A.C. Bagtzoglou Civil Engineering Fellowship Endowment

Type

Scholarship / Fellowship

Year Established

2011

Purpose

Offer fellowships for graduate students studying water resources in the Civil Engineering Department. (GF000120)

Description

History

VIDEO

Amvrossios “Ross” Bagtzoglou, an alumnus of the Florida Institute of Technology, has established the A.C. Bagtzoglou Civil Engineering Fellowship Endowment for the Study of Water Resources in the College of Engineering. Bagtzoglou has made a 10-year pledge totaling $125,000.

“Water is power, especially when it is available in temporal and spatial points that are not well distributed. The lack of it creates immense humanitarian crises, too much causes flooding, and too little causes drought. Water studies will continue to be a critical area of study for the well-being of humanity,” said Bagtzoglou.

Friends, alumni, and supporters of the Department of Civil Engineering are challenged to match Bagtzoglou’s gift annually. When fully endowed, the fund will top $250,000, which will be used for an annual graduate fellowship.

Additionally, the university has pledged a tuition remission to match Bagtzoglou’s generous annual gifts, equaling three credit hours per semester.

“This enhances the university’s ability to attract top graduate students,” said Ashok Pandit, professor and head of the Department of Civil Engineering.

“Establishing fellowships and research-related endowments creates instant credibility and prestige for the research being conducted in our department, both among peers and prospective students. We are most grateful for this visionary gift from Dr. Bagtzoglou as it will help our students and faculty for many years to come,” he added.

If you would like to contribute to this fund, please go to Panther Fund and use the "other" designation to identify that you wish to give to this named endowment fund.

Admiral O.D. Waters Graduate Fellowship

Type

Scholarship / Fellowship

Year Established

1998

Purpose

Fellowships for graduate students enrolled in programs in the Department of Ocean Engineering and Marine Sciences, or successor academic unit. (GF000175)

Description

History

Rear Admiral O.D. (“Muddy”) Waters was born in Manassas, Virginia on July 13^th, 1910. He graduated with distinction from the Naval Academy in 1932 and was also a graduate of the Naval Postgraduate School and the Armed Forces Staff College.

Starting as a Gunnery Officer on the USS Augusta, then as Torpedo Officer on the USS Downes, and as Assistant Naval Attache at the American Embassy in London, Admiral O.D. Waters was the first officer in charge of the Navy Mine Disposal School plus he served on the USS Memphis as Assistant of Staff for Fleet Gunnery and War Plans Officer.

Additionally, he served as Senior Technical Officer; Mine Development Officer to the Commander, Operational Development Force; Inspector General; and Assistant Chief of the Bureau of Naval Weapons. He commanded the Pacific Fleet Mine Force and Naval Base, Los Angeles before he was named as “Oceanographer of the US Navy”, which, because of his contributions, lead him to be awarded the Distinguished Service Medal which notes that he “enhanced the scientific and military posture of the Navy”.

Prior to his retirement in 1971, Admiral Waters served in the Office of The Assistant Secretary of the Navy and was an advisor in the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration of the Department of Commerce. Upon retiring, he joined the faculty of the Florida Institute of Technology where he established and was Head of the Department of Oceanography.

Admiral Waters died in May of 1986 leaving us the legacy of interdisciplinary science, engineering, and management education.

If you would like to contribute to this fund, please go to Panther Fund and use the "other" designation to identify that you wish to give to this named endowment fund.

Agatiello Family Endowment

Type

Scholarship / Fellowship

Year Established

2020

Purpose

Support annual scholarships for undergraduate students who need financial assistance. (GF000444)

Description

Support annual scholarships for undergraduate students who need financial assistance and with a preference for students working towards a degree in Computer Science or Engineering who are also involved in Florida Tech's Music Program.

History

In preparation for a long and distinguished career in Medicine, Dr. Paul Agatiello attended Brown University where he earned both a Bachelor’s degree with Honors in Biology and a Doctor of Medicine.  In 1993, he was presented with a Fellowship of the American College of Physicians (F.A.C.P.), one of the highest honors given to a distinguished physician dedicated to Internal Medicine, as recognized by his peers.

Throughout his career in the State of Rhode Island, Dr. Agatiello expanded his horizons, earning many additional licenses, certificates and accolades. He has touched the lives of literally thousands of patients throughout his 40+ year career, while renowned by his patients and fellow physicians as a Board-Certified doctor in Internal Medicine since 1981.

In sum, Dr. Agatiello has led a life with much fulfillment and many memories, leaving a legacy of commitments to his fellow mankind.

Anthony Agatiello, the son of Dr. Paul Agatiello, has followed his father’s footsteps with respect to his commitment to excellence with two great passions of his own, i.e., technology and music.

Anthony came to Florida Tech from Rhode Island in 2017 where he majored in computer science and minored in musical theory and performance. While attending FIT, he played lead trumpet with the Florida Tech Jazz Ensemble, cementing his reputation with a unique ability to play very high notes on the trumpet.

Upon graduating, Anthony has performed with many musical groups including the Space Coast Big-Band, Jazz Cats, Swingtime Jazz Orchestra, Chief Cherry, and others where he continues to expand his musical endeavors.

This scholarship is established to celebrate the transformative experience of Anthony's years at the University (2017-2021) and to make a lasting impression for years to come.

If you would like to contribute to this fund, please go to Panther Fund and use the "other" designation to identify that you wish to give to this named endowment fund.

Alan Edwin Paltzik Fellowship Endowment

Type

Scholarship / Fellowship

Year Established

2008

Purpose

Fellowship awards to graduate students enrolled or enrolling in the Department of Chemistry. (GF000126)

Description

History

The Endowment was established in memory of Alan E. Paltzik who died at age 37 in 1974.

If you would like to contribute to this fund, please go to Panther Fund and use the "other" designation to identify that you wish to give to this named endowment fund.

Alfred A. & Beverly H. Nuttall Scholarship Fund

Type

Scholarship / Fellowship

Year Established

2017

Purpose

Income from this fund will support one or more undergraduate chemical engineering students from Florida who have financial needs with a preference for Brevard County residents. The recipient must be a resident of the State of Florida. (GF000193)

Description

Income from this fund will support one or more annual scholarships for undergraduate chemical engineering students from the State of Florida who have financial needs with a preference for students who are Brevard County residents. The recipient must be a resident of the State of Florida.

History

Al Nuttall earned his B.S.E. (1967) and M.S.E. (1970), in Chemical Engineering from the University of Michigan. He served in the U.S. Army at its Chemical Center, Edgewood Arsenal, MD, and then launched his career as a development engineer for Eli Lilly & Co. in Indianapolis. In his next role, he managed manufacturing, engineering, quality control, and support groups for three plant sites of PCR, Inc., producing silanes, organofluorine compounds, and other fine organics and pharmaceuticals. In 1984, he moved to Palm Bay to help found FAR Research, Inc., a profitable fine organic chemical manufacturing firm. From 1992-2015, he served in several roles culminating as the President/CEO of FAR and orchestrated an acquisition, bridged the ownership change, and, ultimately, oversaw the divestiture of the firm. Since retiring, Al has become involved in Florida Tech.  He and his wife have provided for an endowed scholarship fund, he has been a speaker on campus, and has coached students in interviewing to better prepare them for launching their careers.

If you would like to contribute to this fund, please go to Panther Fund and use the "other" designation to identify that you wish to give to this named endowment fund.

Allen S. Henry Chair

Type

Faculty Chair

Year Established

2000

Purpose

Provide funds for a Faculty Chair in the College of Engineering. (GF000171)

Description

History

Allen S. Henry was born on June 18^th of 1940, in Oskaloosa, Iowa. He graduated with a bachelor’s degree from the University of Iowa in 1964, completed his master’s degree in Mechanics in 1968, and in 1971, received a Doctorate in Mechanical Engineering from the same university. Right after, Allen’s professional life started at Collins Radio, a company that worked closely with NASA on the Apollo program. In 1972, he moved to Melbourne Beach, Florida where he began to work at Harris Corporation earning advancement to Engineering Vice President, Vice President/General Manager of the Government Communications Systems Division, and President of the Electronic Systems Sector. Allen worked at Harris Corporation until his retirement in 1996. He came out of retirement and, from 1996-2000, was Chairman, CEO, and President of Broadband Communications Products prior to its acquisition by Uniphase Corporation.

Apart from his extraordinary professional career, Allen Henry was a man with a generous and kind spirit. He did not only serve on the Health First Organization Board of Directors, Broadband Communications Products Board of Directors, and Chairman of Trustees at Florida Institute of Technology, but he also considerably donated to several philanthropic organizations such as Health First Heart Center, Florida Institute of Technology, Women’s Center of Brevard County, The Sharing Center, United Way, Florida Wildfire Sanctuary, Hacienda Girls Ranch, Project Hunger, Candlelighters, Family Promise, Youth Entity, and Colorado Animal Shelter, among others. Similarly, he fully endowed faculty chairs at the University of Iowa College of Engineering and Florida Institute of Technology College of Engineering.

Past Chairs 

2011 - 2020: Dr. Martin Glicksman

2003 - 2008: Dr. Chang Wen Chen  

Allen Henry passed away on March 19^th, 2019 but will be remembered for his generosity and incredible experience.

If you would like to contribute to this fund, please go to Panther Fund and use the "other" designation to identify that you wish to give to this named endowment fund.

Allen S. Henry Endowed Scholarship

Type

Scholarship / Fellowship

Year Established

2013

Purpose

Award tuition scholarships to undergraduate students enrolled or planning to enroll at Florida Tech. (GF000076)

Description

History

Allen S. Henry was born on June 18^th of 1940, in Oskaloosa, Iowa. He graduated with a bachelor’s degree from the University of Iowa in 1964, completed his master’s degree in Mechanics in 1968, and in 1971, received a Doctorate in Mechanical Engineering from the same university. Right after, Allen’s professional life started at Collins Radio, a company that worked closely with NASA on the Apollo program. In 1972, he moved to Melbourne Beach, Florida where he began to work at Harris Corporation earning advancement to Engineering Vice President, Vice President/General Manager of the Government Communications Systems Division, and President of the Electronic Systems Sector. Allen worked at Harris Corporation until his retirement in 1996. He came out of retirement and, from 1996-2000, was Chairman, CEO, and President of Broadband Communications Products prior to its acquisition by Uniphase Corporation.

Apart from his extraordinary professional career, Allen Henry was a man with a generous and kind spirit. He did not only serve on the Health First Organization Board of Directors, Broadband Communications Products Board of Directors, and Chairman of Trustees at Florida Institute of Technology, but he also considerably donated to several philanthropic organizations such as Health First Heart Center, Florida Institute of Technology, Women’s Center of Brevard County, The Sharing Center, United Way, Florida Wildfire Sanctuary, Hacienda Girls Ranch, Project Hunger, Candlelighters, Family Promise, Youth Entity, and Colorado Animal Shelter, among others. Similarly, he fully endowed faculty chairs at the University of Iowa College of Engineering and Florida Institute of Technology College of Engineering.

Allen Henry passed away on March 19^th, 2019 but will be remembered for his generosity and incredible experience. 

If you would like to contribute to this fund, please go to Panther Fund and use the "other" designation to identify that you wish to give to this named endowment fund.

Allen S. Henry Presidential Award Endowment

Type

General Endowment

Year Established

2007

Purpose

Provide students with financial aid in event of unplanned, unintended, and difficult financial problems (e.g., natural disasters, death in the family, government issues). (GF000124)

Description

History

Allen S. Henry was born on June 18^th of 1940, in Oskaloosa, Iowa. He graduated with a bachelor’s degree from the University of Iowa in 1964, completed his master’s degree in Mechanics in 1968, and in 1971, received a Doctorate in Mechanical Engineering from the same university. Right after, Allen’s professional life started at Collins Radio, a company that worked closely with NASA on the Apollo program. In 1972, he moved to Melbourne Beach, Florida where he began to work at Harris Corporation earning advancement to Engineering Vice President, Vice President/General Manager of the Government Communications Systems Division, and President of the Electronic Systems Sector. Allen worked at Harris Corporation until his retirement in 1996. He came out of retirement and, from 1996-2000, was Chairman, CEO, and President of Broadband Communications Products prior to its acquisition by Uniphase Corporation.

Apart from his extraordinary professional career, Allen Henry was a man with a generous and kind spirit. He did not only serve on the Health First Organization Board of Directors, Broadband Communications Products Board of Directors, and Chairman of Trustees at Florida Institute of Technology, but he also considerably donated to several philanthropic organizations such as Health First Heart Center, Florida Institute of Technology, Women’s Center of Brevard County, The Sharing Center, United Way, Florida Wildfire Sanctuary, Hacienda Girls Ranch, Project Hunger, Candlelighters, Family Promise, Youth Entity, and Colorado Animal Shelter, among others. Similarly, he fully endowed faculty chairs at the University of Iowa College of Engineering and Florida Institute of Technology College of Engineering.

Allen Henry passed away on March 19^th, 2019 but will be remembered for his generosity and incredible experience.

If you would like to contribute to this fund, please go to Panther Fund and use the "other" designation to identify that you wish to give to this named endowment fund.

Alumni Association Operations Endowment

Type

Other Fund

Year Established

2010

Purpose

Operating funds for Alumni Association. (GF000119)

Description

History

Your gift to the Florida Tech Alumni Association will support our efforts to connect with alumni around the world, contribute to student scholarships, help grow our alumni endowment, support our affiliation groups, increase Florida Tech's national rankings, and help your alma mater and fellow alumni continue to make important contributions to our world.

If you would like to contribute to this fund, please go to Panther Fund and use the "other" designation to identify that you wish to give to this named endowment fund.

Astronaut Scholarship

Description

History

If you would like to contribute to this fund, please go to Panther Fund and use the "other" designation to identify that you wish to give to this named endowment fund.

Bank Of America/ Nations/ C&S Ntl Bank Scholarship Fund

Type

Scholarship / Fellowship

Year Established

1992

Purpose

Scholarships for students from Brevard County. (GF000021)

Description

This scholarship is administered by the Office of Financial Aid to a student from Brevard County.

Atlanta Headquarters

History

Citizens and Southern National Bank of Florida started funding Florida Tech in 1989 when it pledged $30,000 for a fund to support Brevard County students. In the announcement on June 29, 1989, C&S President, Ed Weed said "We see our investment in FIT as an investment in the community from which everyone benefits. We are proud to support the university in providing educational opportunities to Brevard County."

The Citizens and Southern National Bank had at the time nine branches in Brevard County and 150 banking locations in 15 counties statewide. C&S traces its origins to 1887 when the Citizens Bank of Savannah was formed and to 1906 when it merged with its rival, the Southern Bank of Georgia 1906. A claim to fame, C&S boasted of having a vault that was full proof of fire, acetylene, flame, and high explosives with the safety boxes conveniently placed for the customers to use.  

After various mergers and acquisitions, these banks ultimately came under the Bank of America parent company. 

If you would like to contribute to this fund, please go to Panther Fund and use the "other" designation to identify that you wish to give to this named endowment fund.

Bank Of America/Barnett Bank Scholarship

Barnett National Bank Building in 2011

Type

Scholarship / Fellowship

Year Established

1989

Purpose

Funds for scholarships. (GF000020)

Description

This scholarship is administered by the Office of Financial Aid.

History

If you would like to contribute to this fund, please go to Panther Fund and use the "other" designation to identify that you wish to give to this named endowment fund.

Barbara A. & William G. Roy Fellowship

Description

History

William Glenn Roy, Sr. was a corporate attorney for Dow Chemical. Bill and his wife, Barbara, were world travelers and humanitarians. This fellowship is a direct result of that humanitarianism.

If you would like to contribute to this fund, please go to Panther Fund and use the "other" designation to identify that you wish to give to this named endowment fund.

Barnes & Noble College Bookstores Inc. Scholarship Endowment

Type

Scholarship / Fellowship

Year Established

1998

Purpose

Support scholarships for undergraduate students studying at Florida Tech. (GF000044)

Description

History

In 1998, Barnes and Noble donated $30,000 to create the endowment “Barnes & Noble College Bookstores Inc. Scholarship Endowment”. The gift was matched by the F.W. Olin Foundation totaling an amount of $60,000. The fund has provided scholarships to undergraduate students studying at Florida Tech.

If you would like to contribute to this fund, please go to Panther Fund and use the "other" designation to identify that you wish to give to this named endowment fund.

Bill Jurgens Rowing Center Endowment

1982 Crew, Dad Vail Champions

Type

Athletic Endowment

Year Established

2020

Purpose

As an endowment, this fund will support the rowing program annually and has been set up to allow the fund to be used alternatively to build or assist in building the rowing center that Bill and others dreamed of seeing. (GF000441)

Description

By endowing this fund in honor of Bill Jurgens, we recognize his legacy to the sport and to Athletics at Florida Tech.

Thank you to our generous donors who are helping to grow this fund and who are supporting the rich tradition of rowing at Florida Tech.

 

FIT Crew, Bill Jurgens in the Early Days

History

This fund was created from the support of numerous donors over the past decade, who aimed to support Rowing at Florida Tech and to build a rowing center.

Donate

Bill Morris Advanced Flight Scholarship

Type

General Endowment

Year Established

1992

Purpose

Scholarship in Aeronautics. (GF000030)

Description

History

Bill started to fly airplanes at age 15 and he flew with the same enthusiasm and passion he put into his treehouse. By the time he arrived at Florida Tech, he was ready to learn everything about flight. He was constantly honing his skills and he read every technical treatise on aerospace he could find. Bill was enthusiastic and involved College of Aeronautics student.  He then became an excellent and highly respected flight instructor at Florida Tech from 1984 to 1992. Bill Morris was also the coach of the Falcon Flight Team in 1991 and he developed and taught Florida Tech’s course on turboprop jets. Bill was devoted to the pursuit of excellence in aviation, both as an adjunct faculty member and as a flight instructor. He was proficient in fixed-wing, land, and sea, as well as rotary-wing aircraft, and was respected by his students for his dedication to high standards of safety and proficiency. Bill also attended the British aerospace course on the jet stream 31. He was preparing to enter the USAF Officer Training School, when, on January 30, 1992, he was tragically killed while piloting a mechanically defective helicopter. His fellow instructors and students remember not only his remarkable skills as an aviator but, also, his ability to recall obscure facts from his rich store of aviation knowledge. More importantly, they remember Bill’s genuine joy in sharing his information, his skills, and his love of flying with them as colleagues and friends.

Aside from piloting, Bill was an excellent tennis player and was the number #1 varsity in each of his schools. Bill also logged in more than 4000 hours in the air. He was an excellent card player and sandcastle builder. Bill took the “greatest pleasure” in helping others excel. He was considered the wind beneath the wings of the plane of his students. Throughout his life, excellence was his motto. Bill also had a great sense of humor and marched to the beat of his own drum, he loved doing touch-and-goes and high-spiraling turns. When Bill invited his mother to fly with him one day she said, ‘I’m afraid of flying.’ Bill’s first response was, ‘don’t be silly, that’s like being afraid of the dark, she went on to say I am afraid of the dark. Being the compassionate person that he was he realized that she was truly concerned about flying in the small plane. So he said to his mother, “that’s cool I understand, but if you decide you want to go I’ll take you.  If not, that’s okay too.”  His mother ended up joining him on the airplane that day and she was so glad that she did.  She shares this short story because it was one of the most memorable experiences she’d ever had and also it illustrates Bill’s compassion and mercy for people. He was sensitive to others, an excellent trait for a teacher and flight instructor to have.  Bill’s mother, Margaret Plum accomplished many things, but what she is most proud of are her two children Bill and Julia.

A foundation was created in 1992, by his family, as a perpetual memorial to Bill Morris, honoring his life, his work, his excellence, and his passion for flying. This scholarship fund was intentionally established to offer worthy aviators a chance to realize their goals, follow their dreams, and honor Bill.

If you would like to contribute to this fund, please go to Panther Fund and use the "other" designation to identify that you wish to give to this named endowment fund.

Bjornar and Bjorg Hermansen Scholarship

Type

Scholarship / Fellowship

Year Established

1990

Purpose

Support scholarships for deserving undergraduate students enrolled at Florida Tech. (GF000029)

Description

History

Mr. Hermansen was born on February 12th, 1943 in Tromsø, Norway. He was the son of Ole K. Hermansen and Klara I. Johannessen, he had two sisters; Gerd Mai Jacobsen and Anne-Grethe Hermansen of Tromsoe, and one brother Ole Hermansen Jr. (deceased). Mr. Bjørnar worked relentlessly from a very early age to succeed by excelling in his academic studies and early career.

He moved to America in 1983 with his wife, and his strong entrepreneurial spirit drove him to start several successful companies. He always said that he worked to allow him to care for his family, and friends and to enjoy life; all of which he did with gusto. He was incredibly generous, always willing to help friends in need and those less fortunate in his community and beyond through his steadfast commitment to numerous philanthropic organizations. To those who knew him in life and business, Mr. Bjørnar was a force to be reckoned with, while others who loved him as a patriarch and friend, knew that under the thick skin was a sweet, loving man.

Quickly, he became known as a savvy businessman whose vision helped change the nature of Port Canaveral and the cruise industry, — in addition to that, the Hermansens had interests in banking, real estate, and hotels, among other ventures. He and his wife, Bjorg, were just as well respected for their generosity. Other than business, Mr. Bjornar was incredibly well-read, very cultured in the arts, fine food, and especially, French wine. He helped many in Brevard to come to enjoy those same attributes.

Mr. Hermansen was diagnosed with ocular melanoma, a rare form of cancer of the eye in 2011 he tackled his illness the same way he did everything else, reading, researching, and getting all the facts. The disease ultimately took his life and he died in December 2015. Leaving behind his wife of 50 years Bjørg, his two sons Tom and John, their wives Cortney and Merete, and three grandchildren Erik, Sophia, and Vanessa. This scholarship was established to honor a man a “lot of people looked to” – Tom Hermansen.

If you would like to contribute to this fund, please go to Panther Fund and use the "other" designation to identify that you wish to give to this named endowment fund.

Bjornar K. Hermansen Ocean Engineering Professorship

Type

Professorship / Research Fund

Year Established

2017

Purpose

To support a faculty member in Ocean Engineering. (GF000006)

Description

Funds are awarded annually to the holder of this professorship.

History

Mr. Hermansen was born February 12th, 1943 in Tromsø, Norway. He was the son of Ole K. Hermansen and Klara I. Johannessen, he had two sisters; Gerd Mai Jacobsen and Anne-Grethe Hermansen of Tromsoe, and one brother Ole Hermansen Jr. (deceased). Mr. Bjørnar worked relentlessly from a very early age to succeed by excelling in his academic studies and early career.

He moved to America in 1983 with his wife, and his strong entrepreneurial spirit drove him to start several successful companies. He always said that he worked to allow him to care for his family, friends and to enjoy life; all of which he did with gusto. He was incredibly generous, always willing to help friends in need and those less fortunate in his community and beyond through his steadfast commitment to numerous philanthropic organizations. To those who knew him in life and business, Mr. Bjørnar was a force to be reckoned with, while others who loved him as a patriarch and friend, knew that under the thick skin was a sweet, loving man.

Quickly, he became known as a savvy businessman whose vision helped change the nature of Port Canaveral and the cruise industry, — in addition to that, the Hermansens had interests in banking, real estate and hotels, among other ventures. He and his wife, Bjorg, were just as well respected for their generosity. Other than business, Mr. Bjornar was incredibly well-read, very cultured in the arts, fine food, and especially, French wine. He helped many in Brevard to come to enjoy those same attributes.

Mr. Hermansen was diagnosed with ocular melanoma, a rare form of cancer of the eye in 2011 he tackled his illness the same way he did everything else, reading, researching and getting all the facts. The disease ultimately took his life and he died in December 2015. Leaving behind his wife of 50 years Bjørg, his two sons Tom and John, their wives Cortney and Merete and three grandchildren Erik, Sophia and Vanessa. This scholarship was established to honor a man a “lot of people looked to” – Tom Hermansen.

If you would like to contribute to this fund, please go to Panther Fund and use the "other" designation to identify that you wish to give to this named endowment fund.

Blatt Chemistry Seminar Endowment

Type

Lecture Fund

Year Established

1985

Purpose

To enlighten the public about various chemistry-related topics (GF000133)

Description

The A.H. Blatt Seminar Endowment honors Dr. Blatt's contributions to chemistry and to Florida Tech and was funded by Organic Syntheses, Inc. and University Professor Gordon L. Nelson.

