There is no doubt, 1997 was a monumental year around the world: Madeleine Albright became the first female secretary of state, Princess Diana died, Titanic and Men in Black premiered, Deep Blue defeated Kasparov in chess, and the Backstreet Boys’ “Quit Playing Games (With My Heart)” was song of the summer.
It was also a monumental year for the College of Nursing, as we celebrated the graduation of the inaugural class of five students from the Nurse Anesthesia program —the very same Nurse Anesthesia program that was ranked No. 1 in the country recently by U.S. News & World Report.
As we prepare to celebrate the program’s 30th graduating class this spring, two dedicated champions have stepped up to support future students through the Student Registered Nurse Anesthetist (SRNA) Scholarship Fund. Both Jim Carney and Cormac O’Sullivan have deep connections to the program and hope to inspire others to join them in support through a generous matching grant opportunity.
Jim Carney, the founding partner of Carney Appleby Law, has been practicing law in Des Moines and throughout the state of Iowa since 1975. A longtime advocate for nurse anesthetists, Carney has been legal counsel and lobbyist for the Iowa Association of Nurse Anesthetists for more than 30 years. He was recognized as an honorary member of the American Association of Nurse Anesthesiology (AANA) in 2023, an award conferred on fewer than 25 individuals.
Cormac O’Sullivan came to the UI College of Nursing as an undergrad and returned in 1996 to join the faculty. In 2009 he became director of the Nurse Anesthesia program and led the program transition from Master of Science in Nursing to one of the first Doctor of Nursing Practice anesthesia nursing programs in the country. O’Sullivan was named AANA Anesthesia Program Director of the Year in 2019 and became an AANA Fellow in 2022.
In honor of the program’s 30th graduating class, O’Sullivan will match all donations to the SRNA Scholarship Fund up to $30,000. In the spirit of friendly competition, he challenged others to do the same, and Carney accepted. The SRNA Scholarship Fund could grow by up to $120,000 thanks to Carney, O’Sullivan, and everyone whose donations are matched.
The matching campaign was launched on March 26 during One Day for Iowa, the university’s annual giving day, and raised more than $15,000. To support the SRNA Scholarship Fund and have your donations matched, visit:
goldrush.uiowa.edu/university-of-iowa-nurse-anesthesia-program