Deep roots yield prosperous future

Terry and Susan Eager  

UC Davis’ history runs deep in Terry Eager. His grandfather was a founding professor in 1913. His parents; wife, Susan; and children are proud alumni. He’s taught in the Graduate School of Management and served on the boards of the UC Davis Foundation and the Robert Mondavi Institute for Wine and Food Science.

So, when an opportunity came to sow a seed in the future of nursing on the Sacramento campus, he invested in it.

“Dean Emerita Heather M. Young presented the vision—to create leaders among nursing talent. I thought, how can you not support nurses?” Terry explains.

Susan agreed. They established the Eager Family Endowed Nursing Award to support graduate students in their dream of becoming health care professionals.

“Seeing how the alumni are so productive and going out in the community, their role is so much bigger than I first realized,” she says.

The school’s impact is also bigger. In 2017, when the Eagers found themselves caring for three aging parents, they appreciated the launch of the Family Caregiving Institute. Now, with a new post-COVID-19 reality, the focus on healthy aging and technology to support older adults keeps them engaged.

“It’s remarkable how quickly the leadership got things moving,” Terry says. “Our endowment will keep growing and growing. Plus, we’re all getting older. We’ll need these professionals in the future.”