History

Professor A. Harold Blatt was born in Cincinnati, Ohio, and received his Ph.D. from Harvard University in 1926. After holding postdoctoral positions in France and the United States, he accepted a position as associate professor of chemistry at Howard University in 1932. In 1939 he became professor and department head in the chemistry department at Queen's College, City University of New York. He retired from Queen's College in 1971, and later moved to Melbourne, Florida in 1974. Blatt was instrumental in establishing the chemistry department at Florida Institute of Technology.

Blatt was an active research chemist, publishing nearly 50 articles, many on the chemistry of oximes. He edited Collective Volume 2 of Organic Syntheses and served on the board of directors of Organic Syntheses and on the editorial board of Organic Reactions. He also co-authored a widely used classic text: The Chemistry of Organic Compounds (with J.B. Conant).

In the midst of a busy, yet diverse career, Blatt interrupted his academic pursuits to serve as a science liaison officer with the US Forces in Europe. As an explosives expert, he often had to visit recently captured German explosives plants near the front lines in World War II. Blatt was awarded the Presidential Certificate of Merit in 1948 for his war-time service.

Below are the 16 A.H. Blatt Distinguished Lecture speakers from 1985-2016.

1985-1986 - Total Synthesis of Antitumor, Antibiotic, and Antifungal Agents by Prof. Steven D. Burke - University of South Carolina

1986-1987 - Some Excursions into Organic Sulfur Chemistry by Prof. Michael P. Cava - University of Alabama

1987-1988 - Recent Advances in Cycloaddition Chemistry by Prof. Albert Padwa - Emory University

1988-1989 - Enzyme Models and Mimics by Prof. Ronald Breslow - Columbia University

1989-1990 - Application of the Chemistry of Vicinal Tricarbonyl Compounds by Prof. Harry Wasserman - Yale University

1990-1991 - How to Win a Nobel Prize - A Personal Case History by Sir Derek H. Barton - Texas A&M University

1991-1992 - Cantor's Dilemma: A Fictional View of Ethics, Mentors, and Women in Science by Prof. Carl Djerassi - Stanford University

1992-1993 - Substituent Effects in Organic Chemistry by Prof. Kenneth B. Wiberg - Yale University

1993-1994 - Sequence Specific Recognition of Double Helical DNA and RNA by Prof. Peter B. Dervan - Cal Tech

1994-1995 - Concerted Organometallic Reactions by Prof. Charles P. Casey - University of Wisconsin

1996-1997 - Photochemistry Within Self-Assembled Monolayers: A New Method for Imaging by Prof. Marye Anne Fox - University of Texas

1997-1998 - Modern Catalytic Methods for Organic Synthesis with Diazo Compounds by Prof. Michael P. Doyle - University of Arizona

2002-2003 - Lessons from Nature by Prof. Koji Nakanishi - Columbia University

2007-2008 - Recent Work on the Synthesis of Peptides and Peptide Conj. by Prof. Alan R. Katritzky - University of Florida

2012-2013 - Design and Applications of Selective Catalysts for Olefin Metathesis by Prof. Robert H. Grubbs - Cal Tech

2015-2016 - Complex Natural Products as a Driving Force for Discovery in Organic Chemistry by Prof. Brian M. Stolz - Cal Tech

BNP Associates Scholarship

Description

History

Bob & Jan Case Endowment for Student Enrichment

Type

General Endowment

Year Established

2016

Purpose

Provide support for the WISH Scholarship Fund at the Scott Center for Autism Treatment at Florida Institute of Technology. (GF000113)

Description

History

Bob and Jan Case have always had a curiosity and passion for the arts. This can be traced back to when they were children and traveling to museums on school field trips. Due to Bob traveling for work, the family was always on the road. Luckily from this, Bob and Jan constantly would take their children to museums. One of these museums was the Ruth Funk Center for Textile Arts. Jan instantly fell in love with the center. She would soon become a docent at the center and she got to witness and talk to many acclaimed artists, like Yvonne Porcella. Jan established youth education programs with local schools to show kids the world of art and how culture plays a role in art. When Jan became Docent Chair for the textile committee, she and her husband created the endowment to influence students about the enriching world and opportunities that are presented in art.

If you would like to contribute to this fund, please go to Panther Fund and use the "other" designation to identify that you wish to give to this named endowment fund.

Bozik Family Endowment

Type

Scholarship / Fellowship

Year Established

2013

Purpose

Provide funds each year for undergraduate/graduate engineering students that have participated and demonstrated leadership in and through Florida Tech campus life activities, such as The Crimson, Yearbook, Campus Activities Board, SGA, etc. (GF000211)

Description

History

If you would like to contribute to this fund, please go to Panther Fund and use the "other" designation to identify that you wish to give to this named endowment fund.

Brevard Indo-American Medical & Dental Association "BIMDA" Scholarship Fund

2023 BIMDA Gala in Melbourne, FL

Type

Scholarship / Fellowship

Year Established

2023

Purpose

Support an annual scholarship for undergraduate student(s) in good academic standing who need financial assistance and who are enrolled in a pre-medical program at Florida Tech. (GF000502)

Description

History

The Brevard Indo-American Medical and Dental Association (BIMDA) has established an annual scholarship fund to support students at Florida Tech who are pursuing Pre-Med undergraduate degrees. The scholarship fund was announced at BIMDA’s annual Medical Expo and Dinner Awards on Saturday, April 29 at the Hilton Rialto. This BIMDA Scholarship Fund was established in honor of Glad Kurian, Florida Tech Alum and BIMDA Founder.

BIMDA is a valuable part of the Space Coast, uniting and supporting the community of Indian physicians, dentists, and other medical and health professionals in our region. This support coincides with the announcement this year of the planned Burrell College of Medicine at Florida Tech, and it is anticipated that recipients of this award may continue to earn their medical degrees here and ultimately serve the health care needs of the community right here in Brevard County.

Over the years, BIMDA has supported many worthy organizations and built the network throughout Brevard. In 2017, there was another $15,000 awarded to Florida Tech in support of STEM education.

John G Harris, Dean, College of Engineering and Science, and Gary Grant, Sr. VP for Advancement together received the endowment gift at the BIMDA ceremony. “This gift is an amazing contribution as Florida Tech continues to add medical and health impacts to our traditions in Space, Computer Sciences, and other fields of Engineering,” said Grant.

Brevard Scholars Program

Type

Scholarship / Fellowship

Year Established

1999

Purpose

Scholarships for Brevard County residents. (GF000070)

Description

History

The Brevard Scholars Program was initiated to generate financial aid for Brevard County students. When it began, this program offered a unique opportunity to create a legacy of endowed scholarships for deserving students in the area. Contributions to this endowed fund were initially matched by the F.W. Olin Foundation through Florida Tech's Campaign for a Rising Star.

If you would like to contribute to this fund, please go to Panther Fund and use the "other" designation to identify that you wish to give to this named endowment fund.

Brevard Scholarship In Life Sciences

Type

Scholarship / Fellowship

Year Established

2002

Purpose

Support an undergraduate student studying Life Sciences. (GF000058)

Description

History

The Melbourne Kidney Center has been improving the lives of countless victims of kidney disease for several years, it keeps contributing to the health and well-being of Brevard, and it has state-of-the-art techniques and services.

The Melbourne Kidney Center established a scholarship program to support Brevard County undergraduate students enrolled in Life Sciences. This endowed scholarship prepares recipients for medical, life sciences research, and teaching careers, since a very high proportion of Florida Tech life sciences graduates go on to medical school and to careers in life sciences and medical research. Additionally, Florida Tech has outstanding life sciences programs. 

If you would like to contribute to this fund, please go to Panther Fund and use the "other" designation to identify that you wish to give to this named endowment fund.

Bryan J. LaRose Memorial Scholarship Endowment

Type

Scholarship / Fellowship

Year Established

2003

Purpose

Scholarships for undergraduate students pursuing a degree in Science Education. (GF000035)

Description

History

Mr. and Mrs. LaRose created an endowed scholarship fund when his son, Bryan J. LaRose, who was a FIT Alumni, passed in November of 2003. Due to many gifts from friends, colleagues, and family and a deposit of $12,560 from A. William and Margaret LaRose, the endowment was created with an amount of $26,500.

If you would like to contribute to this fund, please go to Panther Fund and use the "other" designation to identify that you wish to give to this named endowment fund.

Captain Joseph Brayton Perkins Scholarship Endowment

Type

Scholarship / Fellowship

Year Established

1986

Purpose

Provide scholarships to flight students in the College of Aeronautics. (GF000024)

Description

History

The scholarship was established for Captain Joseph Bryton Perkins after his death in 1986. Capt. Perkins was in the army for close to 10 years and fought for our country in World War II.

If you would like to contribute to this fund, please go to Panther Fund and use the "other" designation to identify that you wish to give to this named endowment fund.

Cavallucci-Strouse Family Endowment for Ethics and Leadership

Type

General Endowment

Year Established

2014

Purpose

Support the Bisk College of Business Center for Ethics and Leadership. (GF000183)

Description

History

Eugene S. (Gene) Cavallucci earned his bachelor’s degree from Penn State University, his Juris Doctorate degree from Penn State’s Dickinson School of Law, and his Master of Laws degree in government procurement law from the George Washington University Law Center.

He served for seven years in the U.S. Army Force, where he was Chief of Contracts and Patents at the Eastern Space and Missile Center, Patrick Air Force Base, Florida, during his last assignment. Later, he became a partner in the law firm of Nabors, Potter, McClelland, Griffith, and Jones, P.A for a few years, and then started working at DBA Systems, Inc., where he was Vice President, Corporate Secretary, and General Counsel. In 1990, Mr. Cavallucci joined Harris Corporation where he served as Vice President and Legal Counsel of Harris’ federal government, aerospace and defense business units; as Director of Business Conduct; and as General Counsel. In 2010, he retired after 20 years of service to this Fortune 500 public company.

Mr. Cavallucci was also an adjunct professor at Florida Tech. He taught graduate courses in government contract administration and contract negotiations. He is a member of the board of overseers of Bisk College of Business and serves on the executive committee of the Bisk College of Business Center for Ethics and Leadership.

Moreover, Mr. Cavallucci has been a member of the NCMA, National Contract Management Association, since 1978, and was elected an NCMA fellow in 1992. He has served on the legal committee of the Aerospace Industries Association (AIA) and was chair of the government contracts council of the Manufacturer’s Alliance.

If you would like to contribute to this fund, please go to Panther Fund and use the "other" designation to identify that you wish to give to this named endowment fund.

Chadley M. Rhodes Memorial Scholarship

Type

Scholarship / Fellowship

Year Established

1988

Purpose

In memory of Chadley Rhodes. (GF000025)

Description

History

Joe Flammio, Ralph McKee, and Robert Graham Ferrell were the first contributors to the fund. Joe started a fund-raising effort to increase the endowment. Keener Smathers notified the family of Chad regarding Joe’s interest in raising the total contributions to the scholarship fund to the endowment level. The scholarship became an endowed fund in 1995. The initial principal of the fund may be added to later by others and shall be invested by Florida Tech and the income therefrom used annually to provide one or more scholarships in an amount determined by the Scholarship Committee. The scholarship awarded will be a minimum of $1,000, but shall not exceed the interest earned by the fund principal. The recipient of the scholarship shall be selected by Florida Tech’s Scholarship Committee. Accrued income in excess of the amount necessary for the scholarship shall be added to the principal of the fund. If no scholarship is awarded in any one year, the accrued income she is added to the principal of the fund. Florida Tech shall advise the Rhodes Family Scholarship of the name of the recipient each year.

If you would like to contribute to this fund, please go to Panther Fund and use the "other" designation to identify that you wish to give to this named endowment fund.

Charles A. Frueauff Foundation Scholarship

Type

Scholarship / Fellowship

Year Established

1979

Purpose

Scholarships for students with financial need. (GF000141)

Description

History

The Charles A. Frueauff Foundation (CAFF) was founded in 1950 by Charles A. Frueauff through his Last Will and Testament. He was an attorney in New York who served many charitable organizations during his lifetime. The Foundation is based in Little Rock, Arkansas. Its mission is “to improve the lives of those in need by awarding grants to nonprofits in the areas of social services, health and hospitals, and higher education. The Frueauff Foundation has made over $164 million in grants to over 1,185 organizations and institutions.

The Foundation focuses on areas such as education, human services, and health-related causes around the United States. In the area of education, CAFF has continually supported several private four-year colleges and universities in the US, providing assistance to aid current students and also serve future generations, and grants for technology, software upgrades, and other infrastructure assistance.  In the area of health-related causes, the Foundation has helped to improve access to and raise the quality of health care for American citizens. And in the area of human services, CAFF supports agencies that seek assistance to improve children’s and families' lives.

If you would like to contribute to this fund, please go to Panther Fund and use the "other" designation to identify that you wish to give to this named endowment fund.

Chi Phi Scholarship

Description

History

If you would like to contribute to this fund, please go to Panther Fund and use the "other" designation to identify that you wish to give to this named endowment fund.

Chris Giddings Memorial Scholarship

Type

Scholarship / Fellowship

Year Established

1995

Purpose

Scholarships for College of Aeronautics students. (GF000032)

Description

History

If you would like to contribute to this fund, please go to Panther Fund and use the "other" designation to identify that you wish to give to this named endowment fund. 

Christine Antoinette Mead Athletic Scholarship

Type

Scholarship / Fellowship

Year Established

1986

Purpose

Fund athletic scholarships. (GF000012)

Description

History

On Sept. 26, 1981, Mrs. Christine Antoinette Mead set up a testamentary trust, including a life estate to benefit her friend Ethel C. Powell.

On April 14, 1987, Florida Tech announced the establishment of a $300,000 trust gift to establish an endowment for scholarships for student-athletes.  Mrs. Mead was a long-time resident of the area and lived in Micco, FL.  

If you would like to contribute to this fund, please go to Panther Fund and use the "other" designation to identify that you wish to give to this named endowment fund.

Christopher Sherman Neese Scholarship Endowment Fund

The photo was taken in 1973 at a seaside restaurant on the island of Mykonos, Greece where Christopher Sherman Neese (1946-1988) was on a cruise that included diving.

Type

Scholarship / Fellowship

Year Established

1989

Purpose

Scholarships for students studying Marine Science. (GF000026)

Description

History

This scholarship was seeded by a one-time contribution in Chris' memory.

Chris was a Master Open Water Diver who loved the sea. He thoroughly enjoyed serving as Divemaster/Instructor for beginner and seasoned divers alike. His favorite dives were night dives in the sunken vessels off Palm Beach. He often said: "There's nothing as exciting as turning a dark passageway corner on a sunken ship at night and coming facemask to snout with a barracuda; up close and personal in the limited light they appear as large and menacing as any shark ever could."

If you would like to contribute to this fund, please go to Panther Fund and use the "other" designation to identify that you wish to give to this named endowment fund.

Civil Alumni Recruitment Endowment (CARE)

Type

Scholarship / Fellowship

Year Established

2006

Purpose

Scholarships offered with the purpose of assisting in recruitment and retention of outstanding undergraduate and graduate students in Civil Engineering. (GF000085)

Description

History

Ashok Pandit obtained his bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology in Kanpur, India in 1973; his master’s degree in Water Resources Engineering from Clemson University in 1976; and his Ph.D. from Clemson University in 1982.

He has been serving at the Florida Institute of Technology since 1998. For three years (1998-2000), Ashok was a Professor and Program Chair of Civil Engineering; then, from 2000 to 2016, he was a Professor and Department Head of Civil Engineering; from 2016 to 2018, he was a Professor and Department Head of Civil Engineering and Construction Management; and since 2018, he has been Professor and Department Head of Mechanical and Civil Engineering.

In addition to teaching, his research activities “focus on simulation of contaminant transport in subsurface media using numerical and physical models, saltwater intrusion, hydrological modeling, and stormwater management.” Moreover, he is active in STEM education and outreach and recently received an NSF STEM grant to grow STEM education to students from Community and State Colleges.

Professor Pandit has also organized successful week-long Engineering Summer Camps since 2009 for 9^th to 12^th graders who are interested in engineering. During this camp, students learn about MATLAB, AutoCAD, Fusion 360, and Pro Engineer, plus they witness laboratory demonstrations and conduct well-design experiments in different fields. 

If you would like to contribute to this fund, please go to Panther Fund and use the "other" designation to identify that you wish to give to this named endowment fund.

Coca-Cola Scholarship

Type

Scholarship / Fellowship

Year Established

1998

Purpose

Scholarships for minority and female students. (GF000041)

Description

History

Founded in 1999, the Coca-Cola Scholarship Endowment was set up to enable more females and minorities to major in engineering at Florida Tech. The Coca-Cola Foundation expects to receive from Florida Tech the names and addresses of the students selected to receive the scholarship and recipients of scholarships must send a prompt thank-you letter. The F.W. Olin Foundation matched Coca-Cola’s funds. The first installment of their grant was $50,000 in 1998.

If you would like to contribute to this fund, please go to Panther Fund and use the "other" designation to identify that you wish to give to this named endowment fund.

COE Endowment for Academic Programs

Type

General Endowment

Year Established

2003

Purpose

Enable College of Engineering permanently to support its faculty and students and to maintain the College's teaching, research facilities, and resources at a high level. (GF000176)

Description

History

If you would like to contribute to this fund, please go to Panther Fund and use the "other" designation to identify that you wish to give to this named endowment fund.

Commitment to Excellence

Type

General Endowment

Year Established

1986

Purpose

Support the College of Science. (GF000136)

Description

Funds will be used to support the College of Science at the discretion of the Provost.

History

The Provost or Executive Vice President, Dr. Marco Carvalho, strives to boost the development of the academic programs for the students at Florida Tech. He also demonstrates great dedication to the faculty, staff, and students on a wide range of elements. Before coming to Florida Tech, he graduated from Tulane University with a PH.D. in computer science.

If you would like to contribute to this fund, please go to Panther Fund and use the "other" designation to identify that you wish to give to this named endowment fund.

Computer Sciences Endowment

Type

General Endowment

Year Established

1999

Purpose

Support the Computer Sciences Department. (GF000164)

Description

History

If you would like to contribute to this fund, please go to Panther Fund and use the "other" designation to identify that you wish to give to this named endowment fund.

Construction Industry Advisory Board (CIAB) Endowment

Type

General Endowment

Year Established

2003

Purpose

Support a Construction Management Program in the Department of Civil Engineering. (GF000177)

Description

History

The advisory board for the construction industry is made up of more than 30 construction companies around the Melbourne area. The joining of the companies onto one board is to construct a Construction Management Program and give students opportunities for jobs and internships.

If you would like to contribute to this fund, please go to Panther Fund and use the "other" designation to identify that you wish to give to this named endowment fund.

Dan DeRosa Family Endowment

Type

Scholarship / Fellowship

Year Established

2013

Purpose

To support families receiving services at the Scott Center for Autism Treatment. (GF000497)

Description

Income derived from this fund goes directly to the WISH Scholarship fund which supports families receiving services at the Scott Center for Autism Treatment.

If you would prefer mailing a check in support of this fund, please make it payable to Florida Institute of Technology, adding The Dan DeRosa Scholarship fund in the memo section. Mail to: Florida Institute of Technology, 150 W University Blvd., Melbourne, FL 32901

History

Daniel (Dan) Christopher DeRosa was the son of Daniel and Linda DeRosa. Dan was a Doctoral student at Florida Institute of Technology and had just received a dual master’s degree the May before his death. He worked as a Graduate Assistant at Florida Tech as well as a Social Skills Coordinator at the Scott Center for Autism Treatment. Dan was passionate about making a better life for children with autism.

Linda L. DeRosa was Dan’s mother and was incredibly amusing, selfless, the best gift-giver, fantastic at holiday decorating, a shopaholic, a great cook/baker, had the best laugh, and was a true angel here on this earth. She would go out of her way for anyone at any time. Anyone who has ever met her, had to love her because that’s just who she was. She was a gift, a gem, a truly one-of-a-kind person.

Thank you for your support of this scholarship fund and the memories of both Dan and Linda DeRosa. Forever in our hearts.

David A. Kriegman Scholarship Fund

Type

Scholarship / Fellowship

Year Established

2020

Purpose

Income from this fund will support an annual scholarship for undergraduate students who have promoted the university through extracurricular activities which benefit Florida Tech or the student body. (GF000428)

Description

History

Mr. Kriegman spent 30 years growing and managing companies that provide professional services to the government. He earned his Master of Science in Mathematics from the Florida Institute of Technology.

Mr. Kriegman credits Florida Tech with improving his professional and personal life and wants to help other students achieve the success he did. In his own words, “My years at Florida Tech helped me in both my professional and personal growth. I learned not just from my classes, but from participating in and contributing to campus activities. I want to encourage and help students in their total learning and growth experiences, and I want to demonstrate the rewards of giving something back to one's community.”

If you would like to contribute to this fund, please go to Panther Fund and use the "other" designation to identify that you wish to give to this named endowment fund.

David Byron Thompson Memorial Scholarship

Type

Scholarship / Fellowship

Year Established

2010

Purpose

Scholarships to provide support for students enrolled in the Mathematics Education program. (GF000099)

Description

History

David “Byron” Thompson was born on November 2^nd, 1987 in Pace, Florida. He graduated from Pace High School in 2006, where he participated in different sports such as basketball, baseball, football, and golf. He attended the Florida Institute of Technology and graduated with a degree in Math Education in July 2010. He played varsity golf while at Florida Tech.

Byron died on August 7^th, 2010, at the age of 22. However, he is remembered by his family, friends, and everyone who knew him. “Byron loved spending time with his family and friends, working on cars, designing and creating projects, and golfing with his dad. He was a funny, sweet, loving, inquisitive, compassionate, determined, and mischievous guy. Byron simply filled a room both physically and with his personality and all who knew him loved him”, his family said.

If you would like to contribute to this fund, please go to Panther Fund and use the "other" designation to identify that you wish to give to this named endowment fund.

David L. and Theresa G. Clayton Fellowship

David Clayton, Terry Clayton, George Maul. Florida Tech library, 2015.

Type

Scholarship / Fellowship

Year Established

2002

Purpose

Provide fellowships for graduate students enrolled in Florida Tech's Department ofOcean Engineering and Marine Sciences. (GF000150)

Description

History

David L. Clayton earned both his master’s degree in ocean engineering and MBA from the Florida Institute of Technology in 1983 and 1986, respectively. He worked for 16 years at Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institution, where he had different positions including research and development manager. In addition, he worked as general manager of Vetrol Data Systems in Vero Beach and serves as Mayor of the Town of Mt. Crested Butte, Colorado.

Theresa “Terry” Clayton spent her professional career in education as an elementary teacher and specialist and worked for more than 26 years in the Indian River County School District.

If you would like to contribute to this fund, please go to Panther Fund and use the "other" designation to identify that you wish to give to this named endowment fund.

Deering-Irlandi Fellowship

Type

Scholarship / Fellowship

Year Established

2011

Purpose

Fellowships for graduate students studying in the Department of Ocean Engineering and Marine Sciences. (GF000180)

Description

History

Dr. Elizabeth Irlandi has served the Florida Tech community for many years. The former faculty member created a paper on Marine and Environmental Systems called Ocean & Coastal Management. While her time at the institution she was cultivated with seagrass and the ecosystems that revolve around it.

If you would like to contribute to this fund, please go to Panther Fund and use the "other" designation to identify that you wish to give to this named endowment fund.

Dent Smith Botanical Garden Fund

Type

General Endowment

Year Established

1989

Purpose

Support Florida Tech's Botanical Garden. (GF000145)

Description

History

Dent Smith, also known as “The Palm Man”, was born in Staunton, Virginia in 1897. He started his college education at Auburn University but was enlisted in the Army in 1915 at the age of 18. There, he served for seven years and climbed up to the rank of the first sergeant.

In 1929, Dent Smith established his own brokerage firm after becoming a bond salesman in 1923. Ten years later, in 1939, he retired from his position as president of his own company and became profoundly interested in publishing a magazine called “Encore”, described as “a digest of the works of classical writers as well as modern.” However, during World War II, Smith sold it to another firm since it was never a financial success. In 1949, he moved to Daytona Beach and after “looking for a hobby that would keep his hands busy and his mind occupied”, he acquired four acres of land on the peninsula and, did not only start collecting palms and other trees but also studying them. Eleven years after, he had 150 different palm species growing on his property.

