New nursing PhD scholarship
Howell Family Fund gift matched by UTHealth Houston
Future nurse scientists and educators will benefit from a generous gift from the Howell Family Fund to 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 Evelyn and Paul Howell Family PhD Scholarship to support students pursuing their PhD in nursing.
“PhD scholarships make a lasting impact by enhancing research and innovation, addressing workforce shortages in nursing education and leadership, and promoting interdisciplinary collaboration,” said Diane Santa Maria, DrPH, MSN, ACRN, PHNA-BC, FAAN, dean of Cizik School of Nursing, who holds the Jane and Robert Cizik Distinguished Chair and the Huffington Foundation Endowed Chair in Nursing Education Leadership. “The Howell family’s endowment will help multiple PhD students and will enable us to tailor support to specific students’ needs, including stipends and research funding.”
Established in honor of Evelyn and Paul Howell and their family, this endowment recognizes their dedication to nursing science, education, and leadership. Paul, the late CEO of the Howell Corporation, once served as vice chairman and director of the Texas Medical Center, while Evelyn was a founding member and president of the Friends of Nursing at St. Luke’s Episcopal Hospital. Their philanthropic legacy continues through their sons, Brad and David Howell, who actively support health care innovation.
Brad has served on the UTHealth Houston Development Board since 1993 and is a chair emeritus. His wife, Sara, is a longtime member and past chair of the PARTNERS organization, which raises funds for student scholarships and faculty research at Cizik School of Nursing.
“We are grateful for the Howell family’s decades-long commitment to nursing education. Their generosity will help build a stronger, more resilient health care system for generations to come,” Santa Maria said.
Learn more about the PhD program at Cizik School of Nursing.