Iona University Partners with Unitex to Launch New Scholarship in Nursing Leadership
Scholarship helps to support the next generation of healthcare leaders
New Rochelle & Bronxville, N.Y. – Iona University is proud to partner with Unitex, a family-owned and operated medical uniform and linen services business, to establish the Unitex Scholarship for Nursing Leadership. The scholarship, funded by Unitex Chairman Michael Potack, is designed to provide financial assistance to students pursuing a Master of Science degree in Nursing Healthcare Organizational Leadership at Iona University.
This collaboration reflects Unitex’s long-standing commitment to healthcare and confidence in Iona's esteemed nursing program. By providing scholarship support, the initiative aims to empower nurses to hone their leadership skills and prepare for pivotal roles in healthcare organizations.
“After meeting with several key staff members and touring the new Kelly Center for Health Sciences, I am proud to focus my attention and philanthropy on Iona University’s Master's in Nursing Healthcare Organizational Leadership program,” said Potack.
“My goal is to help the next generation of leaders in navigating and addressing the challenges they face in today’s rapidly evolving healthcare landscape,” he added. “As the pace of change accelerates and new developments continue to reshape the field, it becomes increasingly important that we have skilled nurses and healthcare administrators to effectively manage this transformation.”
As a fourth-generation family business, Unitex has provided high-quality medical uniform and linen services to the healthcare industry for over 100 years. Headquartered in Elmsford, N.Y., Unitex operates 13 state-of-the-art processing facilities in the northeast, employing over 2,000 team members and serving over 7,500 healthcare customers.
“The Unitex Scholarship plays a crucial role in addressing the financial barriers potential students often face and enhances the diversity and quality of future healthcare leaders,” said Dr. Shery Watson, director of nursing and associate dean of the NewYork-Presbyterian Iona School of Health Sciences. “This scholarship is essential for equipping nursing leadership students with the resources needed to succeed, creating a robust, well-prepared future workforce to tackle complex healthcare challenges. We are honored to partner with Michael Potack and the Unitex family on this exciting initiative.”
To learn more about the scholarship opportunity or to speak with a Graduate Admissions counselor, contact Daniel Gallagher at dgallagher@iona.edu.
ABOUT IONA
Founded in 1940, Iona University is a master's-granting private, Catholic, coeducational institution of learning in the tradition of the Edmund Rice Christian Brothers. Iona's 45-acre New Rochelle campus and 28-acre Bronxville campus are just 20 miles north of Midtown Manhattan. With a total enrollment of nearly 4,000 students and an alumni base of more than 50,000 around the world, Iona is a diverse community of learners and scholars dedicated to academic excellence and the values of justice, peace and service. Iona is highly accredited, offering undergraduate degrees in liberal arts, science and business administration, as well as Master of Arts, Master of Science and Master of Business Administration degrees and numerous advanced certificate programs. Iona students enjoy small class sizes, engaged professors and a wide array of academic programs across the School of Arts & Science; LaPenta School of Business; NewYork-Presbyterian Iona School of Health Sciences; and Hynes Institute for Entrepreneurship & Innovation. Iona also continues to be recognized in prestigious national rankings. Most recently for 2025, Iona has been named one of the nation’s best colleges by The Princeton Review, The Wall Street Journal, Forbes and others. Additionally, U.S. News & World Report recognized Iona as one of top for social mobility in the country, while Georgetown University's Center on Education and the Workforce (CEW) ranked an Iona degree in the top 5 percent nationally for long-term return on investment. Iona’s LaPenta School of Business, meanwhile, is also accredited by AACSB International, a recognition awarded to just 6 percent of business schools worldwide. In addition, The Princeton Review recognized Iona’s on-campus MBA program as a “Best Business School for 2024.” Iona also offers a fully online MBA program for even greater flexibility. In July 2021, Iona announced the establishment of the NewYork-Presbyterian Iona School of Health Sciences, which is now principally located on Iona’s Bronxville campus in collaboration with one of the nation’s top hospitals. Connecting to its Irish heritage, Iona also opened a new campus in County Mayo, Ireland, located on the historic 400-acre Westport House Estate. A school on the rise, Iona officially changed its status from College to University on July 1, 2022, reflecting the growth of its academic programs and the prestige of an Iona education.