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Norman Harris, left, shares a laugh with College of Nursing Dean Virginia Tilden, D.N. Sc., at a recent ceremony during which awards were given to nursing students and graduate students who study cancer. |
The 2007 Norman & Bernice Harris Awards in Cancer Research and the Bernice Harris Nursing Awards were handed out April 17 at UNMC.
In all 15 students received an award, 10 graduate students and five nursing students. Each graduate student award winner received $500, thanks to the Norman & Bernice Harris Graduate Student Cancer Research Award Fund, which was established at the University of Nebraska Foundation in 1999. This was the second year nursing students received scholarships.
While it was an honor to be recognized, all of the students said it was important and moving to meet Mr. Harris.
“This really reinforces why we do what we do in the lab,” said Bradley Creamer, a graduate student studying cancer research.
Nursing student Heather Hawthorne agreed.
“Just listening to why he established these awards makes me want to be a better nurse and a better person,” Hawthorne said.
The ceremony was bittersweet for Harris whose wife, Bernice, died earlier this year.
“The love, patience and tenderness that was extended to my wife by the nurses when she was in the hospitals was always something that we marveled at,” Harris said. “Bernice had been through cancer three times and I have been through it twice, we are very interested in helping find better treatments for people going through cancer.”
Virginia Tilden, D.N.Sc., dean of the UNMC College of Nursing, and Ken Cowan, M.D., Ph.D., director of the UNMC Eppley Cancer Center, were on hand for the luncheon.
“The gifts to the students are a gift to the future,” Dr. Tilden said.
“We greatly appreciate the support of the scholarships and the fact that Norman Harris wanted to come and meet the students he is supporting is very important to them and to us,” Dr. Cowan said. “The Harris award is well-regarded and respected throughout the university community.”
Harris said that he plans to continue to support students studying nursing or cancer research for a long time.
“After I’m gone the program will be four times greater than it is now,” Harris said.