College of Eastern Idaho receives $1,730,000 gift

Idaho Falls philanthropist Bill (and Shirley) Maeck has donated $1,730,000 to the College of Eastern Idaho. Maeck was a Foundation Board member and scholarship donor when the school was Eastern Idaho Technical College. His late wife, Shirley, was a surgical nurse.

The donation will help pay for several projects on the CEI campus. They include a 4-bed nursing simulation laboratory, renovations and equipment purchases for science labs, the installation of a regional testing center, and purchase of both a surgical manikin and virtual cadaver table.

The nursing laboratory will enable CEI to increase nursing school capacity and accelerate graduation timelines. The facility will help meet a regional demand for qualified nurses and serve as an important training site for regional and rural hospitals.

The science laboratory will include an update of existing facilities and equipment for chemistry, biology, physics, and geology laboratories. It was affect almost every general education student attending the college.

The testing center will add more than 6,000 two-hour testing intervals monthly. Ultimately, that will permit both students and community members to complete certifications instead of forcing costly commutes to Pocatello or Salt Lake City.

CEI President, Dr. Rick Aman, stated: “This incredibly generous gift will fund four critical projects allowing the newly created CEI to provide state-of-the-art equipment and facilities for our students and community.”

Each of the projects should be complete by fall of 2018.