MORGANTOWN — The West Virginia University School of Nursing will now offer enhanced international experiences and opportunities for students due to a significant donation from Drs. Susan and Neal Newfield. The Newfields have gifted $50,000 to establish the Murdoch Newfield International Community Fund, an endowment aimed at supporting global education programs within the school.
“By gaining a better understanding of diverse populations and perspectives, nursing students who participate in global education programs can become more well-rounded, compassionate, and culturally competent healthcare providers,” said Dr. Tara Hulsey, WVU School of Nursing Dean. “I am incredibly grateful for the legacy of learning that the Newfields have created for our students.”
Susan Newfield is an associate professor emerita at the WVU School of Nursing, while Neal Newfield serves as an adjunct psychology instructor and associate professor emeritus with the School of Social Work at the Eberly College of Arts and Sciences. For the past 18 years, the Newfields have led WVU students on study abroad trips to Vietnam and Cambodia.
“One of the things we noticed over the years is how much having a month-long experience in another country working with and getting to know people on a personal level really made a difference in our WVU students’ lives,” Susan said. “A lot of them really changed the course of their career paths, and they came back to us years later saying, ‘This was a significant impact on my life.’
The couple met while working on the Navajo Nation reservation. Susan, originally from New Mexico, and Neal, who considers New Mexico his home, were influenced by the state’s cultural diversity and richness. Susan obtained her bachelor’s degree in nursing from the University of New Mexico and initially worked in community health nursing. Neal, raised in Boston, earned his bachelor’s degree in anthropology from the University of Florida and later pursued social work after attending graduate schools at the University of Arizona and Eastern New Mexico University.
The Newfields furthered their education by earning master’s degrees from the University of Texas at Austin and doctoral degrees in marriage and family therapy from Texas Tech University. Over their careers, they have collaborated professionally, including the international study abroad trip at WVU.
In addition to their commitment to WVU, the Newfields have also established an endowment in Vietnam with the Pacific Links Foundation, aiming to support the education of girls and women to prevent trafficking and entry into high-risk careers.
The couple’s gift to WVU was intended to provide students with growth experiences and to underline the value of every individual. “Bill Clinton came to WVU several years ago to speak at graduation,” Neal said. “One of the things he said is ‘We know that intelligence is equally distributed in populations, but opportunity is not.’ The endowment here and the endowment in Vietnam are intended to really give people the opportunity that they might not have.”
Residing in Morgantown, the Newfields maintain practices outside of their work for WVU and are engaged in supporting international students within the community. Their gift was made through the WVU Foundation, the nonprofit organization that manages private donations for the university.
