Dr. Ruth McCorkle spent her life giving. Thus, she has taught us diligently to give.

A pioneer in oncology nursing, Dr. McCorkle joined the faculty at Penn’s School of Nursing in 1986. An international leader in cancer nursing, education, and cancer control research, she did landmark research on the psychosocial ramifications of cancer. She was the first research chair of the Oncology Nursing Society and a charter member of that organization as well as of the International Society of Nurses in Cancer Care and served on the boards of both groups. Dr. McCorkle was a member of the study sections of the National Cancer Institute and the National Institute of Nursing Research. As the first non-medical recipient of an NCI Institutional Research Training Grant, she opened the door for other non-medical fields to become competitive in securing vital research funding.