By Natallia Crank / The Jambar
The Youngstown State University Centofanti School of Nursing received a donation of $1.25 million from Dr. Chander Kohli, local neurosurgeon and former chair of the YSU board of trustees to honor his late wife, Karen Kohli, on Oct. 15.
As a tribute to Karen Kohli, the east nursing wing on the second floor of Cushwa Hall will be now called the Karen L. Kohli Nursing Wing.
Bill Johnson, president of YSU, said the donation will be used to sustain and grow the program.
“It’s going to benefit nursing students for years to come. It’s going to enable us to expand our nursing program,” Johnson said.
Johnson said the donation will focus on expanding the capacity of the program to welcome more applicants.
“We turn away students every year here, not because they’re not qualified, but because we simply don’t have enough space to teach them all,” Johnson said.
YSU wants to grow the health sciences they have now. Johnson said major changes will happen to nursing, radiologic technology, respiratory therapy, dental hygiene, physical therapy and more will have new upgrades as they start expanding.
“The Karen Kohli nursing wing will be remembered by future students that attend for years and years to come,” Johnson said. “The impact she will have on students will be remembered for a long time.”
Johnson, a personal friend of Chander Kohli, said he was grateful for the donation.
“He’s a great friend, and I’m just so proud that he decided to do this during my presidency,” Johnson said. “There’s a lot of personal gratification that comes with this too.”
Johnson said the couple was well respected and strong supporters of YSU. They were highly regarded in the medical community and both ministered in their healthcare practices to the region.
Johnson said the couple believed strongly in people working together as a team.
“We could accomplish so much more working together than we could by working independently and alone,” Johnson said.
Johnson said their beliefs reflected strongly in the support they have done for YSU and the community, and Karen Kohli was a very dedicated nurse who cared strongly about what she was doing.
“We hope to have more news about efforts to do that expansion in the future. This is just the beginning,” Johnson said.
The completion of the nursing wing and an opening ceremony has yet to be determined.
