The Drs. Lillian R. Goodman and Mary K. Alexander Endowed Nursing Scholarship
Criteria: (Four $1000.00 Awards) The Drs. Lillian R. Goodman and Mary K. Alexander Endowed Nursing Scholarship, with support from the Lillian R. Goodman and Mary K. Alexander Fund for Nursing Education and Research of the Greater Worcester Community Foundation, shall be awarded to two (2) nursing students entering their junior year of studies and two (2) nursing students entering their senior year of studies. Applicants are required to have a grade point average of 3.3 or higher and have demonstrated financial need.
Dr. Lillian R. Goodman and Dr. Mary K. Alexander played significant roles in the establishment of the Department of Nursing at Worcester State University. Dr. Goodman, department founder and chair from 1973 to 1991, has been widely recognized for her visionary leadership in nursing education. Dr. Alexander was a futurist and pragmatist in taking the leadership in designing and building a program with a strong community and clinical practice focus. The University’s Nursing Program was the first baccalaureate program for registered nurses in New England to receive national accreditation.
Dr. Goodman was a teacher and mentor to countless graduates who went on to achieve advanced degrees and to assume leadership positions in education, management, research, and clinical practice locally and nationally. Many of these graduates attest to the positive learning environment that she fostered as being influential in promoting their self-confidence and enthusiasm for professional growth and development. On the 20th anniversary of the Department of Nursing, Dr. Goodman was honored by her colleagues throughout the state.
A registered nurse, Dr. Goodman holds a doctorate in Education as well as two honorary doctoral degrees. In 1991, she left Worcester State University to become dean of the Graduate School of Nursing at the University of Massachusetts in Worcester.
Dr. Alexander, who held the position of Interim Vice President of Academic Affairs at WSU from 1990 to 1991, was a teacher and role model to hundreds of students who shared both her enthusiasm for learning as well as her excellence in professional practice. She continues to recruit and instruct individuals on the values and joy of the profession of nursing at the baccalaureate and graduate level. Countless graduates continue to seek her counsel regarding advancement of their personal careers as well as how to advance the mission of professional nursing. In 1991, she was recruited to join the faculty of the Graduate School of Nursing at the University of Massachusetts in Worcester, where she also served as associate dean.
Dr. Alexander is a curriculum consultant and program evaluator in Massachusetts and throughout the country. She has served on local, state and national boards and committees where she is recognized for her leadership and integrity. In addition to holding a doctorate in Education, Dr. Alexander is nationally certified as an adult nurse practitioner and a geriatric nurse practitioner.
Drs. Goodman and Alexander’s boundless energy continues to be a true asset for Worcester State University, and this scholarship ensures a quality and affordable nursing education accessible and affordable to future students.