Dr. William J. Semancik and Margaret M. Laco Semancik Nursing Fund

The Dr. William J. Semancik and Margaret M. Laco Semancik Endowment for Nursing was established in 2018 by University of Akron alumni Dr. William J. and Margaret M. Semancik.

William Semancik (from Bridgeport, Ohio), and Margaret Laco (from Lakewood, Ohio), met during freshman orientation at The University of Akron in the summer of 1972. William and Margaret were married on September 11, 1976 and moved to the Baltimore/Washington area in the spring of 1977. In appreciation of the educational foundation provided at the University for their respective engineering and nursing careers, they have established this endowment.

William graduated from The University of Akron in 1977 with a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering. In 1981, he received his Master of Science in Electrical Engineering from Johns Hopkins University. In 1992, William earned his Doctorate in Electrical Engineering from The Catholic University of America.

Margaret graduated in 1976 from The University of Akron with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing and received a Master of Administrative Science degree from Johns Hopkins University in 1986.

Margaret’s nursing career spanned 39 years – working in a variety of disciplines from staff nursing to nursing management, and more than 20 years in clinical information systems – implementing and supporting early electronic medical record systems. Margaret retired in 2015 from LifeBridge Health in Baltimore, MD, where she served as the Director of Clinical Information Systems for 17 years. During her career, Margaret mentored many nurses as they pursued advanced degrees in Nursing Informatics. She was privileged and honored to be a member of the adjunct faculty at both the University of Maryland School of Nursing and Johns Hopkins University School of Nursing.

Margaret and William share a passion for hiking the national parks – spending most vacations experiencing the natural wonders of our nation’s parks. Since retirement, Margaret has been an active volunteer in the local hospice organization – spending time with hospice patients and their families as they take their final journey.

The Dr. William J. Semancik and Margaret M. Laco Semancik Endowment for Nursing is designated to provide funding for the School of Nursing, as well as support for nursing scholarships.

Annual distributions from The Dr. William J. Semancik and Margaret M. Laco Semancik Endowment for Nursing are to be allocated as follows:

Fifty percent (50%) to The Dr. William J. Semancik and Margaret M. Laco Semancik Nursing Scholarship, providing support for tuition and fees for School of Nursing students in their junior or senior year. Selection will be made by the University Scholarship Committee.

Fifty percent (50%) to The Dr. William J. Semancik and Margaret M. Laco Semancik School of Nursing Fund, which will be distributed at the discretion of the School of Nursing’s director, or the director’s designee, for University business-related expenses aligned with the mission and priorities of the School of Nursing, the College of Health Professions and The University of Akron. Resources may be used for, but are not limited to, scholarships, assistantships, research, equipment purchases, faculty and staff professional development and student travel to conferences.