Marilyn Haynes-Brokopp and Charles Brokopp
Marilyn Haynes-Brokopp and Charles Brokopp have sustained a commitment to nursing and public health in Idaho and the region over the course of their highly successful academic and professional careers. They recognized the important contribution that Boise State University makes to the enhancement of nursing and public health in Idaho.
Marilyn Haynes-Brokopp is an Idaho native who grew up near Twin Falls, Idaho on her family’s cattle ranch. While working at St. Luke’s hospital she was encouraged by nursing leadership to continue her education through Boise State’s School of Nursing. She received her associate and bachelor’s degrees from Boise State and her master’s degree in nursing and nursing administration from Idaho State University through a joint nursing program conducted at Boise State. She held several nursing leadership positions in Idaho, Oregon, Utah, and Wisconsin, and at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta. Marilyn was a founding member of the Idaho AIDS Foundation and the BSU Chapter of Sigma Theta Tau, a national nursing honor society. Marilyn is a past president of the Idaho Nurses Association and a past president of the Utah Public Health Association. She retired in 2015 from the University of Wisconsin School of Nursing.
Charles Brokopp received his Bachelor of Science degree in zoology and medical technology from the University of Wisconsin-Platteville, and his master’s and doctoral degrees in public health and laboratory sciences from the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill. He served in public health leadership positions in Idaho, Oregon, Utah and Wisconsin and at the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta. Prior to leaving Idaho in 1993, he was the Idaho State Epidemiologist and held an adjunct position in environmental health at BSU. He retired in 2016 from the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health where he was an Emeritus Professor of Population Health Sciences and director of the Wisconsin State Laboratory of Hygiene.
Their support provided to health science students over the past decade has been profound. The couple commits upwards of $40,000 annually to support students through several private and academic foundations, including the Boise State Foundation. They also provide funding for mentoring programs at two universities, including Boise State’s School of Public and Population Health, that link junior and senior students with first year students to support students’ academic success and retention. Ten students at multiple institutions received scholarships established by Marilyn and Chuck in the past year alone.
The couple’s generosity expanded to include Boise State in 2018 when they established the Marilyn Haynes-Brokopp and Charles Brokopp Doctor of Nursing Practice endowed scholarship. The scholarship supports students enrolled in doctoral level nursing programs that advance nursing leadership, research, and academics. This scholarship enhances students’ understanding of health policy, public health, community health, and the role of advanced nursing practice in Idaho and beyond. The scholarship has already supported five BSU students who will make a significant contribution to nursing in their communities.