Mrs. Dianna and Dr. Peter Abbrecht granted Shepherd University a 25-acre lot outside of Moorefield to use for the nursing program. (Submitted photo)

The Shepherd University Foundation announced the major gift of a 25-acre lot, donated by Dr. and Mrs. Peter Abbrecht. Located just outside Moorefield, in a gated community developed by Hunter LLC, the lot has been designated for unrestricted use by the nursing department.

In addition to practicing internal and pulmonary medicine at University of Michigan Hospital, Dr. Abbrecht’s extensive career includes work with the Uniformed Services, Department of Defense and as a professor of internal medicine and physiology at the University of Michigan, where he served as the chair of their bio-engineering program. In his retirement, Dr. Abbrecht acts as an investigative consultant with the Office of Research and Integrity, funded by National Institute of Health with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Investigating allegations of research misconduct with a focus on clinical trial cases, Dr. Abbrecht is considered a leading expert in investigating research fraud.

Charmed by the community of Shepherdstown, Dr. Abbrecht and his wife, Dianna, chose to make their gift to Shepherd University out of a desire to remain involved in an academic environment.

Having worked with collegiate nursing programs for 40 years, Dr. Abbrecht knew he wanted to designate their gift to Shepherd’s nursing department.

The Abbrechts recently visited Shepherd’s campus, where they received a personal tour of the state-of-the-art nursing facility, Erma Ora Byrd Hall, by Dr. Sharon Mailey, chair of Shepherd’s Department of Nursing. Dr. Abbrecht and Dr. Mailey were previously acquainted, having served together on a congressionally mandated task force to establish the nursing program at Uniformed Services University in Baltimore, Md.

To learn more about making a gift through the Shepherd University Foundation, contact Monica Lingenfelter, Shepherd University Foundation, P.O. Box 5000, Shepherdstown, WV, 25443-5000, 304-876-5397, mlingenf@shepherd.edu or visit www.shepherd.edu/fndtnweb.