Supported by one of the University of Connecticut’s largest donations, a new nursing is in construction to expand access to clinical trials and modern resources for students. The school of nursing building is to be named in honor of UConn alumni, Elisabeth DeLuca, who gifted $50 million dollars to the university.
The Elisabeth DeLuca School of Nursing will be the second UConn school or college renamed after a philanthropic alum, honoring the woman whose foresight is helping the school raise its profile and expand its enrollment to meet soaring demand, according to UConn Today.
Gabrielle Evora, a sophomore physiology and neurobiology major, explained how some students at the university are greatly impacted by the renaming of the nursing building.
“This has a pretty positive impact,” Evora said. “I think it’s very important because it’s an alumni coming back, it’s not like a random person from outside. It’s someone who has been at UConn, knows how UConn works and she’s coming back and donating, which is important to two very important programs, the School of Nursing and the physiology and neurobiology program.”
As a nursing school graduate, DeLuca’s experience serves as an inspiration for current nursing students, particularly women, showing them they could achieve the same path.
“UConn was originally an agricultural school. So, the fact that they’ve broadened their majors now and offer nursing, physiology and neurobiology is very important,” Evora said.
The 92,000-square-foot building will feature instructional spaces, a lecture hall, a nursing simulation learning center, research center and a center for student success, study rooms and resources spaces according to UConn Today.
Ellie Lopez, a sophomore nursing major, explained how the new funding will improve student resources.
“From what I’ve heard, the funding gave us an entire floor just to do research, another floor with classrooms and even a floor that looks like a real hospital unit right when you step off the elevator. A newer, more modern building would benefit students by providing improved spaces to study, practice and prepare for clinicals,” Lopez said.
About $20 million of DeLuca’s gift will help fund the new building’s construction, along with about $5 million supporting its equipment needs. The other $25 million will support student scholarships and programming for patient-centered practice, interdisciplinary research and technology-based innovations, according to UConn Today.
Lopez said she hopes this renaming will be a symbol for the profession of nursing as a whole.
“I hope this renaming will give recognition to the nursing profession because it’ll show that nursing majors can really become something big enough to give back to their community and it reminds us that nursing is valued and supported as the field keeps moving forward,” Lopez said.
A drawing of the new nursing building that is set to be opening in the Fall 2026 semester. Photo via UConn’s University Planning, Design and Construction.