Home Science Carey and Brian Hamilton recognized in new Health Science Education Center at...

Carey and Brian Hamilton recognized in new Health Science Education Center at UNK

6
0

Post Views: 399

Carey and Brian Hamilton recognized in new Health Science Education Center at UNK
The Health Science Education Center II opened in Kearney in January as part of the Douglas A. Kristensen Rural Health Education Complex. (Photo by Erika Pritchard, UNK Communications)

KEARNEY – The atrium of the new Health Science Education Center II will be named in honor of Carey and Brian Hamilton in recognition of their generous support of the University of Nebraska at Kearney’s rural health initiatives.

The Carey and Brian Hamilton Atrium will serve as a tribute to the couple’s commitment to strengthening UNK and rural Nebraska communities. The Hamiltons committed $5 million through the University of Nebraska Foundation through a combination of an outright gift and a future estate gift. Their commitment will support the UNK Endowed Fund for Rural Health Initiatives, which will exist in perpetuity to support current and future rural health initiatives at UNK.

Carey and Brian Hamilton are generous supporters of UNK’s rural health initiatives. (Photo by Geoff Johnson)

The couple, who maintain residences in Omaha and Grand Island, serve as co-chairs of the UNK Campaign Committee for Only in Nebraska: A Campaign for Our University’s Future. A key priority of the campaign is to grow Nebraska’s health workforce pipeline to address a shortage of providers in rural communities.

The three-story, 110,000-square-foot Health Science Education Center II opened on UNK’s west campus in January. As part of the Douglas A. Kristensen Rural Health Education Complex, the facility will allow the University of Nebraska Medical Center to expand its academic programs in Kearney. The UNK Endowed Fund for Rural Health Initiatives provides discretionary funding for high-impact rural health programs and the Kearney Health Opportunities Program (KHOP).

UNK Chancellor Doug Kristensen presents the Ron and Carol Cope Cornerstone of Excellence Award to Brian and Carey Hamilton in 2023.
Brian and Carey Hamilton received the Ron and Carol Cope Cornerstone of Excellence Award from UNK in 2023. (Photo by Erika Pritchard, UNK Communications)

The Hamiltons are University of Nebraska Foundation trustees and former members of the foundation’s board of directors. Carey is a founding member of Women Investing in Nebraska. The Hamiltons have generously supported all four campuses of the University of Nebraska.

A dedication for the Douglas A. Kristensen Rural Health Education Complex will be held May 14 in Kearney. The complex consists of the Health Science Education Center I, which opened in 2015, and the newly constructed Health Science Education Center II. With the addition of a second building, UNMC will offer medicine, pharmacy and public health programs in Kearney for the first time while also expanding its allied health and nursing programs. At capacity, UNMC’s enrollment in Kearney will grow to about 600 students.

The Hamiltons hope their gift inspires others to support UNK’s rural health initiatives. To learn more, contact Keli Books, vice president of advancement for UNK at the University of Nebraska Foundation, via email at keli.books@nufoundation.org.

Carey and Brian Hamilton are pictured inside a local Midway automotive dealership, holding a UNK sign.