As the COVID-19 crisis has impacted the regional and national economies, PNW donor Robert Milos has stepped in once again to support nursing students who face sudden financial uncertainty that may delay or interrupt their academic pursuits.

 Strengthened by a family legacy of dedication to health care in Northwest Indiana, Milos has continued to support the College of Nursing and its students as a way to “pay it forward.” Milos recently made a gift of $50,000 to the College of Nursing. A portion of the donation will go toward the Robert Winston Milos Endowment, a fund he established in 2019, while the majority of his most recent gift will support students immediately.

“As the need for nurses is so critical during the COVID-19 health crisis, we need to work together to keep PNW students focused on their studies and on-track to graduation so that they can go out there and answer the call for qualified nurses,” Milos said. “We are all aware now, during this pandemic, just how vital nurses are to our communities. Purdue Northwest is educating tomorrow’s nurses, today. Let’s be there today to help them so that they will be able to be there, tomorrow, to help us.”

College of Nursing Dean Lisa Hopp expressed her appreciation for Milos’ generosity.

“Mr. Milos and his family have given more than emergency funds; they have given students an opportunity to fulfill their dreams to become professional nurses and to positively impact the health of Northwest Indiana’s citizens,” Hopp said. “This fund is like no other because students can find financial relief just when they need it the most to stay in school. On behalf of those whom our graduates will care for and indeed, the students themselves, we thank Mr. Milos and his family for their legacy.”

In addition to the $50,000 to support PNW students, Milos made an additional gift this month to purchase and install AED equipment in the new Nils K. Nelson Bioscience Innovation Building as well as in Lawshe Hall to support staff and faculty training in the use of the equipment.

“We are grateful to Mr. Milos for his unwavering support of our College of Nursing students and our PNW community, particularly during this unprecedented situation,” said PNW Chancellor Thomas L. Keon. “Soon our nurses will join those healthcare providers who are serving on the front lines, facing a public health crisis that is bigger than all of us. Generous partners like Mr. Milos help PNW fulfill our role as a metropolitan university in bringing resources to the community.”