A $300,000 gift from Hanna Burruss ’79, ’96 will benefit several programs and initiatives at the University of Lynchburg. Burruss, longtime nurse, artist, and well-known philanthropist, earned bachelor’s degrees in health sciences and art from what was then Lynchburg College.
A Lynchburg native, Burruss is the daughter of Margaret Burruss, a commercial artist, and Robert Burruss, a state senator who owned a lumber company. She enrolled at Lynchburg College for the first time as a nontraditional student and health sciences major after graduating from Virginia Baptist School of Nursing and previously attending Central Virginia Community College and Emory & Henry.
She spent many years working as a nurse in obstetrics, nursery, and delivery, and also worked at the Free Clinic of Central Virginia. In her late 40s, she returned to Lynchburg College and earned a second bachelor’s degree in art.
Burruss’ gift will benefit Lynchburg’s art department, the Health Sciences Simulation Lab, a new women’s sports endowment, and the women’s lacrosse locker room.
“Hanna’s incredible generosity reflects the true depth of her passion for our students and the future of our University,” said Shawn Wood, associate vice president of advancement. “Getting to know Hanna throughout this journey has been an absolute pleasure, and her visionary investment will leave a lasting legacy across every corner of our campus.”
A large portion of the gift, $103,000, will support Lynchburg’s art department, specifically its digital fabrication minor, which was launched this fall and is a collaboration with Vector Space, a makerspace located not far from campus.
“What we thought might take several years to build is now happening all at once,” said Chelsea Tinklenberg, associate professor of art. “We’ve already been able to outfit a really wonderful 3D printing lab with 10 printers, and we’re planning CNC and CO2 laser capabilities, while also expanding and supporting our existing welding infrastructure.
“We’ll continue our partnership with Vector Space, particularly through the community-based component of the program, but this gift gives us the ability to bring a substantial amount of this technology directly to our students and campus.”
Tinklenberg further described Burruss’ gift as “incredibly generous” and “transformational for the art department,” adding, “More than anything, we are incredibly grateful for this support. There are things we’re going to be able to do now that simply would not have been possible without this gift, and we’re so excited to see what our students do with these opportunities.”
Burruss’ gift also benefits women’s sports at Lynchburg, providing $73,000 for the new women’s lacrosse locker room and $25,000 to establish an endowment for women’s sports, the Hanna B. Burruss Women’s Athletics Fund.
Asked about what motivated her to give to Lynchburg’s women’s athletics programs, Burruss described herself as a lifelong “member of women’s lib,” saying she remembers a time when a woman wasn’t even allowed to get a credit card.
“We cannot thank Hanna enough for her incredibly generous gift to our team and her investment in the future of Lynchburg women’s athletics,” McKenzie Rafferty, head women’s lacrosse coach, said.
“We are deeply grateful for her belief in our student-athletes, her support, and the lasting impact her generosity will have on their experience. This investment in our program will provide a year-round space for our team to grow, connect, and create meaningful memories throughout their time at Lynchburg.”
Jon Waters, athletics director, agreed. “We are so grateful to be able to establish the Hanna B. Burruss Women’s Athletics Fund to support our incredible women’s programs,” he said. “This fund will have a direct impact on student experiences while they are here that will inspire them for a lifetime.”
Lynchburg’s health sciences programs received $99,000, which will support updates to the Health Sciences Simulation Lab, including new adult and infant high-fidelity patient simulators.
“Simulation provides our students with a safe environment to take what they are learning in the classroom and apply it to realistic patient care scenarios,” said Dr. Melissa Shaffron, associate dean of Lynchburg’s School of Medicine and Health Sciences and director of the PA Medicine program.
“This generous gift will allow us to update technology that has served our students for more than a decade and continue providing meaningful, hands-on experiences that prepare them for clinical practice.”
According to Shaffron, much of the simulation equipment currently used in the lab has been in place since the program began in 2015.
“Our students are in the lab every week, participating in case-based patient scenarios that allow them to apply what they are learning in the classroom while developing the critical-thinking and clinical decision-making skills required to care for patients,” she said, adding that Burruss’ gift provides an “exciting opportunity to update technology for student learning.”
The gift also will help expand the simulation lab’s impact.
“We’re also excited about what this gift means for the continued growth of the Health Sciences Simulation Lab,” Shaffron said. “As we expand our simulation capabilities, we hope to create additional opportunities for PA medicine, nursing, [the Doctor of Physical Therapy], and other health professions students to learn alongside one another.
“These interprofessional experiences are an important part of preparing students for clinical practice, where collaboration across healthcare disciplines is essential to providing high-quality patient care.”
For more information on how to make a gift to the University, please contact Shawn Wood at [email protected] or 434.544.8450.