His passion and interest in palm trees and other trees, lead him to think about starting a journal for a palm society. In 1956, he fulfilled that goal with the help of Dr. Harold E. Moore, a distinguished botanist. The journal was printed and illustrated under the name “Principes”, with the thought that “palm trees were the princes of all trees.” Throughout the following years, the society gained over 2,000 members, including many in Europe, Asia, and Australia.

Before his death in April 1985, he received an honorary degree from the Florida Institute of Technology in appreciation for the work he did in establishing a palm garden. 

If you would like to contribute to this fund, please go to Panther Fund and use the "other" designation to identify that you wish to give to this named endowment fund.

Dettmer Family Scholarship

Type

Scholarship / Fellowship

Year Established

1999

Purpose

Scholarships for students attending Florida Tech. (GF000052)

Description

This scholarship is administered by the Office of Financial Aid.

History

In 1999, Dale Dettmer donated $25,000 to create the “Dettmer Family Scholarship Fund”. A future donation of $10,000 was made in 2000. The purpose of the fund is to support deserving students of the Florida Institute of Technology.

If you would like to contribute to this fund, please go to Panther Fund and use the "other" designation to identify that you wish to give to this named endowment fund.

Division of Electrical & Computer Science & Engineering (DECSE) Endowment

Type

General Endowment

Year Established

1998

Purpose

Provide funds to support capital equipment, laboratory needs, and operating expenses of the Division of Electrical and Computer Sciences and Engineering (DECSE). (GF000163)

Description

History

The department of the two engineering programs teaches students about the rapidly advancing technological world. Skills are learned in the fields of computer systems, networking, and communication in wireless form.

If you would like to contribute to this fund, please go to Panther Fund and use the "other" designation to identify that you wish to give to this named endowment fund.

Don Creech Memorial Scholarship

Type

Scholarship / Fellowship

Year Established

2000

Purpose

Scholarships for Electrical Engineering students. (GF000065)

Description

The recipient must be an undergraduate Electrical Engineering student with financial need and a resident of Brevard County. The student may continue to receive the scholarships until they graduate or leave the university, provided the student remains qualified for the scholarship.

History

The Don Creech Memorial Scholarship Endowment

My husband, Donald Edgar Creech, had a natural engineering talent and was born with a pioneer spirit. His curiosity for what makes things go led him to many lifetime achievements in a variety of interests and mastery in electrical and mechanical technology.

He built everything for his personal use himself.  He did all his own repair work on cars and trucks. He hand-built a computer in the 1960s and taught himself computer languages. He learned how to repair organs and was self-taught in playing organ music. He was a ham radio operator. He was skilled in home construction. If he had lived one hundred and fifty years ago, he would have shared the spotlight along with the inventors of that time. The challenge of doing this was never too great for him.

In this modern era we are now living, an average man cares little about how to personally fix or build anything. That is for the specialists. Times have changed. The “everyman” of our own pioneer days is disappearing. Consequently, as we enter the 21^st century, fewer people, like Don, seem to exhibit an inventive mind or are self-reliant.

Born on February 17, 1935, he grew up in a very volatile time during the last remnants of the Depression and America’s involvement in World War II and the Korean conflict. Military and family commitments prevented him from pursuing the engineering degree he had hoped for. However, he received diplomas from technical schools in Michigan and Florida, among them being RETS, (Radio Electronic Television School) in 1959, 1960, in Television and Communication Technology; PVTI (Pinellas Vocational Technical Institute, Florida) 1988, 1989, in Electro-Mechanical Technology and Industrial Electronics; PTEC, (Pinellas Technical Education Center, Florida) 1985, in Robotic Technology. He held an FCC Radio Telephone Operator License from 1958-2005 and was certified by the U.S. Power Squadron in Marine Electronics, in 1971. He was an avid reader of technical journals.

He honorably served in the U.S. Army from 1954-1957 on the East German border. He began his career as an engineer in the communications field with Western Electric in Michigan and Illinois, later joining GTE Planning and Development in Tampa, Florida in the late 1960s from which he retired in 1987.

Since retirement, we traveled extensively marveling at the engineering feats of ancient civilizations in the countries we visited.

In 1997, he enrolled in college with the intention of obtaining the engineering degree he’d always wanted. Before he could complete his degree, Don passed away on April 22, 2000. 

He had an enduring respect for engineers crediting them for the major advancements of science and technology throughout the ages. His desire was to help deserving young people who are seeking an engineering degree (particularly electrical). And it is for this reason that I have set up an endowed scholarship fund.

The cost of a college education today is great. What better way can we secure a brighter future than to invest in the inquiring minds of engineering students?

Mrs. Donald E. (Joy) Creech

August 11, 2000

If you would like to contribute to this fund, please go to Panther Fund and use the "other" designation to identify that you wish to give to this named endowment fund.

Douglas M. Schuler Lab

Doug Schuler

Type

Professorship / Research Fund

Year Established

2022

Purpose

This fund supports the Biomed Maker Space on the first floor of the Gordon L. Nelson Health Sciences Building. (GF000476)

Description

History

Doug Schuler is a senior control engineer and computer control specialist for Westinghouse Corp. in Canton, Massachusetts. He has worked on projects in the United States, Canada, Algeria, and now China, where next-generation nuclear plants are being constructed.

A College of Engineering graduate, Schuler earned his degree in electrical engineering in 1972, and in 2013 established the Douglas M. Schuler Endowment to provide scholarships to electrical and computer engineer majors. He has invested in senior design projects and is a major donor to the Student Design Center, providing funds for equipment. He currently resides in the Boston area.

Douglas M. Schuler Scholarship

Type

Scholarship / Fellowship

Year Established

2014

Purpose

Scholarship for undergraduates in the College of Engineering. (GF000214)

Description

History

Doug Schuler is a senior control engineer and computer control specialist for Westinghouse Corp. in Canton, Massachusetts. He has worked on projects in the United States, Canada, Algeria, and now China, where next-generation nuclear plants are being constructed.

A College of Engineering graduate, Schuler earned his degree in electrical engineering in 1972, and in 2013 established the Douglas M. Schuler Endowment to provide scholarships to electrical and computer engineer majors. He has invested in senior design projects and is a major donor to the Student Design Center, providing funds for equipment. He currently resides in the Boston area.

If you would like to contribute to this fund, please go to Panther Fund and use the "other" designation to identify that you wish to give to this named endowment fund.

Dr. Anne P. Rowe Scholarship

Type

Scholarship / Fellowship

Year Established

2004

Purpose

Scholarships for senior students in the College of Engineering. (GF000082)

Description

History

Anne P. Rowe was born on February 1^st, 1927 in Detroit, Michigan. She lived and raised her family in Ann Arbor from 1946 to 1974 and obtained her BS and MS in chemistry, as well as her Ph.D. from the University of Michigan.

Rowe was a distinguished NASA and University of Michigan researcher, in addition to being a professor at three engineering colleges. She was the first woman to receive a Ph.D. from the University of Michigan in material science and engineering, focusing on electron microscopy studies of dental materials. Consequently, she received the University of Michigan Engineering Alumni Society Merit Award.  

She was president of the Society of Women Engineers, and she actively promoted women in engineering and science all her life. She worked as a research metallurgist/material engineer on NASA space shuttles at Lewis Research Center and the Kennedy Space Center. Moreover, Rowe was a professor of mechanical engineering at Purdue University and then at the Florida Institute of Technology. She later served as a professor of chemistry at LaRoche College.

Aside from her professional career, Anne Rowe loved to travel, teach, and spend time with her family. She died on January 27^th, 2012, at the age of 85, in Boulder, Colorado. 

If you would like to contribute to this fund, please go to Panther Fund and use the "other" designation to identify that you wish to give to this named endowment fund.

Dr. Bradley Rees Scholarship Fund

Description

History

Dr. Carol L. Philpot Family Psychology Fellowship

Type

Scholarship / Fellowship

Year Established

2010

Purpose

Provide and opportunity for innovative, structured graduate and postdoctoral studies in clinical psychology and clinical experience in the area of family psychology. (GF000139)

Description

History

Dr. Carol L. Philpot was the dean and professor in the psychology department. More specifically, she mainly could be found in the clinical research department. Course subjects that she taught included but were not limited to, marriage, family tracks, and gender psychology. Most students could spot her in the doctorate or upperclassman positions in courses. Dr. Philpot has contributed to the field of psychology by being on editorial boards of a multitude of gender-related books and wrote her own book on marriage therapy. The book is called Bridging Separate Gender Worlds: Why Men and Women Clash and How Therapists Can Bring Them Together.

If you would like to contribute to this fund, please go to Panther Fund and use the "other" designation to identify that you wish to give to this named endowment fund.

Dr. Elizabeth B. Wolf-Corman Fellowship

Type

Scholarship / Fellowship

Year Established

2007

Purpose

Offer fellowships to graduate students in the School of Psychology. (GF000037)

Description

History

Elizabeth (Betty) Baker Wolf Corman was born in Cleveland, Ohio on February 25^th, 1917. She attended Glenville High School and then graduated Phi Beta Kappa from Flora Stone Mather College of Western Reserve University in Cleveland and received her master’s degree and a doctorate in Psychology there.

Professionally speaking, Dr. Elizabeth Wolf, was highly influential in the establishment of the licensure of psychologists in the state of Ohio. She was an outstanding teacher and clinician and became a fellow of the American Psychological Association and a Diplomat of the American Board of Professional Psychology. Dr. Elizabeth Wolf served as a Selection Officer for Peace Corps and was director of one of the first clinical training programs at Western Reserve University. Furthermore, she was not only a Professor of Psychology and Director of Psychology Services at Marshal University in Huntington, West Virginia, but she also served as president of the West Virginia Psychological Association and played a key role in the development of the community mental health center in Huntington. Later, she became a Professor and Director of Clinical Training at the Florida Institute of Technology and, upon retirement, became Professor Emeritus.

Aside from her professional career, Betty was a dynamic force in the Jewish Community and was recognized as a “Woman of Valor” at Temple Israel of Brevard. She was active in the temple sisterhood of Ohev Shalom congregation in Huntington, WV and at Temple Israel, as well. Betty loved oil painting and playing Scrabble, which she regularly played with distinction.

Betty passed away on September 27^th, 2006. However, she is remembered by her loved ones as someone who had a passion for life and was loved by all who knew her. “She was a wonderful role model for her children and grandchildren and always emphasized the importance of family, friends, and living life to its fullest. While realistically viewing the world around her, Betty was an eternal optimist, and regularly shared her enthusiasm for life with those around her. Betty was an incredibly compassionate and accepting person who strived throughout her life to contribute to the world around her.” 

If you would like to contribute to this fund, please go to Panther Fund and use the "other" designation to identify that you wish to give to this named endowment fund.

Dr. Frank M. Webbe School Of Psychology Endowment Fund

Type

General Endowment

Year Established

2000

Purpose

Scholarships for undergraduate students within the School of Psychology. (GF000072)

Description

History

Frank Webbe earned his B.A., M.S., and Ph.D. in psychology at the University of Florida in 1969, 1971, and 1974, respectively, and completed postdoctoral training in teaching at UF and in psychopharmacology/neuroscience at the University of Mississippi. He is a professor of psychology and behavior analysis at the Florida Institute of Technology, the research director of the East Central Florida Memory Disorder Clinic, and the director of the Florida Tech Sport-Related Concussion Project and Concussion Management Program.

His research focuses on two areas of neuropsychology: Alzheimer’s disease and sports-related concussion and he has studied standard and computerized methods of early assessment of Alzheimer’s disease, and in-home Applied Behavior Analysis interventions with family caregivers and Alzheimer’s patients. Moreover, he is a fellow of the American Psychological Association and the National Academy of Neuropsychology, a member and treasurer of the Sports Neuropsychology Society, past treasurer of the National Academy of Neuropsychology Foundation Board of Trustees, an immediate past Chair of the Technology Professional Interest Area of the International Society to Advance Alzheimer Research and Treatment, and former president of the Society for Sport, Exercise, & Performance Psychology of the American Psychological Association. Additionally, he has served for multiple years as the NCAA Faculty Athletics Representative at Florida Tech and is the past president of the National Faculty Athletics Representative Association (FARA).

Dr. Webbe has been recognized and awarded multiple times on different occasions such as “Florida Tech Outstanding Service Award (1995), Florida Tech Student Elected Teacher of the Year in the School of Psychology (1993, 1995, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2003, and 2006), Outstanding Young Man of America (1979), among others. 

If you would like to contribute to this fund, please go to Panther Fund and use the "other" designation to identify that you wish to give to this named endowment fund.

Dr. Gary N. Wells Scholarship

Type

Scholarship / Fellowship

Year Established

2007

Purpose

Scholarship for students entering their senior year within the Biology Department. (GF000088)

Description

History

Gary N. Wells worked at the Florida Institute of Technology for 34 years as a biochemistry professor, with 23 years as Head of the Department of Biological Sciences. During that time, he developed the Biology department from a teaching group to a powerful research-oriented faculty. Moreover, it was his initial approach to the F. W. Olin Foundation that later resulted in the largest donation to the school’s infrastructure, including the Olin Life Sciences Building.

Dr. Wells established the Sigma Psi chapter of Tri-Beta on campus in 1981. It includes activities that reflect the National Biological Honor Society’s objective as well as the diverse interest of the members such as camping and hiking trips, NASA tours, and Boo at the Zoo.

Aside from the administrative duties and teaching biochemistry, Dr. Wells’ greatest achievement was as leader of the faculty of disparate interest, providing them with a sense of unity and belonging. “Evidence of the cohesion of this faculty is a remarkably low turnover of members, with only two faculty members leaving to take other jobs.”- Mark Bush, Interim Head of Biological Sciences said in 2007.

If you would like to contribute to this fund, please go to Panther Fund and use the "other" designation to identify that you wish to give to this named endowment fund.

Dr. J. Clayton Baum Scholarship

Type

Scholarship / Fellowship

Year Established

2007

Purpose

Scholarships for Chemistry majors. (GF000087)

Description

History

Dr. J. Clayton Baum came to the Florida Institute of Technology in 1979 as an Assistant Professor. He was promoted to Associate Professor and later to full Professor. He earned his Ph.D. in Physical Chemistry from Princeton University and was a Postdoctoral Research Associate at Florida State University until 1977 when he joined the Department of Chemistry at Bowdoin College as a Visiting Assistant Professor. His research included the application of molecular spectroscopy and/or computational chemistry to the solution of a selection of chemical issues and the improvement of recent applications which included fluorescent sensors. Furthermore, he published 40+ peer-reviewed studies and research papers and the funding for his research exceeded $1 million dollars.

Dr. Baum not only was a successful teacher, but he was also a great mentor to both undergraduate and graduate students at the Florida Institute of Technology. For this, the Florida Tech alumni established this as the first endowed scholarship in chemistry in his name. In addition, service to the university was a hallmark of his tenure at Florida Tech. He received multiple awards including the Lynn Edward Weaver Award for Lifetime Achievement in Service to the Florida Institute of Technology.

Dr. Baum passed on June 21, 2020.  His obituary read:

Indialantic - J. Clayton Baum, 74, passed away on June 21st. A native of Falls Church, VA, and resident of Indialantic, FL for 41 years, Clayton dedicated his life to teaching, exercising his passion over 37 years in the Florida Tech Department of Chemistry, where he provided award-winning teaching and mentorship to scores of students.

After earning his Ph.D. in Physical Chemistry from Princeton University, serving as a Postdoctoral Research Associate at Florida State University, and working as a Visiting Assistant Professor at the Bowdoin College Chemistry Department, Clayton arrived at Florida Tech in 1979 as an Assistant Professor of Chemistry. He was later promoted to Associate Professor and then Full Professor, a position he maintained until his retirement as Professor Emeritus in 2016.

During his time at Florida Tech, Clayton published more than 40 peer-reviewed studies and research papers, was recognized repeatedly for his excellence in the classroom with numerous awards, and had a scholarship established in his name by alumni, students, and friends in recognition of his teaching and mentoring. He continued to work on research after his retirement, including a National Science Foundation-supported project.

Outside of scholarship, Clayton was a loving husband and father who enjoyed camping, hiking, bowling, and watching movies with his family and friends. He also took pride and satisfaction in all manner of DIY home projects and working on his model train set.

Clayton is predeceased by his loving wife of 34 years, Melissa, as well as his parents, Robert and Adelaide. He is survived by his son, Matt, his daughter Katie and her life partner Mike, his sister Caroline and her husband John, his first wife and current partner Donna, and all of the teaching colleagues and students he inspired.

If you would like to contribute to this fund, please go to Panther Fund and use the "other" designation to identify that you wish to give to this named endowment fund.

Dr. Jerome P. Keuper Endowment

Type

General Endowment

Year Established

2002

Purpose

In honor of Dr. Jerome P. Keuper, founder and first president of Florida Tech. (GF000003)

Description

History

Dr. Jerome P. Keuper was the founder and first president of Florida Tech. Dr. Keuper received a B.S. from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, an M.S. from Stanford University, and a Ph.D. from the University of Virginia. According to Florida Tech Today Online, "Dr. Keuper came to the Space Coast in 1958 as chief scientist in RCA's Systems Analysis Group." His career included being director of the Federal Reserve of Independent Colleges and Universities, where he also served as chair of the Council of Presidents. Dr. Keuper also served in the U.S. Army during World War II.

Under Keuper's guidance, Florida Tech grew from 225 students in 1958 to more than 7,500 in 1983. Dr. Jerome P. Keuper passed away on March 26, 2002.

Dr. Lynn Weaver commented to Florida Tech Today Online, "Dr. Keuper's spirit is in every part of the Florida Tech campus. His vision, his drive to succeed and his unparalleled optimism made [Florida Tech] possible. It is a remarkable thing to create a university and Dr. Keuper was certainly a remarkable man."

If you would like to contribute to this fund, please go to Panther Fund and use the "other" designation to identify that you wish to give to this named endowment fund.

Dr. Julius Montgomery Scholarship Fund

Type

Scholarship / Fellowship

Year Established

2022

Purpose

Award tuition scholarships to undergraduate students enrolled or planning to enroll at Florida Tech. (GF000453)

Description

History

VIDEO

The Dr. Julius Montgomery Scholarship Fund is in recognition of the work and dedication of Dr. Julius Montgomery. This scholarship will stand as a testament to Dr. Montgomery’s legacy. Before the Civil Rights Act made equal employment opportunity the law, Dr. Montgomery was making history in 1956 as the first black professional in the U.S. space program. In 1958, he was the first African American student to sign up for classes at the university. As the university did not yet have its own campus, the Brevard County School District’s ultimatum to prohibit the use of certain classrooms if he attended was potentially debilitating. Dr. Montgomery met with the university’s president, Dr. Jerome Keuper, and agreed to withdraw. President Keuper promised a place for him once the university had its own property. Shortly after receiving the land for the current campus, Dr. Montgomery effectively desegregated the school when he enrolled in classes. To honor the pioneering spirit and his contributions, the Alumni Association presents an annual Julius Montgomery Pioneer Award to a deserving candidate.  Like the award, this scholarship will continue to celebrate the life and legacy of Dr. Montgomery by providing financial support for students from historically marginalized backgrounds. The student named for this scholarship may continue to receive the award each year until their graduation. Students receiving this award will be known as “Dr. Julius Montgomery Scholars”.

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Dr. Kerry B. Clark Scholarship

Type

Scholarship / Fellowship

Year Established

1999

Purpose

Scholarship awarded annually to a student majoring in Marine Biology. (GF000055)

Description

In memory of Dr. Kerry B. Clark, a Florida Tech professor of biological sciences, this scholarship is awarded annually to a student majoring in Marine Biology whose dedication and high academic achievement give promise of an outstanding career in the field.

History

Kerry Bruce Clark was born in 1945 and began his career at Florida Institute of Technology in 1971 where he worked as an assistant professor, rising through the ranks to professor of biological sciences, and served as associate department head for graduate programs.

During his career, Dr. Clark established the foundations for the marine biology program and was of huge influence in establishing the department’s museum which houses specimens for both teaching and research. He published several articles in the area of opisthobranch biodiversity, reproduction, systematics, and algal symbiosis. Also, he described and named four new molluscan species and one new echinoderm species, plus he authored the award-winning CD-ROM “METAZOA” dealing with the exploration of invertebrate zoology, the proceeds of which he unselfishly used to purchase and upgrade equipment in the computer lab at Florida Institute of Technology.

Aside from being a member of multiple national and international societies, in 1991 and 1992, Dr. Clark received the Faculty Excellence Award for teaching, and in 1996, he was named a fellow by the American Association for the Advancement of Science in honor of his work documenting rare species of sea slugs. He served the university in many capacities and was a departmental member of the Graduate Council.

Dr. Clark was highly respected by both students and faculty. He was not only a mentor and a role model, but he was also an outstanding example of a truly innovative, engaging, and empowering teaching professor. He had a vast love of nature and broad knowledge. He was always excited to share. He died in 1999, but his memory will be remembered by all the people he helped, from family and friends to colleagues. 

If you would like to contribute to this fund, please go to Panther Fund and use the "other" designation to identify that you wish to give to this named endowment fund.

Dr. Leonard D. Healy Scholarship

Type

Scholarship / Fellowship

Year Established

2004

Purpose

Scholarships available to graduate students. (GF000083)

Description

History

The scholarship was created by Fleur de Lys Healy. Fleur is the wife of the late Leonard D. Healy Ph.D. Leonardo was an adjunct professor in Orlando. 

If you would like to contribute to this fund, please go to Panther Fund and use the "other" designation to identify that you wish to give to this named endowment fund.

Dr. Pieter S. and Mrs. Afaf A. Dubbelday Scholarship Endowment in Physics

Type

General Endowment

Year Established

2014

Purpose

In honor of long-time Physics faculty member Pieter S. Dubbelday, established by his daughters who are alumni. (GF000182)

Description

This scholarship is administered by the Office of Financial Aid. Recipients must demonstrate financial need and high academic merit and must be majoring in Physics.

History

In 2014, the family of Dr. Pieter S. Dubbelday establish an endowed scholarship fund in honor of the eminent Florida Tech faculty member.

Dr. Pieter S. Dubbelday earned his doctorate in nuclear physics from the Vrije Universitet, a university in Amsterdam, Netherlands. Dubbelday was an outstanding physics and oceanography professor at Florida Tech for twenty years (1961-1981) and was known for his intellect, integrity, and dedication to students, making him the Florida Tech Teacher of the Year in 1980 at the annual award ceremony organized by the Student Government Association (SGA).

During his years at Florida Tech, he did not only serve as a professor but was also engaged in hydroacoustic research. Furthermore, he received the “Science Faculty Professional Development Award” from the National Science Foundation (NSF). This award allowed him to continue his research at the Underwater Sound Reference Detachment of the Naval Research Lab at Orlando.

Dubbelday’s achievements include designing and constructing an acoustic tank facility, developing an aluminum-based material transparent to sound with a density equivalent to water, holding a patent for a ferrofluid transducer, authoring 45 publications, and still being greatly cited in research these days.

Aside from his professional career, Dubbelday and his wife married in the Netherlands and raised two daughters in Florida. He retired and lived in Garland Texas later in life.

If you would like to contribute to this fund, please go to Panther Fund and use the "other" designation to identify that you wish to give to this named endowment fund.

Dr. Rajiv & Priti Malkan Scholarship Fund

Description

History

If you would like to contribute to this fund, please go to Panther Fund and use the "other" designation to identify that you wish to give to this named endowment fund.

Dr. Sam M. Hughes and Mrs. Kate Settle Hughes Scholarship

Type

Scholarship / Fellowship

Year Established

1983

Purpose

Scholarships for undergraduate students enrolled at Florida Tech. (GF000028)

Description

History

On November 11, 1983, Ralph Johnson, Director of Development requested a waiver of the minimum endowment fund level of $10,000 because Sam and Kate Hughes had offered $1,000 to start this scholarship endowment and promised to build it over time. Because Sam was Florida Tech's first mathematics professor in 1958, the university granted the exception.  In a letter on November 22, 1983, President Jerome Keuper stated "Your warm and generous love of people and gift to create an endowed scholarship is magnificent. On behalf of our students that will benefit from your generosity, it is my privilege to say thank you...Your contribution to the birth, growth, and graduates of F.I.T. will continue."  Sam did give steadily every year over the next decades and this endowment became a part of the foundation of Florida Tech's overall endowment.

