WHAT: The Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center (TTUHSC) School of Nursing will host a luncheon to recognize donors who have given to School of Nursing student scholarships, research, educational programs and faculty development.

WHEN: 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Monday (Feb. 24)

WHERE: International Cultural Center Hall of Nations, 601 Indiana Ave.

EVENT: Scholarships in particular enable the school to address the nursing shortage by giving students the opportunities to pursue a nursing education.

Scholarship recipients Lauren Cox, a student in the Second-Degree BSN Program, and Colleen Leclair-Smith, a Doctor of Nurse Practice student, will speak about the impact scholarships had in their lives. Other speakers will include Texas Tech University System Chancellor Kent Hance, TTUHSC President Tedd L. Mitchell, M.D., and School of Nursing Dean Michael L. Evans, Ph.D., R.N., FAAN.

According to the Texas Department of State Health Services, for Texas to meet projected demands for registered nurses, the state’s licensure educational programs must generate 25,870 new graduates by 2020.

The School of Nursing awarded 582 scholarships totaling $565,840 for fall 2013 and spring 2014. TTUHSC has the only nursing school on the South Plains that provides baccalaureate, masters and doctoral education. Last year, the school conferred 953 degrees.

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