2008–2009: Gwin Richter

Professor Richter served as Professor of Nursing at Chico State for 35 years, from 1971-2006. Since retiring, she has held the title of Faculty Emerita. In 1991, Professor Richter founded and has served as director of Better Babies Inc., a prenatal center which is part of the California Comprehensive Perinatal Services Program (CPSP). She has been a Certified Childbirth Educator through Lamaze International since 1965, and is also a Certified Lactation Educator through the University of California, San Diego. Professor Richter also worked as a per diem staff nurse in Obstetrics at Enloe Hospital from 1971-1992

While at Chico State, this well-loved professor taught courses in Maternal-Child Nursing, both Theory and Practicum, Family Nursing, Nursing Role and Foundations of Nursing. She currently teaches the School of Nursing's online course, Current Concepts Baccalaureate Nursing, a three-unit course on Maternity Nursing, Child Nursing, and Mental Health Nursing. She designed and wrote the Maternity portion and now teaches the entire course for Registered Nurses who are returning to CSU, Chico for the BS degree. She also teaches a Special Problems course Protecting Normal Birth for students interested in supporting women in labor and becoming OB nurses or nurse midwives.

Better Babies is a Service Learning Center in which students learn nursing and teach clients while performing a community service to low-income pregnant and postpartum women and their babies. Better Babies provides the support services portion of prenatal care funded by Medi-Cal for the patients of obstetricians and certified nurse midwives in Chico and surrounding communities. Under Professor Richter's direction, over 1,000 nursing students have worked with over 5,000 women in during the past 18 years. In serving local clients, Professor Richter regularly collaborates with Opt for Fit Kids, WIC, TAPP, Catalyst, Rape Crisis Center, Touchstone the Butte County Public Health Department and other community agencies. To learn more about Better Babies, click here.

Professor Richter has been an inspiration to thousands of students as well as to her many colleagues. Professor Richter mentors many students interested in going to graduate school to become Nursing Faculty, or to practice Obstetric and Neonatal nursing, midwifery, and medicine. Many of her students are now OB nurses, and certified nurse midwives both locally and elsewhere. Several students have gone to medical school. Dr. Sherry Fox, Director of the School of Nursing, said this about Professor Richter: "I can't think of anyone more deserving of this recognition than Professor Richter. She founded Better Babies while still a faculty member and continues to manage it full-time in her retirement. The organization provides an outstanding service for women and, additionally, provides service learning opportunities for 100 or more students per year. Professor Richter's dedication and commitment to the health of local mothers and babies is life-changing for her clients and inspirational to all who know her." Donations to a fund in her honor to benefit the Childbirth Education Media and Models Training Program may be sent to the School of Nursing, care of Dr. Sherry Fox, CSU, Chico, Chico, CA 95929-0200. Checks may be made out to "CSU, Chico, University Foundation."