News

University Makes Gains in Scholarship Campaign

Michael A. Seeve, chair of the University’s Board of Trustees

The William Paterson University Foundation has raised more than $7.9 million towards its $10 million campaign for scholarships, including several recent notable gifts from faculty, staff, and friends that will establish endowed scholarships.

“We are so grateful for our alumni, friends, faculty, and staff who are determined to make a lasting impact on our students by providing scholarship support to our deserving students,” says Pamela Ferguson, vice president for institutional advancement. “Through their generosity, we were able this year to award an estimated $1.3 million in donor-funded scholarships resulting in more than 535 scholarship awards.”

On November 7, more than 300 donors and scholarship recipients were in attendance at the University’s 20^th Annual Scholarship Dinner. “This dinner symbolizes what William Paterson is all about: providing an outstanding college education to talented and deserving students,” says Ferguson. “Through the gifts and scholarships made by alumni, friends, faculty, and staff, doors of opportunity open and promising futures begin.”

Highlights of recent gifts and commitments include:

• Michael A. Seeve, chair of the University’s Board of Trustees, made a generous commitment of $100,000 to establish the Seeve Family Endowed Scholarship at William Paterson that will support students demonstrating financial hardship. He is also a member of the Foundation Board and served as its chair for six years.
  
  
• President Richard Helldobler and his partner, Robert E. Brown III, have established an endowed scholarship, the Charles R. Middleton Scholarship for Higher Education Leadership. The scholarship, named in honor of Dr. Charles Middleton, the president emeritus of Roosevelt University and a mentor of President Helldobler’s, was announced at his investiture ceremony on October 5. The scholarship will support a graduate student in the master’s in educational leadership program.
  
  

• Sandra DeYoung, acting provost and senior vice president for academic affairs, has established her second endowment at William Paterson, the Sandra DeYoung Endowed Honors Excel Scholarship. In 2012, while serving as dean of the College of Science and Health, she established her first, the Sandra DeYoung Endowed Undergraduate Research Scholarship.
  
  

• A gift from the estate of Jane Voos, professor emerita of biology, will establish an endowed scholarship in biology in her name and will provide program funding for the Department of Biology. Professor Voos, who taught at William Paterson from 1968 to 2004, was instrumental in developing the University’s programs in environmental science and electron microscopy, and served for many years as chair of the biology department.
  
  

• A pending gift from the estate of Lois Wolf, professor emerita of political science, will establish an endowed scholarship with preference given to minority and non-traditional students. Professor Wolf, who was a member of the political science faculty from 1964 to 2004, was a specialist in American politics and was the first woman to chair the University’s Faculty Senate.