Cal State LA has recently established its first endowed directorship in the Patricia A. Chin School of Nursing.

The Luce and Ernst Nursing Directorship is the only named directorship for a department or school of nursing in the California State University system.

The position is funded by a $1.3 million gift from the late Nina Ernst Luce and her husband, David Luce. This endowment will be used for the advancement of nursing education, which includes enhancing the curriculum and supporting programs for nursing students at the Patricia A. Chin School of Nursing in the Rongxiang Xu College of Health and Human Services.

Nina, who passed away at age 81 on Dec. 14, 2023, was a member of the first graduating nursing class at Cal State LA. She graduated in 1963 with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing and later returned to Cal State LA, receiving a master’s degree in health science and safety in 1970.

Nina was an advocate of the nursing profession and a major supporter of the nursing program at Cal State LA over the years. In recent years, she was particularly impressed with the direction of the nursing program, implementing state-of-the-art facilities and maintaining high pass rates on the board exams. This past spring, she was honored posthumously at the 2024 Alumni Awards Gala for her contributions to the university.

Nina was a marriage and family therapist in private practice for 33 years, helping individuals and couples. In her practice, she supported people with a variety of struggles, including issues around aging, fighting diseases, bereavement, and marital struggles. She had also earned a master’s degree in marriage and family therapy from Pepperdine University.

She was also employed as a nurse at various schools, including the Garvey School District, Simi Valley Unified School District, Los Angeles Unified School District, and Inglewood Unified School District.

Nina and David were married for 52 years at the time of her passing. They have two daughters and three grandchildren. She was a resident of Pacific Palisades.

New director appointed

Eurina Cha has been appointed to serve as the inaugural Luce and Ernst Nursing Director starting this fall semester.

Prior to coming to Cal State LA, Cha was the department chair of the Upper-Division Transfer Program and associate professor in the School of Nursing at Azusa Pacific University. She has 25 years of extensive clinical experience in various specialty areas, such as medical-surgical nursing, step-down care, acute inpatient rehabilitation, long-term care, and consultation.

Her research interests include minority health, underserved immigrant health, global health, and diversity in nursing education. Cha earned her Ph.D. in public health from Walden University in Minnesota.

Cha is a recipient of the 2018 Foundation for Nursing Education Scholarship Award from National League for Nursing and the 2019 Bright Society Award from the Global Cooperative Society International-Hawaii chapter.

She has served as a council member of the National Unification Advisory Council of Korea, which reports directly to the president of Korea. She has also served in various leadership roles and as a life-time member of local, national, and international nursing associations and public health associations.

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California State University, Los Angeles is the premier comprehensive public university in the heart of Los Angeles. Cal State LA is ranked number one in the United States for the upward mobility of its students. Cal State LA is dedicated to engagement, service, and the public good, offering nationally recognized programs in science, the arts, business, criminal justice, engineering, nursing, education, and the humanities. Founded in 1947, the University serves more than 24,000 students and has more than 250,000 distinguished alumni.