A nearly $4 million gift will enable Duquesne University to open a second nursing simulation lab on its campus, which also enrolled its inaugural class in osteopathic medicine this fall.
The Joanne Barkett Conway Simulation Center is scheduled to open in 2026 on the sixth floor of Fisher Hall, university officials said. It will be housed in the Duquesne School of Nursing.
The gift is from William E. Conway Jr. and his late wife Joanne, who died in January, and it is their latest contribution to education and other philanthropic causes as benefactors of the Bedford Falls Foundation.
In all, they have donated $7.2 million to Duquesne since 2022, according to the university.
Conway, a billionaire financier and philanthropist, and his wife, Joanne, created the foundation in 2012 that is named for the mythical town in the Jimmy Stewart classic film “It’s a Wonderful Life.” The foundation has pursued a focus in nursing education. Conway is a co-founder of The Carlyle Group, a global investment firm.
Their couple’s largesse extends to a number of institutions, including Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C., and a record $20 million gift toward its nursing school in 2019.
“We are incredibly grateful for the unwavering support of Bill Conway and his late wife Joanne,” Duquesne President Ken Gormley said in announcing the donation Friday. “Their contributions have not only enhanced the education of our students but also continue to help shape the future of health care by empowering compassionate, skilled nurses.”
The existing simulator, in Libermann Hall, provides realistic clinical experiences and helps develop decision-making skills with an array of technology, Duquesne officials said.
According to the university, the Conways earlier provided:
- A $2.5 million gift to provide partial scholarships for students enrolling in the university’s 12-month and 16-month second-degree Bachelor of Science in Nursing programs
- A $187,000 grant to fund the nursing school’s residency program to address the national nursing faculty shortage
- A $100,000 gift to replace simulation equipment in the nursing school’s existing Simulation Lab
- A $625,000 gift to add a second academic support coach to the staff to tutor nursing students
“Funding at Duquesne was really Joanne’s idea, and she was very proud of the nurses we helped to create there,” said Conway in a news release. “Honoring her memory by helping Duquesne deliver an even better nursing simulation experience felt like an appropriate way to honor her memory.”
In July, Duquesne welcomed the inaugural fall class in its College of Osteopathic Medicine. Leaders including Gormley said the endeavor would benefit from synergies with existing health science programs, including those in nursing. About 85 students were among the class, spokesman Ken Walters said.
Indiana University of Pennsylvania also intends to open its own osteopathic medical school as early as fall 2027.
Duquesne’s School of Nursing, founded in 1937, enrolls 1,200 undergraduate and graduate students.
Nursing Dean Mary Ellen Glasgow said the gift puts Duquesne in good company among institutions benefiting from the couple’s generosity.
“Mr. Conway has supported some of the best nursing schools in the country, many of which are top research schools, and to be among them is quite an honor,” she said.
Bill Schackner is a TribLive reporter covering higher education. Raised in New England, he joined the Trib in 2022 after 29 years at the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, where he was part of a Pulitzer Prize-winning team. Previously, he has written for newspapers in Connecticut, New York, Pennsylvania and Rhode Island. He can be reached at bschackner@triblive.com.