A relationship rekindled: Grateful alumna gives back to UW-Eau Claire

Jane (Webert) and Jim Moore

Until two years ago, Jane (Webert) Moore had not maintained contact with UW-Eau Claire since graduating with her nursing degree and taking off for a six-week trip to Europe in the summer of 1973.

Now, however, thanks to a timely telephone call from her alma mater, Moore is back in touch with UW-Eau Claire — and thanks to the generosity of Moore and her husband, Jim, UW-Eau Claire students will benefit from some important improvements in the university’s School of Nursing and women’s gymnastics program.

As it turned out, Moore’s postgraduation trip to Europe set her life on a course that would not include living in the Chippewa Valley, where she had grown up as a resident of Eau Claire. While in Italy Moore met her future husband, whose home was in New York City. Following her trip she returned briefly to Eau Claire to collect her belongings and her registered nurse license, then moved to New York City. She worked at two successive nursing jobs before returning to school to earn her master’s degree, after which she worked for five years in hospital staffing, recruitment and retention.

The Moores, who have a grown son, have lived on the East Coast (except for five years in Singapore) throughout their married life. For the past 10 years, Moore’s time has been dedicated to volunteer work for numerous organizations, including the United Way, Junior League, American Museum of Natural History, Potter League Animal Shelter and Operation Smile.

So Moore was a bit surprised two years ago when she received a call from UW-Eau Claire at her home in Newport, R.I. But the timing of the call was just right, she said. She had begun considering ways to give back to places that had been important in her life, and UW-Eau Claire was one of them.

“If everyone had the opportunities I had from my education at UW-Eau Claire, there would be nothing they couldn’t do,” Moore said.

Moore recalled particular words of wisdom from two of her teachers at UW-Eau Claire. From Berniece Wagner, now professor emerita of nursing, she learned “the significance of ongoing learning and professional growth.” Wagner’s words later were a major impetus in Moore’s decision to pursue a master’s degree.

From Marguerite Coffman, founding dean of the School of Nursing, Moore learned about “the gift of education.” Coffman, who died in 2000, instilled in her students an appreciation for “opportunities to go forward in life, to have the ability to positively impact others, to learn, to share that knowledge,” Moore said. “Dean Coffman expected this of her students. She did not compromise on excellence.”

Moore also recalled her first nursing job at the New York Hospital-Cornell Medical Center (now called the New York Weill Cornell Medical Center), where her fellow RNs were graduates of Duke, Georgetown, Columbia and Cornell universities. She found herself as well prepared for the demands of the job as any of her co-workers.

“My UW-Eau Claire education had prepared me to work with the best of the best,” Moore said.

During discussions with a UW-Eau Claire Foundation representative, Moore was curious to learn the latest news from the UW-Eau Claire School of Nursing concerning its academic program and faculty growth. She also was impressed that the university had taken steps to ensure its future through a comprehensive fund-raising campaign, Fulfilling the Promise of Excellence.

“I was pleased by the fact that there was a very active campaign to propel the school forward,” Moore said.

After learning about the current needs of the School of Nursing and the university’s gymnastics program (of which Moore is a former participant), the Moores made a $50,000 gift to Fulfilling the Promise of Excellence. The gift has helped fund (1) the renovation of the school’s clinical simulation laboratory and the purchase of a SimMan patient simulator and (2) new equipment purchases in advance of the 2003 Division III National Collegiate Gymnastics Championships, which UW-Eau Claire hosted in March.

“Jane and Jim Moore’s gift enables us to make significant changes in how we instruct students in our school-based laboratories,” said Elaine Wendt, associate dean in the School of Nursing. “Clinical simulation experiences using cutting-edge simulation technology will help faculty to enhance our graduates’ abilities as they enter professional practice. We are grateful for the generosity of Jane and Jim Moore.”

The Moores’ gift is significant to the gymnastics program on two levels, said head coach Lisa McIntyre. First, it helped ensure that the Division III national meet was a quality event. Second, it helps bring closer to reality an already existing facilities improvement plan for the gymnastics program.

NCAA standards, including those regarding equipment, are set collectively for Division I, II and III programs, McIntyre said, and it’s a challenge as a Division III school to keep up with those standards.

“This donation helps us go further down the track toward making this dream happen,” she said.