Dear Colleagues,

I share with you sad news from the College of Nursing. Professor Emerit Carol Mattson Porth passed away on July 6. She was born in Eau Claire, WI where she graduated as an RN from Luther Hospital. She went on to earn her BSN, two masters degrees, and a PhD in Physiology from the Medical College of Wisconsin.

Dr. Porth was a Professor of Nursing at UWM for more than 30 years and a contributing Professor Emerit after her retirement in 1997. Recognizing the need for better textbooks, Dr. Porth authored two successful textbooks on pathophysiology that are still in use in nursing schools across the country.

As a long time faculty member, Dr. Porth was highly esteemed by her colleagues and a outstanding mentor to her graduate students. Erika Sander (Associate Professor Emerit, Kinesiology) recalled, “Carol was a stalwart faculty member in nursing who provided strength to their PhD program.” Further noting that the success of her graduate students, several of whom went on to leadership positions in academia or health care, was “a tribute to Carol’s career lifespan and the impact she had upon students.”

We share our condolences with Professor Porth’s family and the many others whose lives she touched. For additional information, please see Dr. Porth’s obituary. The family will greet friends on Sunday, July 17 from 12-1 p.m. at Feerick Funeral Home, 2025 E. Capitol Drive, Shorewood. A service honoring Carol’s life will take place at 1 p.m., followed by a reception.

Take care,

Scott Gronert
Interim Provost and Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs