Russell Berrie Nursing Scholarship
The Russell Berrie Nursing Scholarship was announced at the 2011 Russ Berrie Awards for Making a Difference celebration. The gift to create the scholarship was made in honor of Elaine and Mike Adler, to complement their major gift to Ramapo College to create the Adler Center for Nursing Excellence.
Russell Berrie was an entrepreneur and philanthropist who founded the company which made RUSS plush toys and gifts. In addition to being a successful businessman, Mr. Berrie devoted himself to numerous charitable causes. The Angelica and Russ Berrie Center for Performing and Visual Arts on the Ramapo College campus is named for Mr. Berrie and his wife, Angelica. He founded the Russ Berrie Foundation in 1985 to further support his ?values, passions and vision.?
One of the focus areas of the Berrie Foundation is humanism in medicine, and the Berrie Scholarships at Ramapo College advance this goal. The award is administered by the Ramapo College nursing faculty, who use a peer evaluation survey to identify students who demonstrate competence in humanistic care. The award is also designed to recognize students who demonstrate clinical competence, participation in community service, and academic excellence.