OMAHA- On Monday, a $5.2 million gift was given to Creighton University with the intention of creating a new scholarship fund to help meet a critical need for Nebraskan nurses, a field which has plateaued of late. The gift comes from the Harper Family, who is best known for owning and growing ConAgra Foods. The funding given to the university's College of Nursing is one of the largest in the history of the institution.

"Creighton nurses are leaders who advance quickly at the hospitals and clinics where they practice," said Catherine Todero, dean of the College of Nursing, "And now, the Harper Scholars Program will help us attract top talent and form even more innovative leaders." The scholarship's namesakes are the late Charles Harper and his wife Joan Bruggema Harper, who took the reigns of ConAgra in the 1970s. Joan was a nurse herself.

Almost immediately following the gift, Creighton is now looking for its first round of Harper Scholars awardees, which will be selected before the 2024 fall semester. University officials said nurses can't arrive fast enough, noting that, by 2025, Nebraska is expected to face an estimated shortage of nearly 5,500 nurses.

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