In 1985, Florida Tech bestowed Sam Hughes an honorary degree.

Sam went on to serve as a minister in Clinton, S.C.  The Rev. Dr. Samuel Mason Hughes passed on December 2nd, 2004 at Laurens County Hospital and Kate passed on January 27th, 2010.

His obituary stated:

Born in Calhoun Falls, he was the son of the late Samuel Townsend and Elizabeth Stevenson Hughes and was the husband of Kate Settle Hughes. He was a member of the Clinton First Baptist Church, and was a minister, school teacher, college professor, and Shriner. He received an Honorary Doctorate degree from the Florida Institute of Technology, and was a World War II veteran, serving as a chaplain. He received his Doctor of Ministries Degree at the age of 80 from Erskine College.

Surviving, in addition to his wife, is a son, B. Mason Hughes of Ballwin, Missouri. There are five grandchildren; and three great-grandchildren.

If you would like to contribute to this fund, please go to Panther Fund and use the "other" designation to identify that you wish to give to this named endowment fund.

Dr. V Lakshmikantham Math Scholarship

Type

Scholarship / Fellowship

Year Established

1997

Purpose

Scholarship in the Mathematical Sciences Program for undergraduate maths majors and any successor programs. (GF000039)

Description

History

If you would like to contribute to this fund, please go to Panther Fund and use the "other" designation to identify that you wish to give to this named endowment fund.

Dr. Walter M. Nunn, Jr. Scholarship in Electromagnetics

Type

Scholarship / Fellowship

Year Established

2006

Purpose

Scholarships for Electrical Engineering students, solely in the field of Electromagnetic. (GF000033)

Description

History

Walter Nunn, a professor of electrical engineering arrived at Florida Tech in 1969, just more than a decade after its founding. He spent many years as a faculty member, bolstering the knowledge and touching the lives of thousands of students from his microwave laboratory and classroom in the Frueauff building.

He passed away in 2005, and his wife Hortense passed in 2017. By then they had made clear their longstanding desire to enhance the teaching and development of electrical engineering by establishing a faculty chair dedicated to advancing research and education in that critical field.

In just his second year at Florida Tech, the university gained accreditation from the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology, now known as ABET, a critical step in confirming its place among the leading engineering schools in the country and solidifying the discipline’s pivotal role on campus.

“In those days, electrical engineering was the whole School of Engineering, and I comprised 25 percent of the school’s faculty, being the fourth member,” Nunn told the university’s Florida Tech Today magazine in 2003. Nunn worked for Harry Weber, who served as both head of the Department of Electrical Engineering and dean of the graduate school.

Weber supported Nunn during those early days when Nunn used unorthodox methods to advance the university’s teaching mission. “Harry helped me start the microwave laboratory,” Nunn said, noting that the original equipment, much of it built by students, was somewhat primitive. “Of course, we didn’t have room for it inside our building, so we put it together on tables in the parking lot.”

That arrangement remained until Florida Tech founding president Jerome Keuper came by during a lab session. “The lab went back into an extremely crowded building,” Nunn said.

In spite of these humble beginnings, Nunn pointed out with justifiable pride that the electromagnetic program he helped launch in 1971 was the first Ph.D. program at Florida Tech.

Both teaching and research were vital for Nunn. While he took great pleasure in teaching, he said his principal research in computer simulation and modeling was always a high priority.

Walter and Hortense grew up in Louisiana and had no children but saw the Florida Tech community as their extended family. Hortense put the university in her will in 2005 after her husband passed away.

“Walter worked at the height of his profession, both in the classroom and in the laboratory. When I went to visit him in the hospital the day before he died, he was still talking about the projects he was working on at FIT,” said Syed Murshid, a professor of electrical engineering and Walter Nunn’s colleague of 25 years. “He served as an inspiration for his colleagues in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering and for faculty throughout the college. He was simply a joy.”

And Nunn’s legacy lives on.

In his commencement address in May 2018 to the university’s spring graduates, Florida Tech Board of Trustees member Vik Verma, a successful Silicon Valley CEO, remembered his former teacher.

“One of my favorite professors was Professor Walter M. Nunn, Jr. He was a former Marine, a world-renowned professor in electromagnetic theory, and one of the toughest graders….Professor Nunn was an amazing man. He passed away a few years ago and I miss him today as does the entire Florida Tech family.”

Hortense Nunn established this Chair in Electrical Engineering through her estate gift in 2018.

If you would like to contribute to this fund, please go to Panther Fund and use the "other" designation to identify that you wish to give to this named endowment fund.

Drs. Roger And Eleyse Manley Endowed Scholarship

Type

Scholarship / Fellowship

Year Established

2011 (amended in 2018)

Purpose

Provide music ministry scholarships to celebrate Catholic liturgies at the Florida Institute of Technology. (GF000116)

Description

History

Dr. T. Roger Manley, a U.S. Naval Academy graduate, was a professor at the Florida Institute of Technology for more than 30 years and served as Dean (1988-1990) and Associate Dean (1980-1988). He taught both undergraduate and graduate classes in organizational behavior, business ethics, and leadership at the Nathan M. Bisk College of Business plus conducted research on several fields such as corporate culture and change, leadership and business ethics, executive coaching, and 360-degree feedback, personal values and generational conflict in the workplace, and evolving social contract between employers and employees. Additionally, he was the author/co-author of numerous chapters in books, journal and magazine articles, newspaper columns, and technical reports. Dr. Roger was also involved in the High School Business Ethics Competition and Leadership, in which students are asked to develop and analyze solutions to business ethics and leadership challenges. 

In 2012, Dr. Roger was made a retiring honoree for 35 years of service to the Nathan M. Bisk College of Business. He was a robust proponent of business ethics and leadership in an international environment, as remarked in his teaching, service, and studies.

If you would like to contribute to this fund, please go to Panther Fund and use the "other" designation to identify that you wish to give to this named endowment fund.

Edward H. Kalajian Professorship

Type

Professorship / Research Fund

Year Established

2017

Purpose

Create a Professorship in the College of Engineering. (GF000187 & GF000208)

Description

History

VIDEO

“Welcome to Florida Tech. How can I help you to become the best engineer that you can be?” 

This is the introduction Dr. Edward H. Kalajian’s delivered to incoming students. Dr. Kalajian taught every civil engineering student in Florida Tech’s history until his retirement. Take a moment to reflect on that declaration – the tens of thousands of alumni who are changing the world today.

Gifts from Dr. Kalajian's family, friends, and former students led a campaign to establish the Edward H. Kalajian Endowed Professorship to honor his 46 years of service. 

"Being a part of FIT history in perpetuity is both humbling and inspiring. I am honored to continue to encourage and challenge the next generation of scholars," shared Dr. Kalajian.

In 1971, he joined Florida Tech to launch the ocean engineering program. Shortly afterward in 1974, he created the civil engineering department. His efforts were instrumental in the accreditation from ABET (Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology). This highly respected accreditation accelerated Florida Tech’s recognition as a great university.

He is a true visionary. He understands the importance of student involvement outside the classroom. The ASCE (American Society of Civil Engineers) student chapter, National Concrete Canoe competitions, and National Student Steel Bridge competitions are thanks to him. He also founded the Civil Engineering Honor Society Chi Epsilon chapter.

Edward Kalaijan, Professor and Associate Dean at Florida Tech, obtained his bachelor’s and master’s degree in Civil Engineering from the University of Maryland in 1962 and the University of Massachusetts in 1969. In 1971, he obtained his Ph.D. from the University of Massachusetts.

Dr. Kalaijan started his professional career working as a Civil Engineer at the Naval Facilities Engineering Command. In 1971, he was Assistant Professor at Florida Tech and, in 1975, became Associate Professor in the Civil Engineering Department. In 1978 and 1979, he worked as Civil Engineer for the U.S. Army and as Ocean Engineer for the Harbor Branch Foundation, respectively. In 1979, Dr. Kalaijan came back to Florida Tech and worked as Associate Professor and Department Head of the Civil Engineering Department to later become the Director of the Division of Engineering Sciences (Mechanical, Civil, Chemical, and Aerospace Engineering). Since 1999, Dr. Kalaijan has been a Professor of Civil Engineering and Associate Dean of the College of Engineering.

Dr. Kalaijan’s honors and awards include the Walter M. Nunn Jr. Award for Teaching Excellence from the College of Engineering; the Civil Engineering Advisory Council Outstanding Service Award; Engineer of the Year, ASCE, Cape Canaveral Branch; ASCE University of Houston Student Chapter Outstanding Professor; Letter of Recommendation for Kittinger Award for Teaching, and U.S. Navy Southeast Asia Civil Service Award.

Dr. Kalaijan is a registered Professional Engineer in Florida with expertise in soil mechanics, foundation design, concrete materials, waterfront construction, and waste stabilization. He is an active member of the American Society of Civil Engineers, American Society for Engineering Education, Chi Epsilon, and Tau Beta Pi, and also, he is a member of the advisory board of The Hinckly Center for Solid and Hazardous Waste Management. 

Past Recipients 

2019-2023: Dr. Paul Costentino

If you would like to contribute to this fund, please go to Panther Fund and use the "other" designation to identify that you wish to give to this named endowment fund.

Edward W. Snowdon and Lee Hill Snowdon Fellowship

Edward Snowdon, Top-Left

Type

Scholarship / Fellowship

Year Established

2000

Purpose

Award fellowships to graduate students in the Florida Tech Department of Ocean Engineering and Marine Sciences. (GF000067)

Description

History

Edward W. Snowdon was born in Washington in 1910. He graduated from Western High School in Washington, DC in 1929 and from Wesleyan University in 1933.

Edward and his wife, Lee Hill (1919-1993), met in 1937 on a ship crossing the Atlantic, when Lee joined her parents on a trip to Europe after completing boarding school outside Washington D.C. At that time, Edward was working for a concert impresario and although he was based in New York City, he spent much of his time traveling through Europe discovering new talent and promoting opera stars. Lee and Edward got married in 1941 after Lee’s four years at Duke University in Plainfield.

Edward Snowdon was a captain in the US Army Signal Intelligence during World War II and participated in the D-Day invasion and the Battle of the Buldge. He was awarded the Bronze Star and two Croiz de Guerre from France for his service in the liberation. Snowdon worked for the Charles L. Wagner Opera Company and Young and Rubican in New York City until his retirement in 1972, when he and his wife Lee Hill, moved to Manalapan, Fl. Here, he was a member of the Everglades Clun and was a past Commodore of both the Manalapan Yacht Club and Key Largo Anglers Club.

Lee Hill was the daughter of Marguerite Stewart and Arthur Bullock Hill, founder of the Arthur B. Hill Foundation (which became the Hill-Snowdon Foundation) in 1959. She was on the foundation’s Board and was the primary decision-maker for several years after her father died. When she and Edward moved to Florida, Lee did not only continue to support numerous organizations in Plainfield but also began funding Florida groups such as the Red Cross. 

If you would like to contribute to this fund, please go to Panther Fund and use the "other" designation to identify that you wish to give to this named endowment fund.

Edwin A. Link Special Collections Endowment

“I never worked a day in my life. I had fun and got paid for it” – Edwin A. Link

Type

General Endowment

Year Established

1998

Purpose

Support the special collections at Evans Library known as the Edwin A. Link Special Collections. (GF000146)

Description

History

Edwin A. Link was born on July 26^th, 1904 in Huntington, Indiana. He was a pioneer in aviation, underwater archaeology, and submersibles, and was mostly recognized for inventing the flight simulator commercialized in 1929 that trained countless pilots, including half a million airmen during World War II. 

Early in his life, Mr. Link founded his own company, Link Aviation, where he was president and board chairman until it merged with the General Precision Corporation. After that, he was president and a director of General Precision until its merger with the Singer Company of Stamford. The company, now the Link Flight Simulator Division of the Singer Company, is based in Kirkwood. 

He spent the second half of his life immersed in oceanographic exploration, creating innovative ways to explore the oceans. He designed and developed several devices to aid scientific research, including Johnson-Sea-Link Class submersibles, and they have been used to discover, observe and collect thousands of biological samples from ocean reefs, previously unknown to the marine science world.

Aside from all his professional accomplishments and advancements, in 1958, he established the Link Foundation which has awarded grants for research in aeronautics and oceanography to more than 120 universities and nonprofit organizations. 

Mr. Link passed away on September 7^th, 1981. However, is still remembered by thousands of people throughout the years for all his great achievements and help. In 2018, Edwin A. Link was named inductee to the Florida Inventors Hall of Fame.

If you would like to contribute to this fund, please go to Panther Fund and use the "other" designation to identify that you wish to give to this named endowment fund.

Eldridge and Navaretta Scholarship Endowment

1982 Men's Soccer team

Type

Scholarship / Fellowship

Year Established

2022

Purpose

To support undergraduate scholar-athletes, specifically for the Men's Soccer team. (GF000490)

Description

Recipients will be chosen by a three member selection committee, made up by the university's Athletic Director, Head Soccer Coach, and Assistant Soccer Coach. The recipient shall be a male soccer player at Florida Institute of Technology who is a full-time student in good academic standing with a cumulative GPA of at least 3.0.

Click here to donate to the Eldridge and Navaretta Scholarship Endowment.

1976 FIT-JBC Men's Soccer team

History

J. Michael Eldridge Personal Biography Mike was born in Mt Airy, NC in 1949. He graduated from North Surry HS and was a multisport athlete. He earned a BS in 1972 and an MA in 1973 from Appalachian State University, where he played soccer on ASU’s first Southern Conference championship team. He was also an assistant coach there during his graduate work. Mike began his teaching and coaching career in 1974 in Florida through the Brevard County Public School system. He married Sherry Greene Eldridge late that same year, and he taught school and also coached at Melbourne High School until he was hired as the head soccer coach at Florida Institute of Technology.

He became an USSF Nationally Certified Soccer Coach and went on to coach there from 1974 until May of 1983. Mike was elected President of the Florida Intercollegiate Soccer Coaches Association in 1978 and again in 1981. Mike embraced a team made up of many international players from all over the world and the US. His win/loss record of 89-43-22 was achieved with very little scholarship money. His teams from 1978 thru 1982 were annually ranked in the top 5 in the NCAA Division II South Region. His team achieved 3rd place in the University of Central Florida Bowl in 1977; 2 nd place in the 1978 Pepsi Cola Invitational and 1st place each successive year thru 1981; 3rd place in the 1980 Methodist College Invitational tournament and 1st place in 1981 and 1982 consecutively. Mike continues to be very proud of all those athletes who worked so diligently to achieve these accolades. He is even more proud of the men they have become outside the sport. Mike began to work in the Financial Services arena part time with Fidelity Union Life in 1980, while continuing to coach at FIT. He became extremely successful and nationally recognized in the industry. After the birth of his daughter, Ashley, and with a heavy heart, Mike made the difficult decision to leave Melbourne and his coaching position at FIT to pursue his Financial Services career. His son, Paul, was born in 1986, and Mike passed his love of soccer on to a new generation. He coached Paul’s club teams with an over-all record of 57-20-6, until Paul reached the Olympic Development team in NC.

Paul played in college and two years professionally, so soccer was a huge part of Mike’s family life In 1984, Mike began a very long career with IDS Financial Services. In 1992, while working in Minneapolis with a team of 30 advisors and staff to redesign and rebrand the company, he simultaneously earned a Certified Financial Planning degree through the College of Financial Planning and continued to build his Financial Planning practice in Boone, NC. IDS became American Express Financial Services as a result of the Design Team’s efforts over a 3 year process. The company continued to evolve as Ameriprise Financial Services. Mike retired in 2015 as a Platinum Financial Planner, after a 31 year career with the company. His 54 year history of refereeing continues for high school, middle school and collegiate games in Wilmington where he and Sherry have retired. His love of the game is still a big part of his life.

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Peter Navaretta Personal Biography

Peter was born in Brooklyn, New York with soccer boots on his feet. He played soccer from a very young age in school and recreational programs. His father died when he was a teenager but luckily his soccer coach was there to support him and guide him to apply to colleges to play the sport that he loved.

He received an athletic scholarship at Ithaca College where he received numerous awards and recognitions as an athlete in three sports including soccer. After receiving his bachelor’s degree, he moved to Washington DC employed by Ogden Corporation. The soccer athlete in him led him to the British Lions Soccer Club. He played defense for this multi-national amateur club which won the United States National Amateur Cup in 1969. The team received their awards at the British Embassy presented by tennis professional, Arthur Ashe.

In 1971 Florida Institute of Technology opened a campus in Cocoa Beach/Port Canaveral. Peter held the position of Director of Student Affairs. He was impressed with the curriculum and philosophy of the school but realized something was missing...an athletic program. So with nothing more than a thought and feeling of confidence he planned and formed a soccer team. This campus, its programs, faculty, and students including the soccer team relocated to Jensen Beach Florida. FIT had purchased the St. Joseph's College campus transforming it to Florida Institute of Technology Jensen Beach Campus.

It was here in Jensen Beach where soccer exploded under the guidance of Coach Navaretta. His team of players from around the world including Africa, France, Kuwait, Columbia, and Mexico held clinics for the area youth players which in turn inspired the creation of local youth programs including Stuart Youth Soccer Club. Upon leaving FIT he started the boys and girls soccer program at Martin County High School. The successful programs started in Martin County by Coach Navaretta trickled down to Palm Beach County and to St. Lucie County to the north. But he gives credit to the players at the small Jensen Beach FIT campus who were the true proponents of the sport of soccer.

Peter's career took a turn in 1983 when he accepted a Financial Advisor position at E.F. Hutton. Forty years later he continues to work at Oppenheimer & Co. Peter hopes this endowment will serve as a "steppingstone" to a male soccer athlete to help further his education while enjoying his soccer experience at FIT. Soccer will always be in his heart and soul, and he is grateful to all the players he has had the opportunity to coach.

Eric J. Primavera ASCE Student Chapter Endowment

Type

General Endowment

Year Established

2000

Purpose

Provide student competition expenses at Regional and National levels, and send Florida Tech ASCE students to national ASCE and other pertinent Civil Engineering Society meetings. (GF000170)

Description

History

Eric Primavera was a gifted engineering alumnus and builder of Florida Tech’s first concrete canoe. He was not only an outstanding student during his time at Florida Tech, but he was also a leader among undergraduate and graduate students.

After he received his master’s degree from Florida Tech, he moved to New York for a few years and then came back to Florida to work at Port Canaveral Company, Gee & Jensen. There, he “oversaw complex coastal engineering projects, including the design of piers for new cruise ships.”

Eric’s professional achievements include developing a 17,000-psi high-strength mix and advancing the ACI code for high-strength anchor pullout through his Master’s Thesis. Additionally, in 1991, Eric and other Florida Tech students attended the ASCE Southeast Regional Competition at Mississippi State where they placed 4^th in a field of more than 30 schools after Eric introduced Florida Tech’s first canoe effort.

He was married to Tina Ortiz and enjoyed teaching structural engineering courses during his free time. On April 20^th, 2000, Florida Tech lost an outstanding alumnus who is remembered as “an inspiration to everyone who was fortunate enough to know him.”

If you would like to contribute to this fund, please go to Panther Fund and use the "other" designation to identify that you wish to give to this named endowment fund.

Erik Joh Intercollegiate Rowing Program Endowment

Type

General Endowment

Year Established

1998

Purpose

Benefit the students and coaches who participate in the College's Intercollegiate Rowing Program. (GF000168)

Description

History

Erik Edward Joh, Esq., grew up in Binghamton, NY and throughout his life, he maintained a farm there, growing hops. He attended Dartmouth College from 1963-1967 where he fell in love with rowing and football. While majoring in Government and History at Dartmouth, he joined the Psi Upsilon Fraternity and rowed competitively for the Dartmouth Rowing Club. Erik went on to coach crew from 1966-67 and was recognized with Steward's Award for contributions to Dartmouth Rowing.

Erik once shared that he would have continued as a rowing coach, but his father made an offer to pay for law school and told Erik he had to take that offer now or it would be rescinded.  This jolted Erik to go to law school and he earned his JD from Albany Law School in 1970. In law school, he served as Football Coach At Christian Bros Academy, was the Social Chair for the Student Bar Association, and was a research editor for the Albany Law Review. After graduating, he was admitted to the New York and Florida Bar Associations.

Erik went on to have an outstanding career in law and politics and served for nearly 53 years as an attorney for Hinman, Howard & Kattell, LLP. The firm specialized in offering sophisticated and highly personalized wealth-transfer strategies to high-net-worth individuals.
Here Erik counseled clients on tax law, wills, trusts, and estates, as well as non-profit corporations and foundations.

Erik was involved in numerous campaigns, including working with Nelson Rockefeller.

He also served as the President and CEO of Cypress Trust and for 32 years was managing trustee for the Gertrude E. Skelly Charitable Foundation.

Mr. Joh was an active member of several industry-related organizations, including the Broome County Bar Association, the South Palm Beach County Bar Association, and the New York State Bar Association. He was also a member of the Real Property, Probate, and Trust Law and Tax Sections of the American Bar Association.

Erik was very supportive and saw the importance of nurses in health care. He was an Honorary Fellow of the American Academy of Nursing and the Sigma Theta Tau International Nursing Society.

Some of Mr. Joh's avocational memberships include the Country Club of Florida and the East Coast Football Officials Association, as well as the Country Club of Florida Scholarship Foundation, where he serves as a board member.

Other roles included serving as a trustee of Colby-Sawyer College and trustee, vice chairman, and treasurer of Albany Law School (Union University). 

Active for more than 55 years with the American Red Cross, Joh served on the organization's National Board of Governors for more than six years.  In 2001, he received the organization's highest award:  the Harriman Award for Exceptional Leadership

In 1995 he received the Distinguished Alumni Award from Albany Law School and that same year earned a Leadership Award from the American Red Cross.

In 2001 he received The Harriman Award for Exceptional Leadership from the American National Red Cross.

In 2002, Mr. Joh was Knighted and admitted to the Sovereign Order of St. John of Jerusalem, Knights Hospitaller; one of the oldest orders of Chivalry still in existence.

2018, he received a 65-Year Volunteer Award 2018.

Erik joined the Board of Trustees for Florida Tech in 1998 and was an active leader, ultimately serving for many years as the Chair of the Development Committee. Everyone knew Erik as an incredibly personable and caring individual. He made it a point to get to know every member of the staff he could by their first name.

At FIT he started a crew scholarship and did not name it so that others could add to it. We added his name back to the fund upon his retirement from the board.

Erik received the Albert Nelson Marquis Lifetime Achievement Award and in 2019, he was listed in Marquis Who's Who.

If you would like to contribute to this fund, please go to Panther Fund and use the "other" designation to identify that you wish to give to this named endowment fund.

F. Alan Smith Distinguished Lecture Series

Type

Lecture Fund

Year Established

2007

Purpose

Establish a nationally significant speaker series at Florida Tech. (GF000111)

Description

History

F. Alan Smith obtained his bachelor’s degree from Dartmouth College in 1951 and an MBA from the Tuck School of Business in 1953. Throughout his life, or for more than 30 years, to be more specific, he has held different leadership positions in which he has succeeded such as Executive Vice President of Finance of General Motors and President and General Manager of General Motors of Canada, Ltd. Additionally, he served on the Board of Directors of 3M Corp.

Smith has served on Florida Institute of Technology’s Board of Trustees since 1996 and, in 2007, founded the “F. Alan Smith Distinguished Lecture Series”, in which corporate executives speak to students, faculty, and community leaders at Florida Tech. The lecture series includes topics such as innovation in the automotive industry, self-driving cars, the Hyperloop high-speed rail, and advances in ridesharing, among others.

If you would like to contribute to this fund, please go to Panther Fund and use the "other" designation to identify that you wish to give to this named endowment fund.

Faculty Senate Scholarship

Type

Scholarship / Fellowship

Year Established

1985

Purpose

Support undergraduate students. (GF000014)

Description

History

First documented in 2004, the Faculty Senate Scholarship gives a $4,500 merit scholarship to a deserving sophomore every academic year. The Faculty Senate Scholarship award is distributed equally over three years. The existing endowment has come from many years of generous faculty and staff donations and, when available, matching funds from foundations. In order to give Florida Tech colleges and schools a chance to award their students the scholarship, a round-robin was established.

If you would like to contribute to this fund, please go to Panther Fund and use the "other" designation to identify that you wish to give to this named endowment fund.

