UNCW’s department of nursing has received a $1 million distinguished professorship for oncological nursing.

“The distinguished professorship will allow the department to create a niche for UNCW that says we are interested in prevention, treatment and tertiary (after treatment) care for those diagnosed with cancer. It shows that we are committed to oncology,” said Dr. James McCann, director of the nursing department.

Over time, McCann believes the professorship will bring students to UNCW who are specifically interested in oncology.

The $1 million professorship was established by the Brewer &Boddie families of eastern North Carolina in honor of Lucy Ann Brewer, who died of cancer in 1994.

“Establishing the professorship at UNCW in our mother’s honor gives us hope to know she is still a part of this community and the university. We hope to better educate the students who are passionate about nursing and who have an interest in oncology. We want to give the gift of learning to students at UNCW so they can continue to soar,” said Brewer’s daughter, Lee Brewer Garrett, in a UNCW press release.

The distinguished professorship is supported by Brewer’s husband, children, brothers, children, grandchildren and extended families through various family foundations. The family owned one of the nation’s largest privately held restaurant companies, Boddie-Noell Enterprises, Inc., which included a Hardee’s franchise in Wilmington. Many family members of both the Boddie and Brewer families have attended UNCW.

“UNCW is near and dear to all our families,” said Garrett. “McNeill Hall is a first home for UNCW’s nursing students, so recruiting top faculty with this distinguished professorship only can benefit the university, the nursing program and most importantly, the students.”

The families’ gift of $667,000 will be matched by $333,000 in funds from the state’s Distinguished Professors Endowment Trust Fund.

Even with the distinguished professorship, “It will be a couple of years before we can advertise oncology,” said McCann.

For the future, McCann believes the focus on oncology in the community and on campus will be very broad, from children to older adults– “It depends on the candidates we get. We could focus on women’s cancer (being that the professorship is in honor to Lucy Brewer), but we believe we will be able to focus on everyone diagnosed.”

“(This disease) touches each and every one of us and in some way we are all connected. Our mother would be so proud we have established this very important professorship in her memory. She would be honored to know we are supporting oncological nursing at UNCW,” said Garrett.

“In a time of economic downtime, it’s wonderful that the community has given such an award,” said McCann.

In a press release from UNCW, Chancellor Gary Miller said, “I am very grateful to the Brewer and Boddie families for establishing this distinguished professorship at UNCW. They have provided our School of Nursing with much-needed resources to support the work of a faculty expert in the critical field of oncological nursing.”