A lasting win for students– one donor’s vision

Doctor of Philosophy in Nursing (PhD) and Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) students made an impressive showing at the 2026 Western Institute of Nursing (WIN) Conference in San Francisco – one of the nation’s premier forums for advancing nursing research, practice, and education. Sixteen peerreviewed student posters and one faculty poster were accepted, and two more student projects were featured in the Research and Information Exchange.

“Seeing our students share this level of work speaks to the strength of their preparation and the relevance of projects to real-world healthcare challenges.”

Julie Postma, PhD, RN, WSU College of Nursing.

This strong representation reflects the growing impact of applied scholarship in areas such as mental health, pain management, patient care, and women’s health. Behind these achievements is the enduring impact of one donor’s foresight. Participation in opportunities like WIN is made possible in part through the Carl M. Hansen Doctoral Nursing Fund. Established through Mr. Hansen’s estate plans in honor of his niece, nurse Inge Hendron.

Mr. Hansen believed deeply in hard work, selfreliance, and investing in future generations. His legacy is not only funding education – it is empowering Coug Nurses to lead, innovate, and improve health care for years to come.

Like Mr. Hansen, you can create a legacy that continues to make a difference – year after year, student after student. To learn more about how you can support nursing through your estate plans, contact Liz or Megan: nursing.development@wsu.edu or 509-358-7900.

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SMART GIVING FROM YOUR IRA

A Special Opportunity for Those 70½ Years Old and Older

You can give any amount (up to $111,000 per person or $222,000 per married couple for 2026) from your IRA directly to a qualified charity, such as the WSU Foundation, without having to pay income taxes on the distribution. Gifts valued $111,000 or less are eligible for this benefit, and you can feel good knowing that you are making a difference at WSU’s College of Nursing. This popular option is called a qualified charitable distribution, or QCD for short, and there are many reasons to consider this gift.

• Your gift will be put to use today, allowing you to see the difference your donation is making.
• If required to take minimum distributions, you can use your gift to satisfy all or part of your obligation.
• You pay no income taxes on the gift. The transfer generates neither taxable income nor a tax deduction, so you benefit even if not itemizing.
• Since the gift doesn’t count as income, it can reduce your annual income level. This may help lower your Medicare premiums and decrease the amount of Social Security that is subject to tax.

No matter your age, you can designate the WSU Foundation as the beneficiary of all or a percentage of your IRA, and it will pass to us tax-free after your lifetime. It’s simple, just requiring that you contact your IRA administrator for a change-of-beneficiary form or download a form from your administrator’s website.

Next Steps

1. Contact the College of Nursing Development office at 509-358-7900 or nursing.development@wsu.edu to discuss using your IRA to support WSU and our shared mission.
2. Seek the advice of your financial or legal advisor.
3. To include the WSU College of Nursing in your plans, please use our legal name and federal tax ID. Please let us know of your gift.

Legal name: WSU Foundation
Legal address: PO Box 641925, Pullman, WA 99164
Federal tax ID number: 91-1075542