Farmer Scholars Program At Florida Tech

Type

Scholarship / Fellowship

Year Established

2005

Purpose

Offer a full four-year scholarship awarded annually to a Florida resident and high school graduate to assist in pursuing a degree at Florida Tech. (GF000094)

Description

The recipient must be a Florida resident freshman in good academic standing, from the top 5 percent of their high school class; a qualified recipient of the State of Florida scholarship support; a student with an outstanding personal character determined through references; a student with proven leadership qualities; financial need may be considered but shall not be a requirement.

History

Phillip W. Farmer was born on August 30^th, 1938 in Goldsboro, North Carolina. He attended Duke University where he earned a Bachelor of Science in Mathematics in 1960. His first job right after graduating from college was with General Electric, which recruited him in his senior year to join its Financial Management Program in New Jersey. There, he met his beloved wife of 56 years, Jean McDonald Farmer.

After a few years, Mr. Farmer joined Harris Corporation and worked as Vice President and General Manager of one of its Government Systems divisions in New York. In 1984, Mr. and Mrs. Farmer moved to Florida, and he held several upper-level positions including Vice President of Harris’s Palm Bay operations, President of the Government Systems Sector, President of the Semiconductor Sector, Executive Vice President of Harris, President, and Chief Operating Officer, and lastly, in 1995, he became Chairman, President, and CEO of Harris Corporation. He retired from this position in 2003.

Mr. Farmer was also a member of the Board of Directors of the Vulcan Material Company, George Weston, LTD, and AuthenTec, Inc.; he is past chairman of the Manufacturers Alliance, served on the Board of Governors of the Aerospace Industries Association and was a member of the Defense Policy Advisory Committee on Trade. He served as Chairman of the Board of Directors, the Health First Foundation, and the Brevard Zoo.

In 1994, he became a member of the Board of Trustees at Florida Tech, where, because of his work, a residence hall (Farmer Hall) was built and named in his honor. Additionally, his personal commitment to the success of the students at Florida Tech was demonstrated by funding a $1.5 million endowment to create the Farmer Scholars Program, which provides a full, four-year scholarship awarded annually to a Florida resident who demonstrates outstanding academic performance and personal character.

Aside from his professional life and achievements, Mr. Farmer loved spending time with his wife, three children, and eight grandchildren. He enjoyed sports, reading, and automobiles. After his retirement, he and his wife Jean traveled the world and shared some of these experiences with friends and family.

Mr. Farmer passed away on October 28^th, 2018, at the age of 80, leaving behind a great legacy. “Without Phil Farmer, Florida Tech would undoubtedly be a lesser institution, and the many, many students whose lives he influenced would not be making their mark in the world today. He made those around him better, which is the truest form of leadership, and his vision for Florida Tech, motivated by an unwavering belief that we were an outstanding university that could be truly exceptional, motivated all of us to strive for excellence,” where some of the words from Dwayne McCay, Florida Tech President.

Over his lifetime, Phil Farmer contributed over $12 million to Florida Tech.

If you would like to contribute to this fund, please go to Panther Fund and use the "other" designation to identify that you wish to give to this named endowment fund.

Father Douglas F. Bailey, S.D.S., Endowment to Support Catholic Campus Ministry

Type

General Endowment

Year Established

1998

Purpose

Support Catholic Campus Minister. (GF000161)

Description

History

Father Douglas Bailey is the Florida Tech Catholic Campus Minister and University Chaplain. His role and responsibilities as a Catholic Priest of the Florida Tech campus have been going on for more than 30 years. Fr. Douglas is not only a spiritual advisor to students, but he is also an instructor and teaches classes such as World Religion and BioEthics. He holds daily masses, Bible study once per week, Rosary, and other activities such as Spaghetti Dinner for Students.

Father Doug studied philosophy in college and earned his Master’s in religious studies. He was ordained in 1976.

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FIT Equipment Replacement Fund

Type

General Endowment

Year Established

1987

Purpose

Equipment replacement. (GF000144)

Description

History

Florida Tech was first established in 1958 by Dr. Jerome P. Keuper. The institution has become a renowned establishment for aerospace engineering, aeronautics, and a wide variety of other majors. The school tries to provide each faculty and student with top-notch equipment for their education. The fund was created in 1987 to make sure every device, tool, and textbook is up-to-date for better research in their chosen field.

If you would like to contribute to this fund, please go to Panther Fund and use the "other" designation to identify that you wish to give to this named endowment fund.

Flag Officers Leadership ROTC Scholarship

Type

Scholarship / Fellowship

Year Established

2003

Purpose

Award tuition scholarships to undergraduate students enrolled or planning to enroll in Florida Tech who are participating or planning to participate in the ROTC program. (GF000080)

Description

History

ROTC, or Reserve Officers’ Training Corp, teaches the next generation of military leadership, discipline, and survival skills. The ROTC members are current Florida Tech students and dual between each position.

If you would like to contribute to this fund, please go to Panther Fund and use the "other" designation to identify that you wish to give to this named endowment fund.

Florida Tech Alumni Association Scholarship

Type

Scholarship / Fellowship

Year Established

2002

Purpose

Financial Aid for undergraduate and first-year graduate students. (GF000061)

Description

History

Since the Florida Institute of Technology was established in 1958, more than 60,000 students have graduated from our university. Our alumni live in all 50 states and in every country. They include a wide variety of professionals in engineering, science, business, aviation, psychology, communication, and the humanities.

The goal of Florida Tech's Alumni Association is to promote a lifelong relationship of mutual benefits and support for both the university and its alumni. All students who graduate from Florida Tech (or have the equivalent of one year of completed coursework) are eligible for membership.

If you would like to contribute to this fund, please go to Panther Fund and use the "other" designation to identify that you wish to give to this named endowment fund.

Francis O. Blume III Endowed ROTC Scholarship

Type

Scholarship / Fellowship

Year Established

2003

Purpose

Scholarships for deserving U.S. citizens who are ROTC students. (GF000078)

Description

History

Francis O. Blume III, in 2003, donated $50,000 to the school to create the ROTC scholarship. Later was matched by the F.W. Olin Foundation. The 1971 alumni of electrical engineering know what it feels like to serve the country. He retired from the military after providing service in the National Security Agency in Maryland.

If you would like to contribute to this fund, please go to Panther Fund and use the "other" designation to identify that you wish to give to this named endowment fund.

Frank M. Tricomi Scholarship Fund

Description

History

Friends of the Evans Library Endowment

Type

General Endowment

Year Established

1997

Purpose

Provide resources for the library and information resources and to keep those resources the most modern available worldwide. (GF000147)

Description

History

When creator Keuper was starting to figure out what the school was going to be, the library became a question. Eileen Hall was the first library and supposedly the first full-time employee in May 1961. After a conversation, the two elaborated on the assistance that a library can provide to its students and faculty, whether that was through academic books, tuition support, or a quiet place to study. Hall cared deeply about the assistance that the library can play in a student’s education that she did not take a paycheck. 

Flossie Evans and John Evans were predominant members of the community and strived to help the college in any way possible. Flossie became the first female trustee and received the dormitory name honor. When Flossie died, her husband sold his estate and gave the institute a part of the money. The library took the Evans name in memory of the contributions made by the Evans family.

If you would like to contribute to this fund, please go to Panther Fund and use the "other" designation to identify that you wish to give to this named endowment fund.

George & Carole Maul Family Scholar Award in Oceanology

Dr. George A. Maul (center) was honored as the 2016 Florida Academy of Sciences Medalist. On the left is Academy Secretary Dr. David Karlen and on the right is Academy President Dr. Jeremy Montague.

Type

Scholarship / Fellowship

Year Established

2014

Purpose

Supports tuition/fees for OEMs summer field studies courses. Rising seniors in the College of Engineering and Science, Dept. of Ocean Eng. and Marine Sci., taking an OEMS summer field studies course are eligible; pref. to students w/ fin. need. (GF000213)

Description

Eligibility: Award is available to rising seniors in the Department of Ocean Engineering and Marine Sciences (OEMs) taking an OEMS summer semester field studies course in Oceanology (Oceanography, Marine Biology, Ocean Engineering, Environmental Science, Marine Conservation, Fisheries and Aquaculture, Meteorology, Coastal Zone Management, or Sustainability). Summer field studies in oceanology include but are not limited to seagoing cruises on an oceanographic research vessel, field data collection and laboratory analysis of environmental variables, computer modeling of biogeochemical transformation, advanced forecasting of weather and climate, and impacts of global change on local communities.

Maul Scholar Application

History

George A. Maul, professor emeritus of Oceanography at Florida Institute of Technology, graduated from Brooklyn Technical High School in 1956, earned a bachelor of science degree in Marine Transportation from the State University of New York Maritime College, and was granted a U.S. Merchant Marine Officer’s license in 1960, and earned his Ph.D. in physical oceanography from the University of Miami in 1974.

From 1994 through 2014, Maul served as head of the Department of Marine and Environmental Systems at Florida Tech, where he created the undergraduate and graduate meteorology programs and the graduate earth remote sensing program. Before this position, in 1960-1969, he held ranks from Ensign to Lieutenant Commander in the commissioned officer corps of the US Coast and Geodetic Survey and served as Operations Officer aboard the USC&GS Ship Discoverer. From 1969 to 1984, Maul was a Research Oceanographer at the Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratory in Miami. Then, from 1984 to 1994, he was a Supervisory Oceanographer with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), where he earned 5 Outstanding Performance Awards and 3 Distinguished Authorship Awards. He’s been Chief Scientist on numerous oceanographic cruises and has published more than 200 journal articles, book chapters, guest editorials, technical reports, and refereed abstracts, and eight books on oceanography and meteorology.

Additionally, Maul is a member of the American Geophysical Union, the American Meteorological Society, the Marine Technology Society, and the Florida Academy of Sciences. During 1989-1995, he served as Vice Chairman of the Subcommission for the Caribbean and Adjacent Regions (IOCARIBE) of the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC) of UNESCO and as Founding Chairman of the IOCARIBE Group of Experts on Ocean Processes and Climate, and the IOCARIBE Tsunami Steering Group of Experts. He was Co-Director of the International Symposia on Marine Positioning, a past member of the IOC Group of Experts on the global sea level observing system, chaired the United Nations Environment Programme / Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission Joint Task Team on Climatic Changes in the Wider Caribbean Region, and served on the editorial boards of Marine Geodesy, Remote Sensing of Environment, and the Journal of Earth System Science Education.

Maul’s awards and recognitions include the College of Engineering Teacher of the Year by the Florida Tech Student Government in 1997, the US President’s Volunteer Service Award in 2010, the College of Engineering Faculty Excellence Award for Service in 2012, and the Faculty Senate Excellence Award for Service in 2015. Maul was also elected a Fellow of the Marine Technology Society in 1999; a Fellow of the American Meteorological Society in 2003; elected to Omicron Delta Kappa, Phi Beta Delta, Sigma Xi, and the Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi; and was given the singular honor of being named the 2016 Florida Academy of Sciences Medalist.

If you would like to contribute to this fund, please go to Panther Fund and use the "other" designation to identify that you wish to give to this named endowment fund.

George and Dorothy Cheng Scholarship

Type

Scholarship / Fellowship

Year Established

2021

Purpose

Award undergraduate scholarships to students in the College of Engineering and Science. (GF000450)

Description

Supports undergraduate students in the College of Engineering and Science, specializing in Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering. Awardees should be individuals who show entrepreneurial and leadership interest

History

Mr. and Mrs. George Lung Cheng

George Cheng was a career diplomat for the Republic of China and Dorothy Cheng was an artist. Their story started in China involving two wars that went on to shape their life, World War II and the Chinese Civil War, and yet they somehow ended up here in Florida.

Both George and Dorothy were born in a time of major upheaval; a weak China was fighting a war of resistance against a modern mechanized military of Imperial Japan. It was a time when attending school was but a dream. George was orphaned by the war with Japan and was evacuated further West as the Japanese advanced from the East. He dreamed of studying to be an actor to make people happy and to make them laugh because in his childhood years he saw only the sadness and despair of war. Unfortunately, there were no full time schools to attend. Constantly on the retreat, George would catch a few classes at one school and within months be forced to relocate and attend another school. Dorothy was the second daughter of a chief mechanic in the Chinese Air Force. She was much luckier that she was with her family throughout the War. However, life too was a constant retreat towards the West of China. She was younger and did not have to attend school at the time, but she remembered the retreat as one of constant hunger. In addition to never having enough food, there was widespread disease and famine all around her. She lost her little sister to illness during that time.

A civil war erupted in China soon after the Japanese surrender to Allied forces. The civil war ended with the victory of Communist forces in China. Both George and Dorothy found themselves in Taiwan with the retreating anti-Communist forces. In Taiwan, they rebuilt their lives. George found himself on the streets of Taiwan, but soon enlisted in the military. However, he understood the importance of education; he always believed that education was a means to improve one’s circumstances regardless of the situation. He gave up his dream of acting and studied hard on his own to pass the college entrance exams. Because George realized he could teach himself any subject but mathematics, he knew that he could only study in a field that did not require complex mathematics. This ultimately lead him to law school. While in law school, George continued his military service as an English translator.

Dorothy came to Taiwan with the Air Force and lived in the military base. She went to school and found herself studying dance, and then the arts. While in dance school, Dorothy joined a dance troupe that occasionally performed on military bases; that’s how George and Dorothy met and started a new chapter of their life together. After marriage, George knew he needed a career to take care of his new family. Like all government jobs in Taiwan at the time, he had to qualify by passing exams. Through education, hard work, perseverance, and having been a translator, his strong language skills enabled his start with a career in the Foreign Services. As a diplomat, his life changed rapidly for the better. George worked his way up in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs from a Consul, to Director, Consul General, Charge d’Affaires, and finally to Ambassador. Along his career path, Dorothy was always there by his side, helping in the way she could as an artist. She taught Chinese painting and calligraphy to foreign friends and dignitaries in countries where George was assigned to: Thailand, Cyprus, St. Lucia, Finland, and South Africa. In a way George fulfilled his dreams of acting, being able to help make people’s lives better. He knew he had made the right choice and was happy with his career as a diplomat. Education, to him, really was the means to improving the circumstances not only for him, but also for his family.

George and Dorothy, as a Father and Mother to three sons, ensured that their children received the proper education. Every step along the way George and Dorothy reminded their sons of the importance of education for a prosperous and meaningful life. After retiring from the Foreign Ministry, George and Dorothy moved to Florida and settled there to be with their children and grandchildren.

Education to make a positive impact in one’s life has always been a key aspect of both George and Dorothy’s lives. Their son’s feel that the best way to honor their memory is through a scholarship. To give back to what has afforded them a better life; education. What better legacy to leave behind than to help as many kids as they can, and for those kids to receive an education that will change their lives for the better.

George Jenkins Memorial Scholarship

Type

Scholarship / Fellowship

Year Established

1996

Purpose

For undergraduate students. (GF000005)

Description

This scholarship is administered by the Office of Financial Aid to full-time undergraduate students in need of financial assistance, with demonstrated academic excellence. Preference is given to renewing with the same student.

History

Mr. George W. Jenkins Jr. was once asked how much he'd be worth if he had not given so much away.  His response: "probably nothing."

George was born September 29, 1907, in Warm Springs. Georgia. He was one of eight children and at the age of 12, he started working at his father's store which sold everything from coffins to collar buttons. Following his family's move to Atlanta, he attended Georgia Tech and briefly studied Electrical Engineering although he never finished. Instead, he took up odd jobs such as driving a cab, selling candy, and working as a clerk at Piggly Wiggly where he was eventually promoted to manager in St. Petersburg as a result of his long hours and hard work.

After the collapse of the Florida economic boom, the store failed and Mr. Jenkins used the $1,300 he had saved to get a new car and open his own store. In 1930, the corporation known as Publix Food Store Inc. was formed. He innovated the supermarket experience by including electric doors which opened automatically, fluorescent lighting, air conditioning, and frozen food holders. His design using glass and marble mantel with stucco exteriors was extremely rare at that time hence it was a phenomenon in supermarket history. In addition, Publix Food also started testing debit card use in 1984 so customers could pay for products via bank cards.

George W. Jenkins passed in 1996 at the age of 88. In his memory, a scholarship for undergraduate students was established at Florida Tech.

If you would like to contribute to this fund, please go to Panther Fund and use the "other" designation to identify that you wish to give to this named endowment fund.

Geraldine E. Phipps Biomedical Lab

Type

Professorship / Research Fund

Year Established

2021

Purpose

This fund supports the research in the laboratory on the first floor of the Gordon L. Nelson Health Sciences Building. (GF000466)

Description

Funds may be used for research in this lab, however, if the researcher(s) using this lab do not need funding, then the income may be used for any other biomedical research on campus. Funds are also available if needed for general equipment needs in the laboratory, including renovations necessary to keep the lab up to date and cutting edge.

History

Gertrude E. Skelly Fellowship

Type

Scholarship / Fellowship

Year Established

1998

Purpose

Create fellowships for students within the Department of Ocean Engineering and Marine Sciences. (GF000049)

Description

History

Gertrude E. Skelly was born on November 4th, 1918 in Wilmington, Delaware. She was a US Navy auxiliary, also known as WAVES (Women Accepted for Volunteer Emergency Service), during World War II and that is when her interest in the nursing profession began. She attended schools in Delaware and Connecticut and graduate from Finch College in New York City. 

She established The Gertrude E. Skelly Charitable Foundation in 1991 to provide medical care and educational opportunities for those who cannot otherwise afford them. It was also her wish to continue in the tradition of her parents who had a strong interest in education, medicine, and health care. Mrs. Skelly died on June 22nd, 1995 when she was 76 years old in Palm Beach County, leaving her legacy and meaningful charitable foundation. Mr. Erik Joh, the lead trustee for the Gertrude E. Skelly Foundation, is committed to carrying forth her legacy for years to come. 

The foundation’s primary mission is to provide educational opportunities, mainly at colleges and universities, and needed medical care who are unable to afford them. All grants must affect multiple individuals and meet some educational, medical, or emergency need. 

If you would like to contribute to this fund, please go to Panther Fund and use the "other" designation to identify that you wish to give to this named endowment fund.

Gordon L. Nelson Health Sciences Fund

Gordon L. Nelson

Type

Other Fund

Year Established

2021

Purpose

To support innovation grants for health science research at Florida Tech. (GF000464)

Description

History

Dr. Nelson’s background is in physical organic chemistry, the how and why of organic reactions. Much of his research has been in the area of polymer flammability. His more than 200 publications are principally in the area of the flammability of polymers; particularly engineering plastics. His early contributions included extension of the oxygen index test as a tool to elucidate the effect of chemical structure on flammability. In industry (General Electric Company) he developed a major multidisciplinary laboratory devoted to fire and plastics. Over 500 large-scale simulations of fires in plastics products were conducted with considerable new understanding attained. He conducted some of the early industrial animal toxicity studies on products of combustion of burning polymers.

He was the first to recognize the importance of CO2 in more fully accounting for toxicity of CO in small-scale toxic potency tests. As a result of this extensive experience, he has participated extensively in the standards process for fire safety.

Dr. Nelson received the Society of the Plastics Industry Structural Foam Division’s Man of the Year Award for 1979. The Mississippi Legislature passed a Concurrent Resolution in his honor in 1987. He was the American Institute of Chemists Members and Fellows Lecturer in 1989. Nelson was also the 1992 chair of the Council of Scientific Society Presidents and was 1988 President of the American Chemical Society. He was the 1998 recipient of the Charles Holmes Herty Medal presented by the Georgia Section of the American Chemical Society.  From 2013-2015 he was President of the Council of Scientific Society Presidents.  On 2015 he was elected as a Fellow of the American Chemical Society.

Dr. Gordon L. Nelson has had a front-row seat to Florida Tech’s growth and evolution over the last three decades, as well as key roles in pushing the university to the top reaches of higher education. He was heavily involved with the construction of the F.W. Olin Physical Sciences and F.W. Olin Life Sciences buildings. Already a renowned chemist and past president of the 160,000-member American Chemical Society, Nelson came to Florida Tech in 1989 to serve as dean of the College of Science and Liberal Arts. He remained dean of the college, which later became the College of Science, for 22 years. From 2011 to 2012, he was vice president for academic affairs. He was then named university professor of chemistry, the position he holds today.

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Gronfeldt-Strother Endowed Scholarship

Type

Scholarship / Fellowship

Year Established

2016

Purpose

Provide financial support for a student of students in an academic year. (GF000191)

Description

History

Dr. Svafa Gronfeldt is a Florida Tech alumni. She graduated in 1995 with a master's in technical and professional communications. She has traveled all around the world furthering her knowledge in education. She received her Ph.D. in London in leadership and organizational behavior. After school, she created Alvogen. She mainly instructs the company in communication procedures, planning for the future, and advancing the organizational development.Gronfeldt truly appreciated her time across the seas, that she has developed the study abroad and communications scholarship.

If you would like to contribute to this fund, please go to Panther Fund and use the "other" designation to identify that you wish to give to this named endowment fund.

H. Seeley and Ruth E. Funk Fund for the Textile Arts

Type

Other Fund

Year Established

2006

Purpose

To construct and support an art gallery for fiber and textiles on the Florida Tech campus. (GF000264)

Description

History

Ruth was survived by her daughter Susan Bayly and son-in-law Ed Bayly of Melbourne, Fl, and her son Richard Seeley Funk of Albany, NY.

If you would like to contribute to this fund, please go to Panther Fund and use the "other" designation to identify that you wish to give to this named endowment fund.

Harbor City Volunteer Ambulance Squad Scholarship

Type

Scholarship / Fellowship

Year Established

2000

Purpose

Provide support for undergraduate students in the College of Aeronautics. (GF000063)

Description

This scholarship is awarded at the discretion of the Director of Financial Aid.

History

In 1966 the Harbor City Volunteer Ambulance Squad (HCVAS) was formed as a non-profit business to provide emergency and non-emergency ambulance services for portions of Brevard County. After more than 30 years, HCVAS ceased operations on September 30, 1999, when its ambulance services were transferred to the Jurisdiction of the Board of County Commissioners of Brevard County, Florida.

Being aware that Florida Tech's College of Aeronautics was engaged in research projects relating to HCVAS's mission, they donated available funds in the amount of $55,000 to fund research in areas associated with the health care industry, air ambulance operations, medical transportation requirements, civil disaster support, and other related matters as well as to establish a scholarship endowment in the name of HCVAS.

In addition, they donated $25,000 to establish this endowed scholarship for selected graduate students enrolled in the Florida Tech College of Aeronautics. They requested a preference for any student who was a former volunteer or employee of HCVAS.

If you would like to contribute to this fund, please go to Panther Fund and use the "other" designation to identify that you wish to give to this named endowment fund.

Health First Endowed Chair In Community Health Management

Type

Faculty Chair

Year Established

1999

Purpose

Offer a professorship that will be involved in teaching, research, and innovative community health care delivery design. (GF000107)

Description

History

Founded in 1995, Health First founded and became Central Florida's only fully integrated delivery network (IDN). As of this history, Health First operated four hospitals: Health First's Cape Canaveral Hospital (opened in 1962), Holmes Regional Medical Center (opened as Brevard Hospital in 1937 and serving as Brevard County's only Trauma Center), Palm Bay Hospital (opened in 1992) and Viera Hospital (opened in 2011) and is home to Brevard County's only Level II Trauma Center. Health First Medical Group is the largest multi-specialty physician group on the Space Coast. Health First also offers numerous outpatient and wellness services, including Health First Aging Services, three Health First Pro-Health & Fitness Centers, Home Care, and a Hospice of Health First.

If you would like to contribute to this fund, please go to Panther Fund and use the "other" designation to identify that you wish to give to this named endowment fund.

Past Chairs

2003-2006 Dr. Julie Siciliano 

2008-2011 Dr. Kristi Sands Van Sickle 

2017-Present Dr. Vida Tyc

Henry L. and Grace Doherty Visiting Professorship

Type

Professorship / Research Fund

Year Established

1999

Purpose

Funds will allow for visiting professorships within the Department of Ocean Engineering and Marine Sciences. (GF000106)

Description

History

Henry Latham Doherty was born on May 15^th, 1870 in Columbus, Ohio. He was a leader in the oil industry, president and co-founder of the Cities Service Company- which later became CITGO Petroleum Corporation, and philanthropist.

