UGA School of Nursing to be Named in Honor of Victoria Kay Ivester
Monday, April 20th, 2026
During a private ceremony on April 17, Melvin Douglas “Doug” Ivester surprised his wife by revealing the University of Georgia School of Nursing will be named in her honor as the Victoria Kay Ivester School of Nursing. The naming recognizes gifts from Doug Ivester and the Ivester Foundation that will create a $20.5 million endowment to benefit the school.
Longtime benefactors of the university, the Ivesters have funded scholarships, named buildings and sponsored leadership initiatives across campus. Their support of UGA includes a $5 million gift to help fund and create the M. Douglas and V. Kay Ivester Institute for Business Analytics and Insights in the Terry College of Business.
The newly named Victoria Kay Ivester School of Nursing reflects the Ivesters’ longstanding commitment to the University of Georgia and their broad impact on communities across the state.
“Doug and Kay, it would be impossible for this institution to sufficiently thank you for decades of enduring support and for this most recent gift that will do so much to advance our state,” said President Jere W. Morehead at the ceremony. “You truly represent the very best of the University of Georgia, and we are so fortunate to count you as champions of this great institution.”
Georgia is facing a critical nursing workforce crisis, with a projected 21% shortfall in registered nurses by 2035. This widening gap is driven by a combination of factors, including an aging population, disparities in health care access between rural and urban communities and a severe shortage of nurse educators.
The University System of Georgia Board of Regents authorized the establishment of an independent School of Nursing at UGA in May 2025, and the university plans to welcome its first nursing students as early as fall 2027.
