Gator Nurses inherently nurture special talents of compassion and leadership. Two such alumni with these distinct traits were honored and memorialized at the UF College of Nursing through scholarships established in the fall. Both scholarships were created by loyal donors and fellow alumni to recognize the lasting impact of the scholarships’ namesakes. The M. Dee Williams College of Nursing Scholarship was established by Brenda Barton-Wheaton (BSN 1971, MSN 1973) and her husband Dr. Richard Wheaton (BSA 1956, MAG 1968, EdD 1971). The Kathryn Keyser Inglese Memorial Scholarship was established by Drs. Marc (BS 1999, MD 2003) and Melissa Inglese (BSN 2001, MSN 2002, PhD 2008).

Despite retiring from the UF College of Nursing in 2014 after 35 years, M. Dee Williams’s (BSN 1972, MN 1973, PhD 1993) legacy has not only endured but has strengthened through her many lasting accomplishments. As the executive associate dean and associate dean for clinical affairs, Williams’ was instrumental in the college’s operations. But perhaps her biggest claim to fame was the role she played in establishing the college’s nurse-led primary care practice, UF Health Archer Family Health Care, in 2001.

Recognizing the need for a full-time practice in the small, rural town just 12 miles west of Gainesville, Williams worked with the community and acquired grants to help fund it. In 2001, the practice opened in its first location, expanding access to high-quality care for the underserved. Now, celebrating its 22nd year, the practice continues to be a shining light in the community.

Both double Gator Nurses and classmates in their undergraduate and graduate programs, Williams and Brenda Barton-Wheaton (BSN 1971, MSN 1973) celebrated their 50-year reunion with fellow Gator Nursing classmates in November. It was at that celebration, Barton-Wheaton announced the scholarship she and her husband, Richard, established to honor Williams.

The M. Dee Williams College of Nursing Scholarship will provide awards to undergraduate nursing students who intend to pursue the Doctor of Nursing Practice degree upon graduation. The first scholarship will be awarded this fall.

“Dee Williams has remained a strong proponent of nurse practitioners who provide unmatched care in all types of settings,” Barton-Wheaton said. “She has served as a steadfast leader for the College of Nursing, helping to usher decades of nurses into the profession, as well as leading Archer Family Health Care to the forefront of model rural health centers.”

Williams said she is grateful to Barton- Wheaton for the scholarship that will eternally honor her at the College of Nursing, while also helping students pursue their dreams of becoming nurse practitioners.

“Our health care system needs more advanced practice nurses, and the sooner, the better,” Williams said. “UF Nursing students are well positioned to help fill this need. I hope that availability of this scholarship will encourage baccalaureate graduates who aspire to an education as nurse practitioners do so as soon as possible after graduation from their undergraduate program.”

Williams also recognizes Barton- Wheaton’s legacy as a distinguished and generous nursing alumna, who is no stranger to supporting the College of Nursing and honoring others. In addition to pledging an estate gift in 2012 to create an endowment to support education and research activities for nursing faculty and students, Barton- Wheaton also created the Jo Annalee ‘Jodi’ Irving College of Nursing Scholarship in honor of longtime faculty member and friend Professor Emeritus Jodi Irving.

“Today’s students are taking out loans and facing hardship when they graduate, and we are hoping to minimize that,” Barton-Wheaton said. “Scholarships are a small way Gator Nurse alumni can support students to reach their goals.”

From the time she was a young girl, Kathyrn Inglese (BSN 1968) had a ‘fire’ for nursing in her heart.

Inspired by her aunt, a bedside nurse, Inglese followed her passion of caring for others to a decision to enroll in nursing school in St. Petersburg, Florida. After earning her RN license, she quickly applied and was accepted into the University of Florida’s BSN program, transforming the course of her professional career.

“Kay wanted to enhance her professional skills and areas of responsibilities that could only be achieved by obtaining her BSN,” said Phil Inglese, Kathryn’s husband of 53 years, whom she met shortly after graduating from UF’s nursing program. “She felt that UF’s reputation, nursing school, UF Health and the medical school provided the resources needed to receive an exceptional education.”

After graduating, Inglese worked as a nurse on the pediatric unit at what was then Shands Hospital. Following a stint as a nursing instructor at Mississippi State College, Inglese first learned of her love for teaching the next generation of nurses.

Over three decades, Inglese worked as a nurse educator at the college and vocational levels, training various nursing roles. From LPNs to RNs, Inglese became personally responsible for molding academic and clinical skills, patient advocacy and compassion in her students, inspiring them to become successful practitioners.

According to Phil, her students were consistent in saying she demanded the very best from them, sharing key lessons they remembered throughout their nursing journey.

“She loved teaching,” he said. “Whether taking care of patients or teaching students, she was well organized and focused on the task at hand while still demonstrating compassion and concern.”

After she passed away in 2022, Inglese’s children established the Kathryn Keyser Inglese Memorial Scholarship to celebrate their mother’s legacy.

Created to provide financial support to graduate-level Gator Nursing students, with a preference for those pursuing a Nurse Educator Certificate, the award will assist students seeking a foundation for a career as a nurse educator in a variety of academic and clinical settings.

The Inglese family hopes that Kathryn’s passion for advancing nursing knowledge will live on through future nurse educators who chose to follow in her footsteps.

“Without nurse educators, the field of nursing cannot advance,” said Marc Inglese, Kathryn’s son. “Encouraging nurses to enter teaching fields is critical to meeting the nursing demands of the 21st century. It is our hope that this scholarship fund will honor her memory and love for nursing education.”

The first scholarship recipient will receive their award in late fall 2023.