When he was only 12 years old, Doherty was hired by Columbus Gas Company and worked his way up to become the Chief Engineer at the age of 20. Later, Doherty became acting president and treasurer of the Denver Gas & Electric Company. In 1905, he started Henry L. Doherty & Co., a company that provided technical and financial consulting services to utility companies, and five years later, he had begun Cities Service Company. Additionally, in 1916, he established the Doherty Energy Research Laboratory Co. (DORELCO) in Oklahoma.

Doherty was recognized and awarded several times for his contributions to the development of scientific methodology in the petroleum industry. Correspondingly, he was awarded the Franklin Institute’s Walton Clark Medal in 1931, and, in 1969, Columbia University added his name to the Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory.

Doherty met Mrs. Grace Eames in New York, NY, got married in 1928, and adopted her daughter from a previous marriage. Henry Doherty died on December 26^th, 1939. However, The Henry L. and Grace Doherty Charitable Foundation, located in New York, NY, primarily promotes marine science and education, and assists institutions engaged in oceanographic activities. 

If you would like to contribute to this fund, please go to Panther Fund and use the "other" designation to identify that you wish to give to this named endowment fund.

2000-01           Dr. Anne C. Steinmann

2001-02           Dr. Joseph A. Angelo

2002-03           Dr. Stefan M. Groghowalski

2003-04           Dr. Michael Hartnett

2004-05           Ms. Diane D. Barile

2004-05            Mr. Frank R. Leslie

2004-05            Mr. Michael E. Splitt

2005-06            Dr. In-Young Gong

2006-07            Dr. Christopher Waldmann

2007-08            Dr. Kenyon C. Lindeman

2008-09            Dr. Martha F. Wolfe

2009-10            Dr. Ronnal P. Reichard

2011–12           Mr. Christopher Combs

2013–14           Mr. Carlton R. Parks

2014–15           Ms. Leesa Souto

2016–17           Dr. Claudia Listopad

2017–18           Dr. John “Travis” Hunsucker

2018–19           Dr. Jeffry Eble

2019-20            Dr. Christopher Collimore

2020–21           Mr. Joel Tumbiolo

2022-23            Dr. Milla Costa

2023-24            Dr. Milla Costa

Henry Paul Clausen Scholarship

Type

Scholarship / Fellowship

Year Established

1997

Purpose

Scholarships for students enrolled at Florida Tech. (GF000152)

Description

History

The scholarship was established in memory of the late Henry Paul Clausen. He died in 1994 at age 89.

If you would like to contribute to this fund, please go to Panther Fund and use the "other" designation to identify that you wish to give to this named endowment fund.

Herman Kessler Moore, M.D. Memorial Scholarship

Type

Scholarship / Fellowship

Year Established

2000

Purpose

Scholarships for undergraduate students majoring in Life Sciences. (GF000060)

Description

History

Dr. Richard B. Moore, the Cardiologist, obtained his medical degree from the University of Miami School of Medicine in Florida. He finished his residency at Northwestern Memorial Hospital and his fellowship training at Loyola University Medical Center. His board certifications include Nuclear Cardiology, Cardiovascular Disease, and Internal Medicine.

Dr. Richard B. Moore established an endowed scholarship in the name of Dr. Herman K. Moore. Dr. Herman Moore was born in Macon, Georgia, and attended medical school at the College of Georgia. He served in World War II as a Navy Medical Officer and practiced medicine for more than 40 years in Key West. After his retirement, he wrote more than 400 columns for The Key West Citizen which included medical history and advances and opinions on different topics.

If you would like to contribute to this fund, please go to Panther Fund and use the "other" designation to identify that you wish to give to this named endowment fund.

Herman Kessler Moore, MD Endowed Scholarship

Description

History

If you would like to contribute to this fund, please go to Panther Fund and use the "other" designation to identify that you wish to give to this named endowment fund.

Holzer-Lequear Endowment

Type

Professorship / Research Fund

Year Established

1984

Purpose

Support Medical Genetic Research; if this ceases to be appropriate then used to promote research and teaching in molecular biology. (GF000114)

Description

Based on a proposal from the Director of the Medical Genetics Laboratory; final approval by the trustee.

History

VIDEO

Dr. Oswald A. Holzer, or “Bubba”, as he was more commonly known, was born in 1911 in Benesov, Czechoslovakia. He was a physician who fled to China during the German Invasion at the outbreak of World War II and worked at the Rockefeller Endowed Peking Union Medical College. Bubba obtained his medical degree from Charles University in Prague, Czechoslovakia, and completed his medical internship and residency in the United States. After this was done, the Wartime Office of Procurement and Assignment for Physicians assigned him to American oil fields in Peru and Ecuador.

In 1948, he started working at Florida State Hospital and, in 1952, he went into private practice in Melbourne and, at the same time, became the seventh member of the old Brevard hospital staff (now Holmes Regional Medical Center). There, he was part of the staff in an honorary and emeritus position until his death in 2000. In 1974, he retired and founded the Student Health Services at the Florida Institute of Technology. The clinic was named in his honor after Dr. Holzer donated his salary to the University for 10 years and, in 1985, was awarded an Honorary Doctor of Science degree by Florida Tech.

Along with an outstanding career, Dr. Holzer was also an honorary member of the International College of Surgeons and Southeastern College of Surgeons; a member of East-minster Presbyterian Church, the Brevard County Medical Society, and Florida Medical Association; Commodore of the Eau Gallie Yacht Club; and a former Melbourne Chamber of Commerce education committee chairman, plus he served on the boards of the Brevard Mental Health Center and was Vice President of Trinity Towers.

Ruth Alice “Chick” (nee Lequear) Holzer, Dr. Holzer’s beloved wife, was a teacher who had been born and raised in China by missionary parents. She graduated from Bridgewater College in Virginia and was an active member of Eastminster Presbyterian Church, where she sang in the choir, taught Sunday school, and served as President of Women of the Church. Chick co-founded the choir and was named a lifetime Woman of the year, in addition, was president of the Brevard Hospital Auxiliary and Brevard County Hospital Auxiliary, and a Lifetime member of the American Association of University Women. Chick and Bubba raised three children, Tom, Pat (Holm), and Joanie (Schirm), to value community involvement for the common good.

Dr. and Mrs. Holzer met in China and got married in Beijing, China in 1940. That same year, with the increasing occupation in China by Japan, they moved to the United States and to Melbourne, Florida in 1952, where they found a home until their deaths in 2000. Bubba Holzer passed away at the age of 88, two days after his beloved wife Chick’s passing at the age of 83. 

Bubba and Chick are remembered by everyone who knew them and those whom they helped. Oswald Holzer was a remarkable man who had a special passion for helping young people and whose conductor’s imperative advice was “keep moving.”  The Jewish army officer who had the nerve to publicly criticize the Nazis' thugs, did “keep moving” after the Czech army’s breakoff. He kept moving across Europe to Egypt, Yemen, Djibouti, Singapore, Shanghai, China, Peru, Ecuador, and, finally, Melbourne.

If you would like to contribute to this fund, please go to Panther Fund and use the "other" designation to identify that you wish to give to this named endowment fund.

Hydro Aluminum Corporation College Of Engineering Scholarship

Type

Scholarship / Fellowship

Year Established

1998

Purpose

Scholarships for undergraduate students within the College of Engineering. (GF000042)

Description

History

In March 1998 a donation of $60,000 from Hydro-Aluminum was made to create the endowment “Hydro Aluminum Corporation COE Scholarship Fund”. The gift was matched by the F.W. Olin Foundation totaling an amount of $120,000. The fund has been used to support students enrolled in the College of Engineering (Mechanical Engineering preference).

If you would like to contribute to this fund, please go to Panther Fund and use the "other" designation to identify that you wish to give to this named endowment fund.

Indiafest Brevard Scholarship Endowment

Type

Scholarship / Fellowship

Year Established

2011

Purpose

Provide financial support for a Brevard Community College (BCC) graduate to transfer to Florida Tech. (GF000100)

Description

Students must have filed their FAFSA; must be in good academic standing; a graduate of BCC; have a proven history of community involvement and volunteering; residents from Brevard County are eligible. If the candidate meets all other criteria except residency, Central Florida residents from the following counties will be considered: Volusia, Osceola, Orange, Seminole, Indian River, and Polk. Preference is given to renewal to the same student in subsequent semesters.

History

Indiafest started in the 1990s as a celebration of India’s rich culture and traditions. Indiafest is a symbol of cultural enrichment in Brevard County and is celebrated with great enthusiasm. This well-run festival has a fresh and new look year after year. A different theme is presented each year showing the unique aspects of India’s culture, history, and traditions.

Indiafest is a fun family festival that brings focus and a sharing of Indian culture in Brevard County.

An admirable factor of this festival is its commitment to community service with the purpose of cultural enlightenment. Indiafest is a volunteer-run, non-profit, cultural organization, known for its charitable efforts, supporting over $1 million for a variety of charitable causes including Florida Tech.

Other beneficiaries have included: Haitian earthquake relief, Florida hurricane relief, early intervention programs, Daily Bread, Serene Harbor, Crosswinds, the Cancer Care Center, and Sentinels of Freedom – Veterans Re-Training Program as well as The Children’s Hunger Project, Promise in Brevard, Habitat for Humanity, and Shriners of Brevard.

In 2011 Indiafest established an Endowment Scholarship at Florida Tech for a Brevard student and in 2020 named the Panther Dining Atrium with a gift that provided emergency loan support for students.

Indiafest offers something of interest for everyone, from hands-on activities for the youths, to shopping for adults, to mouth-watering Indian cuisine, yoga demonstrations, and all-day entertainment.  The stage comes alive with performances by local artists dancing to traditional folk, classical, and modern Indian music while the fashion show is a highlight of the day.

The grounds buzz with vendors selling jewelry, rich colorful ethnic garments, arts and crafts, music, and videos. Participants enjoy temporary body art of exotic Henna designs while the aroma of the tantalizing flavors of food being prepared entices the taste buds.

Today, as technology makes the world smaller and more accessible, assimilation of the different cultures is very real and the need to appreciate each other is ever more apparent.

At Indiafest visitors take back a part of India’s rich cultural heritage – be it arts and crafts, food, jewelry, music, dance, or clothes.

If you would like to contribute to this fund, please go to Panther Fund and use the "other" designation to identify that you wish to give to this named endowment fund.

International Aerospace Lighting Conference (IALC) Scholarship

Type

Scholarship / Fellowship

Year Established

2002

Purpose

Provide one or more scholarships to undergraduate students. (GF000074)

Description

History

If you would like to contribute to this fund, please go to Panther Fund and use the "other" designation to identify that you wish to give to this named endowment fund.

J.V. and A.R. Lopez Endowment Scholarship Fund

Type

Scholarship / Fellowship

Year Established

2014

Purpose

Provide financial support for a student working towards a degree in Oceanography, Environmental Science, and Ocean Engineering. (GF000154)

Description

History

If you would like to contribute to this fund, please go to Panther Fund and use the "other" designation to identify that you wish to give to this named endowment fund.

Jack and Pat Pruitt Endowment

Type

General Endowment

Year Established

2007

Purpose

Funds are to be used where the need is greatest as deemed by the University's president. (GF000004)

Description

History

Jack Pruitt created the fund with his wife in 2007 so that the institute can fix any problem that has the greatest need. Jack is a trustee member ever since 1992. At one point the funds were used to establish and renovate the Alumni Center. It was clear that the building was a gateway to campus life and the community after graduating.

If you would like to contribute to this fund, please go to Panther Fund and use the "other" designation to identify that you wish to give to this named endowment fund.

James Constantine Endowment for the School of Aeronautics

Type

General Endowment

Year Established

1980

Purpose

Support the College of Aeronautics. (GF000123)

Description

History

Students in the School of Aeronautics are immersed in the industry. They study and get certified in aviation. Whether they experience flying through simulations or real-life situations, they are involved in hands-on learning.

 If you would like to contribute to this fund, please go to Panther Fund and use the "other" designation to identify that you wish to give to this named endowment fund.

James G. Kennedy Sr. Library Endowment

Type

General Endowment

Year Established

1998

Purpose

Support Evans Library resources in the fields of engineering and business. (GF000423)

Description

History

James G. Kennedy was the founder, president, and chairman of James G. Kennedy & Company, Inc. in New York City.

James was born in 1907 in Harlem, New York City, both of his parents were immigrants from Ireland. He attended Townsend Harris High School and graduated in three years. He attended the Mechanical Institute in New York City.

After several years as a plasterer, James Gerard Kennedy founded James G. Kennedy & Co., Inc. in 1935. After serving his country as a highly-decorated World War II veteran with the Army Corps of Engineers, his first significant project involved a major renovation for Bankers Trust company at 14 Wall Street. The Kennedy Company has since done multiple major renovations for the same client for over 60 years.

A landmark project in the company's history was actually made into a motion picture by the New York Telephone Company. The film was titled ''The Miracle of Second Avenue.'' It told the story of how ''Ma Bells' main switching center, devastated by fire, was restored to 100% working order in record time with the help of James G. Kennedy & Co., Inc. under the leadership of its President, James G. Kennedy, Sr.

Mr. Kennedy's career has been marked by ongoing involvement in the industry and civic and religious activities. He has served as the President of The Building Contractors Association of the City of New York and has been a Committee Member and a member of the Board of Directors of the BCA. Mr. Kennedy also helped to maintain the integrity of the famous Heisman Trophy when he served as a Governor of the Downtown Athletic Club, home of the Heisman Trophy, in New York City. As Chairman of the Executive Council of the American Irish Historical Society, he was responsible for the reconstruction of the entire Fifth Avenue headquarters of the Society. Mr. Kennedy has been honored by The American Jewish Committee as ''Man of The Year,'' and in 1989 he was honored by The Dominican Academy as ''A Catholic Gentleman'' for his generosity in constructing the James G. Kennedy Science Center at the school. Mr. Kennedy is also a Knight of Malta.

If you would like to contribute to this fund, please go to Panther Fund and use the "other" designation to identify that you wish to give to this named endowment fund.

James G. Potter Scholarships for Physics Students

Type

Scholarship / Fellowship

Year Established

1999

Purpose

Scholarships for physics students. (GF000069)

Description

History

James G. Potter was born on April 2^nd, 1907, in Manhattan, Kansas. He earned his bachelor’s degree from Princeton in 1927, MS from New York University in 1931, and Ph.D. from Yale in 1939, all of them in physics. His professional career started at the Naval Research Laboratories and continued at Armour Institute of Technology (now the Illinois Institute of Technology) as an instructor and assistant professor. He also served at the South Dakota School of Mines and Technology as a professor and head of the department of physics. From 1945 to 1966, he was a staff physicist at Bell Labs and served as a professor and head of the physics department at Texas A&M University, and in 1967, he was assistant dean for student resources there.

Potter moved to the Florida Institute of Technology in 1967 and helped build the physics department. He was a professor and head of the department until 1972 and continued as a professor until 1987 when he became professor emeritus. Moreover, Potter founded, guided, and supported the local chapter of the Society for Physics Students and continued to operate the physics laboratories and train graduate student assistants as instructors.

James Potter was fully active in the Florida Tech physics department until a few months before his death on October 21^st, 1993. 

If you would like to contribute to this fund, please go to Panther Fund and use the "other" designation to identify that you wish to give to this named endowment fund.

Jane Gleason Madry Library Endowment

Type

General Endowment

Year Established

2002

Purpose

Support the Evans Library. (GF000148)

Description

History

Jane Carey Gleason graduated from Duke University with a bachelor’s degree in Political Science and Government in 1980, and from Florida Tech with an MBA in 1989. Her professional career started as Director of Community Relations at Holmes Regional Medical Center; then she continued her career at Florida Institute of Technology where she worked as Director of Community and Government Relations, Associate Vice President for Advancement and Community Relations, and Associate Vice President for Development and Community Relations; in 2012, she started her own consulting firm “Carey Gleason Consulting” where she was working in different roles such as public relations, marketing, development, strategic planning, etc.; in 2014, she became the Executive Director of Bridges Foundation; and in May 2019, she started working at Habitat for Humanity of Brevard as Vice President Development and Marketing.

Jane started the “Jane Gleason Madry Library Endowment” in honor of her aunt, Jane Gleason Madry, who passed away on August 18^th, 2015. She was also a graduate of Duke University and a member of the AAUW (American Association of University Women). She volunteered and was a member of the Jr. League of South Brevard, Space Coast Science Center, Aid for the Arts, Brevard Art Center and Museum, and EGYC.

If you would like to contribute to this fund, please go to Panther Fund and use the "other" designation to identify that you wish to give to this named endowment fund.

Jeff Simonds Memorial Scholarship Fund

Type

Scholarship / Fellowship

Year Established

2011

Purpose

Offer scholarships to students during the summer semesters for field sources within the Department of Biological Sciences. (GF000209)

Description

History

Jeffrey Daniel Simonds was born on April 24^th, 1978 in Marathon, Florida. He attended C.W. Baker High School in Baldwinsville, New York, and he double majored and obtained his bachelor’s degree in marine biology and ecology from the Florida Institute of Technology in 2000. During his time at Florida Tech, Simonds was an active member of the Tau Kappa Epsilon Fraternity. Moreover, Simonds worked for the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission’s Fish and Wildlife Research Institute in Marathon, Florida, as a marine biologist.

His hobbies included scuba diving and fishing. “He loved to tinker on his ‘arrest-me-red” Camaro and to hike in the Adirondacks when he visited Baldwinsville”, his family said.

Jeffrey Simonds died on February 18^th, 2010, at the age of 31.

If you would like to contribute to this fund, please go to Panther Fund and use the "other" designation to identify that you wish to give to this named endowment fund.

Jeffery Allen Dimond Memorial Scholarship

Type

Scholarship / Fellowship

Year Established

1990

Purpose

Aviation scholarship in memory of Jefferey Allen Dimond. (GF000027)

Description

History

In February 1990, Jeffrey Allen Dimond, son of Dr. Keith and Ms. Julie Dimond, was a freshman at Florida Tech majoring in Aviation Management and Flight Technology. On the morning of February 3rd, during a cross-country flight, he followed all FAA regulations to land his aircraft at the Sebastian Municipal Airport. His plane was struck from behind on final approach by another plane resulting in his death. Medical Associates of Savannah created the endowment in memory of Jeffrey. His mother, Julie Dimond is grateful to learn of the recipients each year.

If you would like to contribute to this fund, please go to Panther Fund and use the "other" designation to identify that you wish to give to this named endowment fund.

JoAnn H. Morgan Women in Engineering Scholarship

Type

Scholarship / Fellowship

Year Established

2011

Purpose

Scholarships for female students within the College of Engineering. (GF000101)

Description

Recipients must be undergraduate female students in good academic standing maintaining a 3.0 GPA. First priority is given to residents of Brevard, Volusia, of Osceola counties. The next priority gives to Florida residents. Third priority to U.S. citizens. Qualified recipient of scholarship support who has filed for financial assistance. Preference may be given to a student with greater financial need.

History

At age 17, JoAnn H. Morgan, while obtaining her Bachelor of Arts in mathematics from Jacksonville State University, worked during the summers as a University of Florida trainee for the Army at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station.  This program was then rolled into the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, also known as NASA. Morgan became an employee there and worked on the Mercury, Gemini, and Apollo programs.

She was the first NASA woman to win a Sloan Fellowship, which she used to earn a Master of Science degree in management from Stanford University. When she came back to NASA, she became division chief of the Computer Systems division. After that, Morgan was successful in several other roles such as deputy of Expendable Launch Vehicle, director of Payload Projects Management, and director of Safety and Mission Assurance. She was one of the last two people who verified the space shuttle was ready to launch and the first woman at Kennedy Space Center to serve in an executive position, associate director of the center. During her career, she was the first woman to hold any of these positions and received many honors and awards, including four NASA exceptional service medals, two NASA outstanding leadership medals, a Meritorious Executive of the federal government, and the Presidential Distinguished Rank Award. She was inducted into the Florida Women’s Hall of Fame, won the National Space Club Debus Award, the Florida Woman of Achievement Medal received a national award from the Society of Women Engineers, and the Daughter of American Revolution (DAR) National Medal of Honor.

She retired from NASA in August 2003 as the director of External Relations and Business Development. However, she states that even though she is almost 80 years old, she is not giving up. Morgan encourages women to pursue careers in STEM and sponsors endowments and scholarships at seven universities, including the Florida Institute of Technology, and provides internships at IHMC (Institute for Human and Machine Cognition).

If you would like to contribute to this fund, please go to Panther Fund and use the "other" designation to identify that you wish to give to this named endowment fund.

Joe Brett Endowment Fund

Type

General Endowment

Year Established

2013

Purpose

Funds are to be used at the discretion of the President. (GF000128)

Description

History

Joseph “Big Joe” Brett, Founder and Owner of Gator Chrysler Plymouth in Melbourne, Fl, was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1927. In 1970, he moved to Brevard County and served in different positions such as President of The Melbourne Rotary and a Paula Harris Fellow, President of the Melbourne Area Chamber of Commerce, Commodore of the EGYC (EAU Gallie Yacht Club), President of Honor America, President of South Brevard Automobile Dealers Association, President of Florida Chrysler, President of Plymouth Dealers Advertising Association, Secretary of Florida Chrysler, Chairman Easter Seal Board of Directors, Director-Brevard County Civilian Military Council, Director-Panther Athletic Association at Florida Institute of Technology and Board Member of Buena Vida.

Big Joe died on August 27^th, 2012 in Melbourne, Florida, and is remembered by his family, friends, and coworkers.

If you would like to contribute to this fund, please go to Panther Fund and use the "other" designation to identify that you wish to give to this named endowment fund.

John M. Williams Fellowship Endowment

Type

Scholarship / Fellowship

Year Established

2007

Purpose

Funds will be used for fellowships for graduate students within the Department of Ocean Engineering and Marine Sciences studying Meteorology-related courses. (GF000112)

Description

History

John Williams was born in St. Paul MN. He received his education from the Officer Candidate School. When he moved to Florida he became a member of the faculty board for the Hurricane Research. Hurricanes has always been an interesting topic for Williams. He co-wrote three different books on the hurricanes that Florida sees. Even though he passed away on February 21, 2007, his memory still lives on through his three children, grandchildren, and the mother of his children.

If you would like to contribute to this fund, please go to Panther Fund and use the "other" designation to identify that you wish to give to this named endowment fund.

John Thomas and Martha Hartley Endowed Scholarship

Type

Scholarship / Fellowship

Year Established

1998

Purpose

Award tuition scholarships to undergraduate students enrolled or planning to enroll in Florida Tech. (GF000075)

Description

Recipients will be selected by the Office of Financial Aid. The recipient must be a full-time student; must be in and remain in good academic standing; selected on the basis of need and merit with a preference to awarding based on need. Preference is given to renewing the same student in successive semesters.

History

John Thomas “Jack” Hartley, born on March 4^th, 1930 in Jacksonville, FL, earned a Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering in 1951 and a master’s degree in Electrical Engineering in 1955 from Auburn University, where he taught different courses for a short period of time and met his beloved wife Martha Hartley.

In 1956, he decided to leave teaching and joined the small startup company, Radiation, Inc., in Melbourne, FL. There, he started his career by being involved in research, business development, and program management. However, for his leadership and hard work, Mr. Hartley reached upper-level roles such as Vice President and General Manager of the largest electronics operating unit after the company was acquired by Harris-Intertype Corporation, then became Executive Vice President and was subsequently promoted to President and COO in 1985. One year later, he became Chairman and CEO and served in this position until his retirement in 1995. He continued to be part of the Harris Corporation Board of Directors until 2002 plus being a member of the Board of Directors of the AXA/Equitable Life Insurance Corporation and of the McGraw-Hill Company.

Even though his work was already valued and recognized by the people who knew and worked with him, Mr. Hartley received many honors including the Outstanding Alumnus Award in 1987 from Auburn, election to the Alabama Engineering Hall of Fame, Florida Industrialist of the Year, the 1992 Financial World CEO of the Year, an honorary doctorate of philosophy degree from Florida Tech in 1994, an honorary doctorate of science degree from Auburn University in 1996, the United States Department of Defense Medal for Distinguished Public Service, and was appointed to the National Security Telecommunications Advisory Committee in 1998.

Furthermore, Mr. Hartley was named to the Florida Tech Board of Trustees and worked relentlessly to make Florida Tech one of the nation’s outstanding private universities and helped secure significant financial support. His generosity left a print on campus with the John and Martha Hartley Room in the student union building and Hartley Hall, a residential facility. Also, he and his wife created the John Thomas and Martha Hartley Scholarship, which continues to benefit students at Florida Tech.

