New Scholarship Creates Transformational Opportunities for Students at Wegmans School of Nursing

A new scholarship for undergraduate nursing students in the Wegmans School of Nursing at St. John Fisher University will create transformational opportunities for the next generation of nurses by meeting full annual costs for students over the course of their academic careers.

Made possible by the generosity of alumnus and Board of Trustee member Daniel J. Boyce, Esq. ’79 and his wife, Shelley L. Boyce, the gift will make an immediate impact for incoming students.

“I am deeply grateful to Dan and Shelley for this extraordinary commitment to the University and our nursing students, which reflects their continued belief in our mission of ensuring a Fisher education is affordable and accessible to those who seek it,” said Dr. Gerard J. Rooney, president of the University.

The Boyce Family Nursing Scholarship will offset the direct cost of tuition (and room and board for residential students) for eight first-year undergraduates interested in pursuing a bachelor’s degree in nursing per year for five years. The scholarship will be renewable for four years, allowing 40 recipients to graduate debt-free.

“Talent should never be wasted because of a lack of opportunity, and we are proud to establish a scholarship that will make a Fisher education attainable to dedicated students with a passion for nursing,” said Boyce.

In addition to being inaugural and continued members of the Spire Society, the University’s leadership giving society, this is the third major gift the Boyce family has made to Fisher. In fall 2023, they supported significant renovations to the now named Boyce Family Varsity Weight Room. The space features new flooring, a raised ceiling, and new lighting and windows, as well as Fisher Athletics imagery, creating a large, bright, space for athletes and students to train throughout the year. They also created the Boyce Family Endowed Scholarship in 2020, which provides tuition assistance to undergraduate students with financial need.

A general practice attorney, Boyce founded the Law Office of Daniel J. Boyce, Esq. in 1998, concentrating on maritime law and civil litigation. A 1979 graduate of the University, he also holds juris doctor and master of laws degrees from Temple University School of Law, where he served as an adjunct professor in the Department of Legal Studies at the Fox School of Business. He joined Fisher’s board in 2021.

Shelley Boyce, who earned a nursing degree from the University of Virginia, spent the first part of her career providing care at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. She transitioned into medical sales, and went on to found MedRisk, LLC, a leading provider of managed physical medicine services for the workers’ comp industry in 1994, while earning her MBA from The Wharton School. For more than two decades, she served as CEO of MedRisk, working to revolutionize the way worker’s compensation cases were handled. The company delivered unprecedented levels of clinical oversight, access to a nationwide credentialed network of providers, and personalized service from referral to the end of treatment. In 2017, she became the executive chairman, a role she held until July 2021 when she retired. She continues to serve the company as a member of the Board of Directors.

This gift was inspired by Shelley Boyce’s passion for nursing and entrepreneurship and the family’s shared commitment to strengthening the healthcare workforce.

“This gift ensures that students can pursue their education without the burden of tuition, allowing them to focus fully on their coursework and clinical experiences,” said Dr. Tricia Gatlin, dean of the Wegmans School of Nursing. “Our students graduate ready to serve with excellence and empathy, and the ripple effect of the Boyce’s generosity will be felt in every patient they touch.”