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Christian Messa Galveston couple establishes professorship
in School of Nursing GALVESTON, Texas — Jesse L. Dunn III and his wife, Alicia, recently established a nursing professorship in memory of his mother at the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston. The Jesse and Alicia Dunn Professorship in Nursing will support community and public health nursing research. Jesse Dunn’s mother, Beatrice E. Dunn, was a 1933 graduate of the UTMB School of Nursing who worked in the academic health center’s operating rooms during the 1930s and 1940s. Elnora (Nonie) P. Mendias, R.N., Ph.D., has been named the inaugural holder of the professorship. Mendias has been a School of Nursing faculty member since 1992. For several years she has received funding to meet the continuing education needs of health professionals across Texas for bioterrorism and other public health emergency preparedness. Mendias said she is deeply honored to be appointed to the Dunn Professorship, particularly since it is in memory of a nurse who not only worked at UTMB but also received her education there. “I’m delighted to hold this professorship, which recognizes someone so closely tied to UTMB and the School of Nursing,” Mendias said. “The Jesse and Alicia Dunn Professorship will be a wonderful resource.” During her career at UTMB, Beatrice Dunn worked with pioneering physicians like the late Dr. Truman G. Blocker Jr. A leader in burn research and care, Blocker eventually became the university’s first chief executive to hold the title of president. Jesse Dunn said he has Blocker to thank for enhancing his appreciation of his mother and her profession, which he knew little about since his mother retired from nursing shortly after marrying Dunn’s father. “Truman Blocker and I were great friends,” the Galveston resident said. “My mother’s nursing career meant more to me as I got to know Dr. Blocker very well.” Dunn, who was born in UTMB’s John Sealy Hospital, is an active supporter of the academic health center. He volunteers for the Timeless Values, Pioneering Solutions Campaign, a five-year, $250 million fund-raising initiative to enhance UTMB’s areas of excellence in teaching the art and science of health care; infectious diseases, biodefense and vaccine development; health care access and telehealth; and longevity, chronic diseases and neurological recovery. Dunn attributes his decision to establish the professorship partly to his campaign involvement. “In light of the ongoing campaign, we decided it was a good time to create the professorship,” he said. UTMB School of Nursing Dean Pamela G. Watson said the Dunns’ contribution is just the most recent example of their support for the university. “We appreciate the incredible generosity of Jesse and Alicia Dunn, who over the years have contributed resources, time and talent to the School of Nursing,” said Watson, the Rebecca Sealy Distinguished Centennial Chair. “This professorship will allow us to recognize exceptional faculty who are working to improve public health in Texas, even as it reminds us of our rich history in service to others.” Jesse Dunn is chairman of Dunn Heat Exchangers in Texas City. The business provides services for the petroleum and petrochemical industries. Dunn also chairs Safety Short Productions, which develops safety films for industry and the general public. In addition to volunteering for the Timeless Values, Pioneering Solutions Campaign, Dunn has served on the UTMB School of Nursing Advisory Council and is a founding member of the President’s Cabinet. This volunteer organization provides unrestricted financial resources to help advance the university’s mission. Dunn is also a former board member of the Galveston College Foundation and College of the Mainland Foundation. Longtime UTMB supporters, the Dunns have given to such programs and initiatives as the Salute to Nursing Scholarship Fund and the Blocker Scholars Initiative. The initiative raised more than $5 million to enhance the academic infrastructure of the university’s M.D./Ph.D. Combined Degree Program, which produces physician-scientists who are adept at unraveling the causes of disease and translating research discoveries into improved patient care practices. UTMB |
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