Mr. Hartley passed away on June 5^th, 2018, at the age of 88. He is remembered by his family, friends, coworkers, the Florida Tech community, and everyone who he helped. “Jack’s impact on Florida Tech cannot be overstated and will forever be remembered. As with his leadership at Harris, and really in everything he did, Jack was guided by his unerring desire for excellence and his vision for how to achieve it. And he always achieved what he set out to do, a fact for which all of us at Florida Tech are eternally grateful,” said former Florida Tech President, Dwayne McCay.

If you would like to contribute to this fund, please go to Panther Fund and use the "other" designation to identify that you wish to give to this named endowment fund.

Jonathan B. Zung Family Scholarship Endowment

Type

Scholarship / Fellowship

Year Established

2011

Purpose

Scholarships to provide support for an entering freshman to study Chemistry. (GF000102)

Description

History

Alumnus and Trustee Jonathan B. Zung, Ph.D., has established The Martin Zung Memorial Chemistry Endowment Fund at the Florida Institute of Technology in memory of his late father Martin Zung. Jonathan Zung received his bachelor’s degree in chemistry from the university and his doctoral degree in analytical chemistry from Emory University.

The scholarship will annually recognize an outstanding junior or senior chemistry major who has demonstrated strong academic performance and outstanding independent research. The recipient will be presented with a plaque and a financial award, which is anticipated to be at least $1,500.

“We are very pleased with this financial commitment by Jonathan Zung, who has always been a staunch supporter and friend of the university,” said Susan St. Onge, Florida Tech senior vice president for advancement and chief development officer.

Martin Zung was an educator, pharmacist, and strong supporter of the sciences and of Florida Tech and its mission. Jonathan Zung, a resident of Upper Holland, Pa., is a vice president at Bristol-Myers Squibb Company in Princeton, N.J.

If you would like to contribute to this fund, please go to Panther Fund and use the "other" designation to identify that you wish to give to this named endowment fund.

Jorge and Susana Mesquita Scholarship

Description

History

Joseph Caruso Family Scholarship

Type

Scholarship / Fellowship

Year Established

2007

Purpose

Provide scholarship support for an eligible junior or senior and a member of Pi Kappa Alpha Fraternity at Florida Tech. (GF000086)

Description

The Fund supports active members in good standing of the Pi Kappa Alpha Fraternity at the Florida Institute of Technology. Preference is given to students enrolled in the Nathan M. Bisk College of Business, but may be awarded to a student from any College. Both domestic and international students may receive this scholarship.

History

Joseph Caruso came to Florida Tech in 1969 with $100 in his pocket. After years of hard work, Joseph earned his bachelor of science in 1973 and his master’s degree in 1976. He began his career with a decade of hands-on financing and growth in the banking industry. In 1984, he founded Omnifirst Capital, a successful private investment firm focused on opportunities in the telecommunications, health care, technology, and entertainment industries.

With a career based on relationship development and coalition building, Joe is the managing partner in nine companies. He is involved in every aspect of a client’s business, including arranging appropriate debt and equity funds, mergers and acquisitions, and other consulting and advisory strategies that create solutions for the company’s $4.5 billion portfolio of impact investments.

As the co-founder and owner of the Trenton Thunder minor league baseball team, the Double-A Affiliate of the twenty-seven- time World Champion New York Yankees, Joe is also immersed in revenue growth and strategic planning for the company. The Trenton Thunder has been recognized multiple times by the baseball industry for marketing and business practice excellence and boasts nearly 400 players who have moved up to Major League Baseball.

Never losing his Panther pride, Joe established the Joseph Caruso Family Scholarship in 2007. The scholarship fund was created to give students the opportunity to continue their pursuits in business and become successful entrepreneurs and leaders. Through this scholarship, Joe fosters real-life lessons for students to see themselves as the CEO of their lives and career while learning the important skills of network building and collaboration.

Joe credits his membership in Pi Kappa Alpha as another transformational life event. He remains an active Pike brother, spearheading the capital campaign to build a new Zeta Sigma house in Palm Bay, Florida.

If you would like to contribute to this fund, please go to Panther Fund and use the "other" designation to identify that you wish to give to this named endowment fund.

Joy & Gordon Patterson Botanical Garden Endowment

Type

Other Fund

Year Established

2018

Purpose

To support in perpetuity, the Botanical Garden at Florida Tech. (GF000156)

Description

This fund may be used for any need necessary to preserve and enhance the Botanical Garden as a permanent part of Florida Tech and to ensure that it is enjoyed by students, faculty, and the public.

History

Gardens have always occupied a special place in our lives.  Nearly fifty years ago we were married in UCLA’s Mathias Botanical Garden.  Our introduction to Florida Tech was a walk beneath these palms.  Later, our son grew up playing here.  Gardens teach us much.  They remind us to cherish the fleeting beauty of the present and our responsibility to the future.  Life is short no matter how long one lives.  It is our hope that this garden will endure as a place of peace and beauty for generations to come.     

- Joy and Gordon Patterson

***

F.I.T. acquired the first forty acres of its present campus fronting on Country Club Road through a generous donation from the University of Melbourne in 1960. The land was originally owned by V.C. Brownlie who had donated the 40 acres to the University of Melbourne for educational purposes. After a few years of operation, and has built a small building on the site, the University decided that it was no longer viable as an educational institution. Of course, there was some competition from others who were interested in acquiring the property. Enter Mrs. Virginia Wood who, while Chairman of the University of Melbourne, was instrumental in donating the land to F.I.T. I believe the critical factor in our favor was my pledge to maintain the natural hammock that threaded through the property and to not disturb any of the trees unnecessarily. Conservation was of great concern to the U of Melbourne as it is to us. "Brownlie" and "Wood" Halls derive their names from these two key players in the process of the evolution of F.I.T. as we know it today.

Attempts at landscaping the campus began almost immediately. We planted a row of royal palms on the new campus all along Country Club Road. People were pouring in from the north expecting to see palms everywhere. I didn't intend to disappoint them, they would see plenty of them at F.I.T. But then came January 1961 and most of my beautiful royals turned into skinny haystacks. One of them has survived to this day and was subsequently transplanted to the protected south side of the "Quad". The unusually cold winters it has endured are readily evident by the gross irregularities of its trunk profile.

It was evident that I had a lot to learn about palms but I soon heard of a man named Dent Smith who could help me. He had founded a palm society and was growing a great many species in Daytona Beach. It seemed obvious that whatever he could grow there we should be able to grow here. A visit to his place was easily arranged and set the stage for a lasting friendship and a mutual interest in developing a palm garden at F.I.T. In subsequent years Dent Smith contributed greatly and in many ways to accomplish this. To recognize him we dedicated the trail through the hammock garden as the Dent Smith Trail.

During the construction of the dormitory complex, I was informed by the Fla Power & Light Co. that it would be necessary to dig a trench through the hammock to lay a power cable to the dorms. I had no choice but to agree to the project but extracted a promise from FP&L to snake the trench and cable around the existing trees and palms. This they did and it worked out well. Students began to use the narrow filled-in trench as a shortcut to the dorms. The winding path crossing the hammock seemed to have a natural beauty all of its own [later to become the Dent Smith Trail]. A curving concrete bridge was built over the stream and Dent Smith and I began to plant Chinese fan palms [Livistona chinensis] along the way to complement the natural stand of Sabal palmettos. A potential for developing the hammock into an accessible place of beauty while maintaining its natural setting was becoming apparent. A botanical garden was about to unfold on the campus of the Florida Institute of Technology.

The palm garden is a native hardwood hammock in the floodplain of Crane Creek. The canopy of live and laurel oaks, red maple, and cabbage palms are adapted to having their feet wet when the creek floods. This dense canopy provides a greenhouse effect so that cold-sensitive plants might better survive periods of cold weather. The soil is fertile and wet and supports abundant jungle-like growth.

In 1972 the Board of Trustees formerly dedicated this "jungle" as the students call it, as a botanical garden. At one time there were approximately 400 species of palms, but the subsequent freezes in recent years have reduced this number to about 60. Many have silver identification tags.

Dr. Jerome Keuper

If you would like to contribute to this fund, please go to Panther Fund and use the "other" designation to identify that you wish to give to this named endowment fund.

Juanita Neal-Baker Graduate Fellowship

Type

Scholarship / Fellowship

Year Established

2002

Purpose

Graduate student fellowship for research and training in reducing violence toward women and children. (GF000172)

Description

History

Dr. Juanita Neal Baker, Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from the University of Illinois, is a Florida limited licensed psychologist and professor emerita at the Florida Institute of Technology.

Dr. Baker once said, “I want to do something relevant to people that will make a difference in our lives” and that is what she has been doing her whole life. Before moving to Florida in 1984, she lived in Lahore, Pakistan from 1966-1979, where established a pediatric clinic, was a school psychologist, taught kindergarten and high school art and also psychology at Forman Christian College, and founded the first children’s public library in a community serving more than twelve thousand children.

During the time she served as a professor at Florida Tech, from 1984-2007, Dr. Juanita Baker taught different courses on ethics, program evaluation, women’s studies, sexual abuse, and child behavior disorders and psychotherapy. Additionally, her research was focused on sexual abuse, trauma, grieving, depression, abusive parents, and domestic violence. From 1991-2007, she directed a sexual abuse treatment program where she supervised graduate trainees who were not only treating victims of sexual abuse, but also their non-offending caregivers, siblings, and offenders.

In 2012, Dr. Baker along with Dr. Sarah Weinstein-Arnett, ’10 Psy.D., started the innovative project Psychology Science Minute (PSM) where they posted one-minute-long informative videos for public access and education covering meaningful topics in psychology.

If you would like to contribute to this fund, please go to Panther Fund and use the "other" designation to identify that you wish to give to this named endowment fund.

Junda Lin Marine Biology Professorship

Type

Professorship / Research Fund

Year Established

2016

Purpose

To support a professor in marine science. (GF000340)

Description

To support a professor who has achieved great distinction in the area of marine science and to honor Dr. Junda Lin who had a passion for teaching and research. The Junda Lin Marine Biology Professorship will recognize the quality, productivity, and importance of Professor Lin's research and the indelible mark he has made on students, colleagues, and the university.

History

Dr. Junda Lin

Dr. Junda Lin, 55, was born on March 16, 1960, in China,
passed away Wednesday, March 2, 2016.
Survived by his wife, Fanghua Wang, and sons, Kurt, and Kyle.

Dr. Junda Lin was a Professor of Biological Sciences at the Florida Institute of Technology and the Director of the Institute for Marine Research (IMR). The IMR was designed to coordinate the management of shared marine facilities in the university, including the Vero Beach Marine Laboratory and the Evinrude Marine Operations Center. The IMR also encouraged interdisciplinary research and integrates marine-related activities with external governmental and non-governmental institutions, foundations, agencies, and industry.

Dr. Lin’s Lab focused on the development of aquaculture technology for marine ornamental species to offset and replace wild collection. Extensive and destructive collection of these animals can directly deplete the target species that are already under threat from habitat loss or degradation and can indirectly damage the delicate coral reef ecosystem. Aquaculture of marine ornamental species is recognized as a viable alternative to the wild collection. Dr. Lin’s lab studied the basic biological processes of several shellfish and fish species, evaluated their aquaculture potential, and developed cultivation technology.

Dr. Lin has mentored dozens of undergraduate and graduate students in the field of ornamental aquaculture including many in the marine ornamental trade and MASNA. His legacy will live on through the people he has inspired.

Professional positions:

Professor, Florida Tech, 2002-2016
Associate Professor, Florida Tech, 1996-2002
Assistant Professor, Florida Tech, 1991-1996
Biostatistician, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, 1990-1991
Postdoctoral Fellow, Smithsonian Environmental Research Center, 1989-1990

Board of Directors, World Aquaculture Society, 2008-2011
Associate Editor, Journal of World Aquaculture, 2003-2016
Editorial Board, Journal of Shellfish Research, 2008-2016

If you would like to contribute to this fund, please go to Panther Fund and use the "other" designation to identify that you wish to give to this named endowment fund.

Karl And Ingeborg Sendler Endowed Scholarship

Type

Scholarship / Fellowship

Year Established

2001

Purpose

Scholarships for undergraduate students. (GF000071)

Description

History

Karl Sendler, former top NASA Kennedy Space Center executive, was born in Vienna, Austria in 1914. He graduated from the University of Vienna with a master’s degree in electrical engineering and was a member of the Wernher Von Braun rocket team who came to the United States in 1947 as part of the US Army’s “Operation Paperclip”, which was program that brought selected German scientists to work on America’s behalf during the Cold War. He worked there until 1974 when he retired as KSC’s director of Instrumentation Systems.

He made major contributions to the development of US manned space capabilities such as the Army’s Doppler Velocity and Position systems, which helped determine a rocket’s position in space and the deviation of a missile from a predetermined flight path, providing crucial information for range safety. Additionally, Sendler made different primary improvements in telemetry systems as well as in tool calibration and missile tracking. One of his finest contributions was the development of launch processing systems for the Apollo program.

Karl Sendler died on May 3^rd, 2001, at the age of 86. However, he is not only remembered for the contributions he made but also for how he was with the people he worked with. He had a way of making his team members believe they could meet challenges, no matter the circumstances. Correspondingly, he expressed his belief in teamwork this way: “I think one of the most important things responsible for our space program successes is that we started with a small team working together, and as we have grown, adding people along the way, we haven’t lost that initial team concept.”

If you would like to contribute to this fund, please go to Panther Fund and use the "other" designation to identify that you wish to give to this named endowment fund.

Kathleen Callahan Scholarship

Description

History

Kenneth C. Long Endowment

Type

Scholarship / Fellowship

Year Established

1986

Purpose

In memory of Kenneth C. Long. (GF000002)

Description

History

The Kenneth C. Long Endowment Fund was established in 1986 through the will of Mr. Kenneth C. Long a friend of FIT who passed in or around 1984. His fund was dedicated to supporting students with financial needs in any college or department without restriction.

Mr. Long was a photography enthusiast and supporter of numerous philanthropic causes such as cancer and heart research and children.

If you would like to contribute to this fund, please go to Panther Fund and use the "other" designation to identify that you wish to give to this named endowment fund.

Kenneth P. Revay Class of 2018 Scholarship

Type

Scholarship / Fellowship

Year Established

2002

Purpose

Scholarships for undergraduate students enrolled in a Mechanical Engineering program within the College of Engineering. (GF000066)

Description

Recipients must be full-time undergraduate student enrolled or planning to enroll in the College of Engineering and who is pursuing studies in Mechanical Engineering. Scholarships shall be awarded based on need and merit. Preference is given to renewing the scholarship to the same student in successive semesters until graduation.

History

Kenneth Revay, an Entrepreneur, and Philanthropist graduated from the Florida Institute of Technology with a bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering in 1982. During his time in college, he was part of several societies and groups, including serving as the chairman of the Florida Tech Student Chapter American Society of Mechanical Engineers, project director at Mini-Baja All-Terrain Vehicle, and student representative to Canaveral Section ASME. Additionally, since he started as an Air Commerce major, he was able to obtain his FAA Private Pilots License in his first year.

After graduating, he worked for Rockwell International as a member of the technical staff for a year. Then, for several years, he held managerial positions and participated in special projects at Lockheed Martin Space Operations and United Space Alliance.

Since 2013, he has been a Member of the Board of Trustees (Volunteer) at the Florida Institute of Technology. He holds NACD (National Association of Corporate Directors) Leadership and Governance Fellowships, and an NACD Master Class.

If you would like to contribute to this fund, please go to Panther Fund and use the "other" designation to identify that you wish to give to this named endowment fund.

Kitty & Jill Eanes LGBTQ Scholarship

Type

Scholarship / Fellowship

Year Established

2017

Purpose

To support students who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, or queer (LGBTQ) or who have demonstrated themselves to be an ally for the LGBTQ community. (GF000192)

Description

History

Jill A. Eanes grew up outside of Washington, DC.  She earned her Bachelor of Science in Aviation and her M.B.A. at Florida Tech, where she was also an assistant chief flight instructor. Currently, Jill flies the Boeing 777 as a captain for United Airlines based in San Francisco. Jill and her wife, Kitty, live in Sunnyvale, CA. They enjoy hiking in our incredible National Parks, as well as biking and running in less wild locations.

If you would like to contribute to this fund, please go to Panther Fund and use the "other" designation to identify that you wish to give to this named endowment fund.

L3Harris Chair in Assured Information

Type

Faculty Chair

Year Established

2007

Purpose

Funds will be used to create an endowed Chair in Assured Information. (GF000097)

Description

Florida Tech appoints this Chair. 

History

L3Harris Endowed Professorship

Type

Professorship / Research Fund

Year Established

1999

Purpose

The endowment will be used to fund the two Harris Professorships. (GF000138)

Description

The professorship is academically assigned to the College of Engineering.

History

L3Harris Student Scholars in Institute for Assured Information

Type

Other Fund

Year Established

2007

Purpose

Stipends for students identified as Harris Student Scholars. (GF000089)

Description

This scholarship is administered by the Office of Financial Aid.

History

Larry P. Pollack Undergraduate Scholarship Endowment

Type

Scholarship / Fellowship

Year Established

2020

Purpose

Supporting Environmental Science students. (GF000425)

Description

History

Larry Pollack graduated from Florida Tech in 1985 with an MS in environmental science where he studied the environmental fate and degradation of a specific commercial pesticide frequently applied to citrus groves in the vicinity of the nearby Indian River Lagoon in addition to other agricultural land throughout Florida. His background encompasses more than twenty years of experience in environmental sample collection protocols in addition to conducting field and laboratory chemical analyses. The latter part of his career with the Department of Defense focused on working with U.S.-based small business firms conducting research and development to design and manufacture innovative, state-of-the-art technologies to mitigate the hazards of Weapons of Mass Destruction, particularly chemical and biological threats.

If you would like to contribute to this fund, please go to Panther Fund and use the "other" designation to identify that you wish to give to this named endowment fund.

Legacy Soccer/ Lever Brothers Scholarship

Type

Scholarship / Fellowship

Year Established

1996

Purpose

Offer scholarships for students with a soccer background. (GF000034)

Description

History

If you would like to contribute to this fund, please go to Panther Fund and use the "other" designation to identify that you wish to give to this named endowment fund.

Leo A. Marin Scholarship

Type

Scholarship / Fellowship

Year Established

1996

Purpose

Scholarships for students at Florida Tech. (GF000043)

Description

History

If you would like to contribute to this fund, please go to Panther Fund and use the "other" designation to identify that you wish to give to this named endowment fund.

Llewellyn Hewett Jr. Engineering Scholarship

Type

Scholarship / Fellowship

Year Established

1998

Purpose

Scholarships for deserving students within the College of Engineering. (GF000048)

Description

History

Llewellyn L. Hewett was born in 1930 and grew up in Shallotte, North Carolina. He graduated from the Milwaukee School of Engineering with his B.S. in electrical engineering in 1955. Using his degree, Hewett moved to participate at NASA. He was involved in the creation of the 1981 shuttle, Columbia. While at NASA, he held many jobs but his main position was in Planning Research Corporation to keep communications with the transportation system in space.

If you would like to contribute to this fund, please go to Panther Fund and use the "other" designation to identify that you wish to give to this named endowment fund.

Local 810 - Local 875/ Hirsch Memorial Scholarship

Type

Scholarship / Fellowship

Year Established

1981

Purpose

Scholarships for qualified children of Local 810 International Brotherhood of Teamsters or if none are available, scholarships to qualified South Brevard high school graduates. (GF000015)

Description

History

The fund was established in 1971 and endowed in 1981 by a local chapter of the Teamsters union in New York. The award recipient must be a child from a current member of the Local 810, must have above-average to excellent high school academic records, and have been accepted by Florida Tech. If none are qualified, a non-member child can qualify by having graduated from a South Brevard High School, having a 3.5 GPA in high school, a score of 1000 or higher on the SAT, and being in the top 15% in their graduating class. If the recipient is a child of a member of Local 810, they receive a full tuition scholarship otherwise for South Brevard graduates it is a partial tuition scholarship.

The Local 875 Pension Fund owned a building in Melbourne, Florida, the Flatiron Building in Melbourne’s downtown area. In 1971, the Local donated the building to Florida Tech. Florida Tech in turn sold the property. In acknowledgment of this gift, Florida Tech placed the down payment and subsequent monthly payments in a fund and proposed to offer fourteen tuition scholarships (one per year) to qualified children of Local 875 members. Apparently, there were no qualified applicants for some years, and the funds remained unused. In November 1979, counsel for the Local advised that it was the Local’s intention to donate to Florida Tech sufficient funds to convert the fourteen one-year scholarships to a single perpetual fund. In 1981, the scholarship award was endowed. The Local 975/Hirsch Memorial Scholarship Endowment was initially reserved for a student enrolled in the School of Science and Engineering but was later broadened to all majors. In 1998, Local 875 merged into Local 810 of the IBT.

If you would like to contribute to this fund, please go to Panther Fund and use the "other" designation to identify that you wish to give to this named endowment fund.

Lt. Col Kim Lee Gage Scholarship Fund

Type

Scholarship / Fellowship

Year Established

2019

Purpose

This memorial scholarship will support students from historically marginalized backgrounds who demonstrate academic excellence and are in need of financial assistance. (GF000424)

Description

In honor of Lt. Col Kim Lee Gage, friends and family have established an endowed scholarship fund. This memorial scholarship will support students from historically marginalized backgrounds who demonstrate academic excellence and are in need of financial assistance.

History

Lt. Col Kim Lee Gage was born January 23, 1976, in Indianapolis, Indiana. Kim joined the Jr. ROTC program at Northwest High School in Indianapolis and served as senior class president of his graduating class. He then graduated with a Bachelor of Science from the Florida Institute of Technology with a degree in Chemical Engineering and an Environmental emphasis and became a Second Lieutenant in the U.S. Army upon his college graduation, serving with the Corps of Engineers.

Kim's military resume includes many impressive accomplishments such as Airborne Ranger, Garrison Commander of Camp Navajo, and many stations and positions in South Korea, Missouri, Virginia, Washington, DC, Hawaii, Alaska, Germany, Florida, and Arizona. He also served two war deployments as Commander of Charlie Company of the 864th Engineer Combat Battalion to Kandahar, Afghanistan, and as Engineer Operations Officer as part of the Combined Joint Task Force in Iraq.

Kim's many passions were fishing, bow hunting, learning, and reading, particularly books that challenged his thinking and provided new insights into the world and, most importantly, spending time with his family and friends. He touched and inspired many lives throughout his life with his leadership, intellect, and caring spirit. Kim passed in 2019 at the young age of 43. In his memory, an endowment fund with the purpose of providing scholarships for undergraduate students was established at Florida Tech.

If you would like to contribute to this fund, please go to Panther Fund and use the "other" designation to identify that you wish to give to this named endowment fund. 

Maj. Stephen “Cajun” Del Bagno Scholarship Fund

Type

Scholarship / Fellowship

Year Established

2019

Purpose

Supporting students at the University who are pursuing careers as pilots and who exemplify the ideals of Major Del Bagno. (GF000386)

Description

This fund will be awarded to students who are U.S. citizens. Applicants must be enrolled at Florida Tech in the College of Aeronautics and must submit an essay on "why you want to fly".  Applicants are reviewed with the National Air, Sea, and Space Foundation (NASSF). Preference will be given to students who graduated from Maj. Del Bagno's high school, Saugus H.S. in Santa Clara, CA.  Preference will also be given to students who have military parents. Funds may be used for tuition and/or flight fees. Applicants may submit a reference letter from the U.S. Air Force Air Demonstration Squadron ("Thunderbirds"), the 58th Fighter Squadron (Part of the 33rd Fighter Wing currently based at Eglin Air Force Base), or the 85th Test and Evaluation Squadron--Eglin AFB at any time before or after admission to Florida Tech.

History

Del Bagno was a member of the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds. Not long after performing in the 2018 Melbourne air show, the 34-year-old lost his life in a training accident in Nevada.

During the 2019 Melbourne Air & Space Show, patrons were asked to donate toward the Del Bagno Memorial Scholarship at Florida Tech. They were able to purchase raffle tickets, and a portion of ticket proceeds to the show was earmarked for the scholarship fund. The Foundation will seek additional donations at future air shows.

The scholarship funds will help Florida Tech aviation students who have a strong desire to fly but need assistance with tuition and flight fees.

