A Gift for Future Nurses

For over 45 years, Rachel E. Tierney '62,'74G,'90 Ph.D., has devoted her career to working as a psychiatric mental health clinical nurse specialist treating adults with chronic mental illness. In addition to earning a bachelor's and a master's in psychiatric mental health from the College of Nursing, she earned a doctorate in Public Health—Policy and Management from the UMass School of Public Health and Health Sciences. She later taught graduate courses at the College of Nursing at UMass Amherst.

After many years of generous support to the College of Nursing, Rachel has left a gift in her estate to support the Dr. Rachel E. Tierney Nursing Scholarship Fund. This fund will help support students pursuing a doctoral degree in nursing.

"The fact is that UMass Amherst is my educational home," Rachel says. "I always go back to stimulate my brain."

Now retired, Rachel is an active member of the College of Nursing alumni board, the dean's advisory council, and serves on the chancellor's Amherst campus council as a representative from the College of Nursing. In 2012, she was named a "Living Legend in Massachusetts Nursing" by the Massachusetts Association of Registered Nurses.

Rachel resides in South Hadley, Massachusetts, and stays busy with six children and 13 grandchildren. Her ties to UMass Amherst are rooted in family. Both her parents graduated from UMass Amherst as did her aunt, older brother, two sons, a daughter and grandson. Another grandson is a current undergraduate student.

"My giving to UMass Amherst began 10 years after graduation and you can say it was an expectation handed down to me from my parents," she says.

A gift like Rachel's makes a UMass Amherst education a real possibility for students in need. If you have questions about giving to UMass Amherst, please contact Joseph K. Jayne ’21MPP at 413-577-1418 or giftplanning@uma-foundation.org.