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Insights Magazine 2025

A Legacy of Compassion & Giving Back

A Legacy of Compassion & Giving Back

How Susie (Langton) Balukoff is carrying forward a family tradition of service to strengthen the future of nursing education and research

Endowed Chair

 


For Susie (Langton) Balukoff, giving back to the University of Utah College of Nursing (CON) is both deeply personal and rooted in her family’s legacy. As a 1973 graduate of the college, Susie has carried forward the values of service and philanthropy instilled by her parents, Aline W. and Lennie Samuel “Sam” Skaggs Jr, through the ALSAM Foundation.

Alongside her brothers and sister, Susie’s most recent gift established the L. S. Skaggs Presidential Endowed Chair in Acute and Critical Care Nursing. This prestigious appointment will support a faculty leader to advance research, improve outcomes for critically ill patients, and mentor the next generation of nurse leaders.

In this Q&A, Susie reflects on her time at the CON, the lessons she learned from her family, and the inspiration behind this transformative investment in nursing’s future.

Q: SUSIE, WHAT FIRST DREW YOU TO NURSING?

A: I enrolled in the University of Utah College of Nursing in the fall of 1969. I graduated in 1973 with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree. My family always loved and supported the University of Utah, so it was the only nursing program I considered. When I started nursing school, there were only two tracks available for a Master of Science in Nursing degree: obstetrics and psychiatric nursing. I initially leaned towards obstetrics because I was told I could essentially be the “doctor” in the delivery room. But once I started my clinical rotations, I quickly discovered that it wasn’t the right fit for me. I found my passion in critical care, specifically in the intensive care unit (ICU).

Q: WHAT WAS IT ABOUT CRITICAL CARE THAT RESONATED WITH YOU?

A: The intensity, pace, and need for precise, skilled action in life- threatening situations. Nurses who work in the ICU don’t always have the luxury of long conversations or gentle bedside care, but your love for the patient comes through in other ways: your fast thinking, your technical knowledge, and your calm in the storm. I felt truly alive in that environment.

Q: HOW DID YOUR TIME AT THE UNIVERSITY OF UTAH SHAPE YOUR PATH?

A: The U provided a strong foundation both clinically and personally. In school, I had the privilege of serving as student president for two years. That experience taught me how to listen, how to lead, and how to solve problems collaboratively. The faculty were incredibly supportive and instilled in me a deep respect for inclusion and understanding. Those lessons stayed with me throughout my career.

Q: YOUR FAMILY HAS A REMARKABLE LEGACY OF GIVING. HOW DID THAT INFLUENCE YOUR DECISION TO ESTABLISH AN ENDOWED CHAIR?

A: My father believed deeply in giving back. He was a strong believer in helping people in need and giving back to the community. We, as his children, learned these values from him. For more than 50 years, he and my mother Aline, through their ALSAM Foundation, gave hundreds of millions of dollars to education through scholarships, school construction, and donations to research institutes and universities. Six major universities named their pharmacy school or pharmacy building in the family’s honor, including the University of Utah’s L. S. Skaggs, Sr. Pharmacy Hall, built in the 1960s. The L.S. Skaggs Pharmacy Research Institute at the U, which adjoins Skaggs Hall, was dedicated just three weeks after my dad’s death.

I carry those values with me. The University of Utah gave me so much—not just a degree, but a purpose and a lifelong passion. Establishing a presidential endowed chair is our way of ensuring that future generations of nurses will have the resources they need to thrive. It feels good to give to important causes that benefit so many people while honoring my father’s legacy and health care priority.

Q: WHAT DO YOU HOPE THIS ENDOWED CHAIR WILL ACCOMPLISH?

A: We hope it will support a faculty leader who is deeply committed to advancing critical care education and research. We need strong nurse educators and innovators, people who can inspire students, drive policy, and contribute to meaningful change in health care. If this chair can help attract and retain someone who fits that description, I’ll feel like we have made a meaningful impact.

Q: ANY ADVICE YOU’D GIVE TO TODAY’S NURSING STUDENTS?

A: Stay curious. Stay compassionate. Nursing is one of the most demanding and rewarding careers you can choose. And remember, even in the most technical, high- pressure environments, your heart is your greatest asset.

Q: WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO YOU, PERSONALLY, TO BE GIVING BACK IN THIS WAY?

A: My brothers and sister and I believe this donation honors our father’s legacy and his values. This isn’t just about me or my career. It’s about honoring the values we were raised with, the mentors who guided us, and this profession that gave me so much. Supporting the College of Nursing is both a tribute and a promise. It’s a tribute to those who came before and a promise to those who will carry the torch forward.

Honoring A Legacy, Inspiring the Future

Establishing the L. S. Skaggs Presidential Endowed Chair in Acute and Critical Care Nursing reflects the values Susie (Langton) Balukoff and her siblings inherited from their parents and the deep connection she maintains to her alma mater. What began with her student years at the University of Utah has come full circle in a gift that honors her family’s legacy while strengthening the future of nursing education and research. Through this endowed chair, the CON will be able to support visionary faculty leaders, advance critical care practice, and inspire generations of students to carry the profession forward with skill and compassion.

Learn More

The newly established Presidential endowed Chair will focus on making scientific discoveries, securing funding, applying evidence to practice, and contributing to the nursing community through high- impact research and collaboration. To learn more, click here.