUFFALO, N.Y. -- Recognizing the need for nurses to keep abreast of changes in the profession and to explore new areas in their field, Shirley DeVoe, a University at Buffalo School of Nursing alumnus, has made a $200,000 bequest to the school to support nursing research.

The Shirley D. DeVoe Nursing Research Support Fund will benefit the work of UB nursing faculty and graduate students.

“Research is important to nursing because it provides the scientific data upon which the practice is based,” said Mecca S. Cranley, dean of the school.

“This bequest will provide the opportunity for faculty and students to conduct pilot research and small studies in the field, and, in turn, research supported by this seed money will enable the researchers to show the significance of their work and successfully secure other funding to conduct larger-scale studies.”

DeVoe, who retired in 1975 after a 35-year nursing career, said she has seen the nursing profession undergo many transitions.

“I’m cognizant that nursing practice is changing rapidly,” she said. “Research is vital to maintain the objectives of nursing and the necessary changes in educational preparation. Knowing this, it seemed only logical to me to give my support to research.”

A lifelong Buffalo resident, DeVoe first studied nursing at the former E.J. Meyer Hospital, now Erie County Medical Center, and subsequently received a scholarship from the hospital to attend the UB nursing school.

“I could not have afforded school without the scholarship,” said DeVoe, who received a bachelor’s degree in nursing from UB in 1942. “Most fortunate for me was studying at UB when Dean (Anne) Sengbusch was serving as the first dean of the school, as well as my student advisor and instructor. She was a key person during my time at the school.”

Today at age 79, DeVoe’s commitment to supporting the nursing school is fueled by her “goal in life to leave something to benefit others, particularly in the realm of education.”

She noted, “State support is minimal. In order to have a vibrant, active nursing program at UB, outside support in the form of gifts and continued involvement with the school as an alumnus is needed.”

Still active with the school, DeVoe is a member of the board of directors of the School of Nursing Alumni Association and served on the committee that organized its 60th anniversary celebration in 1996.

DeVoe was a nurse in the Army Air Corps from 1943-46. She then joined the Army Reserves, from which she retired as a lieutenant colonel in 1968. The only woman serving on the Erie-Niagara Sub-Council for Fort Drum, she assisted in developing a display to honor women in the military at Buffalo Naval and Military Park.

DeVoe secured a nursing position at the Buffalo VA Medical Center when it opened in 1950 and worked there until her retirement. With a federal traineeship, she returned to UB and receive a master’s degree in nursing in 1958.

Her professional affiliations include membership in the American Nursing Association and the National League of Nursing.

A long-time supporter of the nursing school, DeVoe previously established the Sally and Shirley DeVoe Fund for Continuing Education in Nursing and the Shirley DeVoe Nursing Award for Excellence in Communication.

For information about how you can help support the University at Buffalo, go to http://www.buffalo.edu/giving