According to the Foundation, Del Bagno started flying when he was 14 years old and went on to serve as a corporate pilot, skywriter, and flight instructor prior to joining the Air Force. During his 11-year career as an Air Force pilot, he instructed in two jets, the F-16, and the F-35, before joining the Thunderbirds in the fall of 2017.

Whenever he could, Del Bagno encouraged young people to stick with their dreams, no matter the obstacles.

“The biggest thing I learned throughout my career, and what I tell all of the kids when I start talking to them, is in life, you are going to hear a lot of no’s, and sometimes it’s just a test of your resolve…So no matter what it is and how bad you want it, as long as you work hard and don’t accept no as a final answer, you can always turn a no into a yes.”

If you would like to contribute to this fund, please go to Panther Fund and use the "other" designation to identify that you wish to give to this named endowment fund.

Major Mathew Earl Schram ALMC-LEDC/FT Endowed Fellowship

Type

Scholarship / Fellowship

Year Established

2003

Purpose

Offer fellowships to graduate students enrolled at Fort Lee Logistics Executive Development Course (LEDC)/Florida Tech (FT) that are U.S. Military Officers. (GF000079)

Description

History

Major Mathew Earl Schram, also known as Schrambo (a reference to the movie fiction hero “Rambo”), was born on January 25^th, 1967 in Brookfield, Wisconsin. He was the fifth of six children of Earl and Sarah Schram and had always wanted to be a soldier, said Susan Kuske, his older sister. He graduated from Immaculate Heart of Mary Catholic School in West Allis in 1981 and Brookfield Central High School in 1985, where he played football.

He joined the Reserve Officers Training Corps (ROTC) at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater. In 1989, he started serving in the Army and was assigned to the Headquarters & Headquarters Troop Support Squadron, 3^rd Armored Cavalry Regiment, Fort Carson, Colorado.

Major Schram was killed on May 26^th, 2003 near the town of Haditha, Iraq, when gunmen ambushed a military convoy on a resupply mission with rocket-propelled grenades and machine guns. “He made it his career and loved it,” his sister said. “He rose in the ranks and worked hard to get there.”

Major Schram is remembered by his beloved ones for his raucous, hilarious laugh and as a quiet man with high expectations for himself and a tender heart for his eight nieces and nephews. 

If you would like to contribute to this fund, please go to Panther Fund and use the "other" designation to identify that you wish to give to this named endowment fund.

Marion and Eric Preece Scholarship

Type

Scholarship / Fellowship

Year Established

1995

Purpose

Scholarship for female students majoring in Engineering. (GF000031)

Description

History

Mr. Raymond Preece and Ms. Betty Preece donated an initial amount of $5,000 in 1995 to create the “Marion and Eric Preece Endowed Scholarship”. They kept contributing on a yearly basis to the fund donating over a total amount of $50,000. The scholarships of the fund are primarily given to female students majoring in engineering. Being a member of the Society of Women Engineers and having over 30 credits are also requirements in order to receive the award.

If you would like to contribute to this fund, please go to Panther Fund and use the "other" designation to identify that you wish to give to this named endowment fund.

Marion Clayton Link Library Information Network (LINK) Endowment

Type

General Endowment

Year Established

1997

Purpose

Support the Evans Library. (GF000158)

Description

History

Marion Clayton Link was born on November 15^th, 1907 in Ilion, New York. She graduated from Syracuse University with a bachelor’s degree in journalism in 1929. After graduation, she started her professional career at the Utica Observer-Dispatch and then worked at the Syracuse Journal American and was employed by the Binghamton Press where she worked as a reporter. Mrs. Link was a member of several societies throughout her life including the Society of Women Geographers, Theta Sigma Phi, Pi Beta Phi, Amaryllis Circle of the Garden Club of Indian River County and Riomar Bay Yacht Club, President’s Club of Indian River Community College Foundation, and Community Church United Church of Christ. 

Additionally, Mrs. Link served in different civic organizations such as the Executive Board of Roberson Museum and Science Center, was Chairman of Planned Parenthood of Broome County an honorary life member of the Advisory Council of Binghamton and Harpur Forum, served as Trustee of the YWCA and of Syracuse University. For her commitment and passion, she received the Arents Medal from Syracuse University and the Binghamton Chamber of Commerce History Hunters Award.

Mrs. Link was married to Edwin A. Link, inventor of the first successful flight simulator and designer of Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institution’s Johnson-Sea-Link class submersibles. She worked with him and narrated their lives and discoveries in books and articles.

Mrs. Link passed away on March 30^th, 1995, leaving tremendous contributions to different institutions including the Florida Institute of Technology.

If you would like to contribute to this fund, please go to Panther Fund and use the "other" designation to identify that you wish to give to this named endowment fund.

Marjorie Hayes Scholarship

Type

Scholarship / Fellowship

Year Established

2007

Purpose

Provide funds each year for eligible flight students in the College of Aeronautics. (GF000036)

Description

History

Marjorie Hayes, from Washington D.C., always loved the idea of helping people and contributing to the progress of the United States. That is why, in 2007, after meeting with her close friend Paris Michaels, a graduate of the College of Aeronautics from Florida Tech, she decided to initially make a $250,000 donation to the college.  She established the scholarship endowment called the Marjorie Hayes Scholarship, which provides funds each year for eligible flight students in the College of Aeronautics, and a flight simulator laboratory (The Marjorie Hayes Simulator Lab) within the Florida Institute of Technology Aviation was created to be used by the school’s faculty and students.

Her close friend Michaels stated that “Mrs. Hayes doesn’t just donate to any worthy cause; she invests in America. She views her donation to the College of Aeronautics as an investment in youth and in our students, who will master the future of U.S. global aviation. She credits aviation with contributing immensely to this nation’s progress.”

Before Mrs. Hayes passed away on December 24^th, 2011, she made many more financial contributions which are still helping to develop students at Florida Tech.

If you would like to contribute to this fund, please go to Panther Fund and use the "other" designation to identify that you wish to give to this named endowment fund.

Marsha A. Duncan Scholarship

Type

Scholarship / Fellowship

Year Established

2002

Purpose

Scholarships for undergraduate students enrolled at Florida Tech. (GF000151)

Description

History

If you would like to contribute to this fund, please go to Panther Fund and use the "other" designation to identify that you wish to give to this named endowment fund.

Martin Zung Memorial Chemistry Award

Type

Scholarship / Fellowship

Year Established

2013

Purpose

Scholarship fund to provide support to a junior or senior studying Chemistry. (GF000210)

Description

Recipients of this scholarship must be U.S. citizens majoring in Chemistry; must be in their junior or senior year, with a minimum GPA of 3.2. Students should demonstrate both strong academic performance and outstanding independent research.

History

Jonathan Zung, son of Martin Zung, obtained his bachelor’s degree in chemistry from the Florida Institute of Technology in 1986 and his doctoral degree in analytical chemistry from Emory University in Atlanta. Jonathan’s professional career started as an analyst chemist with Pfizer in 1991 and, since then, has held different executive leadership positions in the pharmaceutical services industries over the past 25 years. He has pharmaceutical development experience in oncology, immunology, cardiovascular disease, and other major therapeutic areas. Moreover, he served as group president for clinical development and commercialization services for Covance Drug Development, which is a LabCorp company, and was Vice President and Head of Global Development Operations (GDO) at the global pharmaceutical giant, Bristol-Myers Squibb. Not to mention, Jonathan served as a member of the Florida Institute of Technology Board of Trustees for six years (2010-2016) and, currently, serves as an advisor to the CEO of WCG clinical and president of one of their divisions.

His support and friendship with the university have helped several students since 2013 when he established the Martin Zung Memorial Chemistry Endowment Fund in memory of his father Martin Zung, who was an educator, pharmacist, and strong supporter of the sciences and of Florida Tech and its mission. “I’ve always been a staunch supporter of Florida Tech and value the education I received there. The chemistry faculty at Florida Tech provided me with amazing opportunities, and taught me how to be a problem solver and to think strategically. I created the scholarship to acknowledge the impact Florida Tech has had on me and the importance education had to my father”, Jonathan said.

If you would like to contribute to this fund, please go to Panther Fund and use the "other" designation to identify that you wish to give to this named endowment fund.

Marvin M. Yarosh and John H. "Jack" Wiles Endowment

Type

Scholarship / Fellowship

Year Established

2009

Purpose

Scholarships for upperclassmen in the undergraduate Mechanical Engineering program. (GF000096)

Description

History

Marvin Yarosh and Jack Wiles were pioneers in mechanical engineering on the Space Coast. Mr. Yarosh was a founding member of the local American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and Air Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) and helped found the Florida Solar Energy Center in Cocoa in 1975, serving as its first associate director for 13 years.

John “Jack” Wiles was an inspiration to all who knew him. He is known for his part in founding the Canaveral Section of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers and the Cape Canaveral Technical Society, serving as president of both, and its Space Congress in 1962, a professional forum for rocket scientists to share their knowledge.

Both Mr. Yarosh and Mr. Wiles made significant inroads to advance the technology related to their engineering fields. Therefore, “The ‘Marvin M. Yarosh and John H. Jack Wiles Scholarship Endowment’ allows us to provide scholarships to deserving mechanical engineering students who will someday contribute to the engineering profession and to society as did Mr. Yarosh and Mr. Wiles.” said Pei-Feng Hsu, head of the Florida Tech Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering in the College of Engineering in 2009. Marvin Yarosh passed away in March 2004 and Jack Wiles died in December 2008.

If you would like to contribute to this fund, please go to Panther Fund and use the "other" designation to identify that you wish to give to this named endowment fund.

Mary C. Dickens Scholarship Fund

Type

Scholarship / Fellowship

Year Established

2018

Purpose

Income from this fund will support an annual scholarship for undergraduate business students, with a preference for supporting female students who have financial needs. (GF000194)

Description

History

Ms. Dickens graduated from Athens state college in 1993 with the highest scholastic achievement, with a degree of BS in business administration. After that, she pursued an MS in management from Florida tech which she achieved in 1998. Early on in her career, she served as the director of the Maintenance and Special Projects Directorate at the Acquisition Center, AMCOM in the Redstone arsenal. She then served as the Principal Assistant Responsible for Contracting and Executive Director of ACC-Redstone. Later on in her career, Ms. Dickens was the Deputy to the Commanding General, of the US Army Aviation and Missile Command (AMCOM), Redstone Arsenal, Alabama. She retired from civil service after 37 illustrious years and joined COLSA in 2015. She was awarded multiple honors for her service including, 3 Civilian Meritorious Service Awards, the AUSA Civilian of the Year Award, the Secretary of the Army Specialized Contracting Award, the Frank S. Besson Award, the Knight of the Honorable Order of St. Michael. She serves as the board chair for Athens state university and a member of the AUSA Civilian Advisory Committee.

Dickens said the reasoning behind her decision to set up the scholarship, came from her desire to offer young women an opportunity to obtain an education that will allow them to contribute to their chosen field and the country at large. “I would not have enjoyed the successes in my career if not for my outstanding education from Florida Tech”, she said.

If you would like to contribute to this fund, please go to Panther Fund and use the "other" designation to identify that you wish to give to this named endowment fund.

Mary Jane and Richard Schnoor Fellowship

Type

Scholarship / Fellowship

Year Established

2014

Purpose

Create a fellowship for graduate students studying Atmospheric and Marine Sciences in the Department of Ocean Engineering and Marine Sciences. (GF000129)

Description

History

Richard H. Schnoor was born in Richmond Hill, New York on March 14^th, 1931. He attended Brooklyn Technical High School and obtained a bachelor’s and master’s degree in Industrial Engineering from New York University. He was a retired Major in the US Air Force Reserve who worked at NASA and many other space programs and retired as Chief, of Financial Management in 1986. Moreover, Schnoor was greatly involved with the United States Power Squadrons for 52 years where he served as Commander of the Titusville Squadron, District Commander for D/23 encompassing northeast Florida, and Rear Commander. He was also a member of the Florida Fly Fishing Association and Cocoa Beach Squadron, where he was teaching several nautical classes. Schnoor served on different committees and as Chairman of the Board while he was involved with the United Way of Brevard County.

Furthermore, Schnoor was married to his high school sweetheart, Mary Jane Schnoor, for 57 years. Mary Jane was born on March 5^th, 1933. She was a teacher and guidance counselor at Cocoa Beach High School, a member of St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church, the U.S. Power Squadron of Cocoa Beach, the Knights of Columbus Auxiliary, and the Florida Flyfishing Association.

Besides their passion to travel and going on cruises, the Schnoors had a long-lasting interest in marine science, navigation, oceanography, and environmental issues. Therefore, after Richard passed away on March 20^th, 2011, Mary Jane suggested to the squadron that a fitting memorial to his memory might be a scholarship for a student in the Department of Marine and Environmental Systems at the Florida Institute of Technology. Mary Jane passed away on August 23^rd, 2013.

If you would like to contribute to this fund, please go to Panther Fund and use the "other" designation to identify that you wish to give to this named endowment fund.

Max, Edith and Robert Bisk Distinguished Chair of Business

Type

Faculty Chair

Year Established

2009

Purpose

Partially fund the Max, Edith, and Robert Bisk Distinguished Chair of Business. (GF000117)

Description

History

The Nathan M. Bisk College located in Tampa partners with universities to provide online content relating to business. Nation Bisk founded the college in 1971 to allow individuals of all backgrounds and varied incomes a chance at education. He is considered one of the men responsible for “distance learning”, this is due to his providing cassette tapes for his online seminars.

If you would like to contribute to this fund, please go to Panther Fund and use the "other" designation to identify that you wish to give to this named endowment fund.

Mazurek Legacy Endowment

Amy received her B.S. degree from President Keuper, in June 1984, and David received his M.S. degree, in June 1984

Type

Scholarship / Fellowship

Year Established

2013

Purpose

To provide funds for undergraduate Civil Engineering student(s). (GF000212)

Description

Students who qualify for the Mazurek Legacy Endowment are undergraduate College of Engineering students majoring in Civil Engineering.  The student shall be a US citizen, in their junior or senior year with a minimum GPA of 3.0, and be fully enrolled during the time the scholarship is awarded. 

Amy and David with son Jeff (a high school physics teacher) and daughter Rachel (another civil engineer!).

History

Dr. David Mazurek and Amy Henshey Mazurek Scholarship in Civil Engineering

Mazurek Legacy Scholarship

Biography

Amy Henshey and David Mazurek were among the earliest students in the Civil Engineering Program at Florida Tech.  Amy earned her B.S. degree in 1984, and David, having completed his B.S. in Ocean Engineering in 1982, remained at FIT to earn his M.S. in Civil Engineering in 1984.  They were married in July 1984, and shortly thereafter both began employment at the Electric Boat Division of General Dynamics Corporation in Groton, CT. 

While at Florida Tech, Amy was very active in the student chapter of the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE), including serving as President, and was recognized as the Outstanding Civil Engineering Student of 1983 by the Florida Section of ASCE.  At Electric Boat, Amy worked in the Nuclear Engineering Department’s shock and vibration group, and in this capacity was involved in the design of the Seawolf-class submarine.  With the arrival of their son Jeffrey in 1990 and daughter Rachel in 1994, Amy chose to leave Electric Boat to fully devote her time to their early development.  Once both children had entered grade school, Amy leveraged her Florida Tech education to teach part-time as an adjunct engineering faculty member at several area colleges.  She also pursued certification as a high school teacher and eventually accepted a full-time position teaching physics at the Williams School in New London, CT.

While completing his master’s work at Florida Tech, David was encouraged to pursue a doctorate by his thesis advisor, Dr. Edward Kalajian (founder and program chair of Civil Engineering).  Following this advice, David earned his Ph.D. in Civil Engineering at the University of Connecticut while employed by Electric Boat.  Shortly thereafter he entered academia, first teaching at Lafayette College before accepting a professorship in civil engineering at the United States Coast Guard Academy, where he has served for over 30 years.  His main area of research and professional work is in the area of railroad bridge engineering, and in conjunction with this, he has served for many years on the American Railway Engineering and Maintenance-of-Way Association (AREMA) technical committee for steel bridges.  He is also a co-author of several textbooks in the internationally-acclaimed Beer & Johnston engineering mechanics series.  David’s many honors include the Coast Guard Academy’s Distinguished Faculty Award, the National Society of Professional Engineers’ Coast Guard Engineer of the Year, and Florida Tech’s Distinguished Engineering Alumnus Award.  He is also a Fellow of ASCE and a Life Member of AREMA and is a licensed Professional Engineer in Connecticut and Pennsylvania.

Amy and David are most grateful to the faculty at Florida Tech for their inspiration and mentorship, and for providing the foundation and instilling the confidence necessary to pursue careers in civil engineering.  This endowment was established by Amy and David as a token of their sincere appreciation; it is hoped that it will provide meaningful financial assistance to hard-working undergraduate civil engineering students, and encourage them in their journey toward rich and fulfilling careers in this vital, public-serving profession.

If you would like to contribute to this fund, please go to Panther Fund and use the "other" designation to identify that you wish to give to this named endowment fund.

Melissa Lee Crist Honorary Scholarship

Type

Scholarship / Fellowship

Year Established

1998

Purpose

Scholarships to be awarded in honor of the granddaughter of Thomas and Lois McNamara: Melissa Lee Crist. (GF000047)

Description

History

If you would like to contribute to this fund, please go to Panther Fund and use the "other" designation to identify that you wish to give to this named endowment fund.

Michael And Patricia Scafati Scholarship

Type

Scholarship / Fellowship

Year Established

1997

Purpose

Scholarships for undergraduate students studying within Florida Tech's College of Business. (GF000051)

Description

History

Mike Scafati grew up in the Boston area and earned his BA in Political Science from UMass Amherst where he served in the ROTC. His wife, Pat, is from Hadley, Mass (a small town near Amherst). Shortly after proposing to Pat, Mike was called for military service and instead of being sent to Italy as originally anticipated, he was called for service in Viet Nam. He offered Pat the chance to change her mind, but she did not.

Mike spent a year in Viet Nam and afterward, the military invited him to pick a location to be stationed. He requested “the East Coast” thinking he’d be in the northeast but instead he was stationed in Melbourne, Florida and he taught in Florida Tech’s ROTC program. They liked the area and remained through the late ’60s and early ’70s.

Mike had always wanted to be a financial advisor and practice interviewing during his military training days toward that goal. Finally, he clipped an ad for recruits at Edwards Financial and two months later, made the call and secured a job launching his career.

Eventually, opportunity knocked and he was drawn to St. Louis to work in the main Edwards offices. During his tenure there, he remained through several purchases and retired after 40 years with the company.

Mike has served over two decades on Florida Tech’s Board of Trustees and enjoyed returning to Melbourne where he’d always kept a home. Despite his time in the northeast and the Midwest, he has said that he feels like a native of Melbourne and has seen the community grow and change over time.

Mike and Pat have two children, a boy, and a girl, both of whom are in the finance and investment industry.

Together they have funded the Michael and Patricia Scafati Scholarship, one of the largest of Florida Tech’s endowed scholarship funds.

If you would like to contribute to this fund, please go to Panther Fund and use the "other" designation to identify that you wish to give to this named endowment fund.

Michael E Keller Memorial Scholarship for Instrumentation Engineering

Type

Scholarship / Fellowship

Year Established

2021

Purpose

Provide scholarship support for electrical engineering students. (GF000443)

Description

History

Michael E. Keller was born in Bad Grund, Germany to Franz Keller and Gisela Hoffmann Keller. He immigrated to the United States with his family as a child. He was a 1969 graduate of Boston Latin School and holds undergraduate and graduate degrees in Electrical Engineering from Northeastern University.

Michael spent his career as an Electronics Test Engineer working for Honeywell, Raytheon, and Gemini, among others. He worked on Air Force Command and Control Systems as a contractor for the Air Force. He was also the Executive Director of the American Society of Test Engineers (ASTE) for nearly 20 years. Before the Internet became what it is today, the ASTE worked to provide test engineers with the knowledge needed to find the correct test platforms, define test strategies and help the engineers with ways to justify their projects to management. ASTE published a quarterly newsletter on these subjects as well as recruited consultants to assist test engineers.

Michael's avocation was music. He was a proud member of the Boston Philharmonic's violin section for thirty-six years. With the Philharmonic he played numerous concerts including several at Symphony Hall, in Boston, and Carnegie Hall and Lincoln Center in New York.

Sadly, Michael passed away in September 2020 from ALS complications.

Bob Stasonis, a former officer for the American Society of Test Engineers (ASTE), worked with Florida Tech to coordinate the creation of the Michael E Keller Memorial Scholarship for Instrumentation Engineering.

To make a donation to the Michael E Keller Memorial Scholarship for Instrumentation Engineering, please click here.

Michael Flammio Scholarship Endowment

Type

Scholarship / Fellowship

Year Established

1999

Purpose

Scholarships in memory of Michael Flammio. (GF000053)

Description

History

If you would like to contribute to this fund, please go to Panther Fund and use the "other" designation to identify that you wish to give to this named endowment fund.

Mrs. Krishna Devi Sharma Fellowship Endowment

Mrs. Krishna Devi Sharma

Type

Scholarship / Fellowship

Year Established

2013

Purpose

Offer fellowships to graduate students pursuing PhDs in the field of Chemistry. (GF000121)

Description

Students must be in good academic standing and pursuing graduate studies in the field of Chemistry. Preference will be given to renewing to the same student. 

Dr. Virender K. Sharma

History

Mrs. Krishna Devi Sharma was born in Polia Prohitan in Himachal Pradesh, India.  She did not have the opportunity to be formally educated, but she was a highly evolved and unusually intelligent person.  With strong values, she brought up her five children with discipline and encouraged them to get a college education.  All of her children received college degrees, the first in the three generations of Mrs. Sharma’s family.  One of her youngest children, Virender Sharma, graduated with a doctorate degree in the chemistry of natural waters in the United States and came up with the idea to honor Mrs. Sharma with the theme of her teaching “Good things bring good results.” First, Virender dedicated his book to her, published by Wiley Inc. (https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/book/10.1002/9781118482469).  Money earned from the book allowed Virender to create this endowment.  Virender raised additional funds to establish this endowment in her name at the Florida Institute of Technology. 

The goal of the endowment is to award a graduate student in chemistry with a preference for first-generation who excel in research through high-impact journal article publication.

If you would like to contribute to this fund, please go to Panther Fund and use the "other" designation to identify that you wish to give to this named endowment fund.

Nathan M. Bisk College of Business Endowment

Type

General Endowment

Year Established

2009

Purpose

Fund online improvements and overall quality improvements in Nathan M. Bisk College of Business. (GF000118)

Description

History

Nathan M. Bisk was born on March 16th, 1940 in Newark, NJ. Along with his sister Irene, Nathan was the first to graduate from college in his family. He attended Franklin and Marshall College and obtained his BA in Accounting in 1962. His professional career started at Ernst and Young where he served on the auditing staff. Then, he worked at S.D. Leidersdorf & Co., and at Arthur Andersen, he was involved in auditing and taxation for corporate clients. From 1966-1971, he worked at Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith as a merger and acquisition specialist and salesperson and graduated from their Executive Management Program.

In 1967, he married the love of his life, Barbara, who he met in New York City. In 1970, they welcomed their first child, Michael, and, one year later, moved to Gainesville, Fl, where Nathan attended law school and Barbara continued her career as a teacher. While in law school, Nathan founded Bisk Education to offer seminars to help people prepare for the CPA exam. In 1972, Barbara and Nathan had their second child, Alison. Nathan received his Juris Doctor degree in 1973 from the University of Florida College of Law.

“He pioneered distance learning from cassette tapes to online education and grew the company from a humble beginning in our garage to hundred of employees supporting thousands of students around the world,” said Mike Bisk, current CEO of Bisk, as a tribute to his father and Bisk’s founder. Nowadays, Bisk is the leading online program management company in the country, it employs more than 750 people, and has expedited over a million enrollments of university partners.

Nathan served on the Board of Trustees at Florida Tech, the Board of Overseers at the Nathan M. Bisk College of Business at Florida Tech, which was named in his honor, and the Board of Governors of the Nova Southeastern University Shepard Broad Law School. He was a member of the Florida Bar, American Bar Association, AICPA, American Association of Attorney-CPAs, and Florida Institute of CPAs. Additionally, he was significantly involved in several philanthropic organizations around Florida.

Nathan passed on March 6th, 2017, at the age of 76, and is remembered as “a devoted family man and tenacious entrepreneur who was respected, admired, and loved by all who knew him. He was a man of faith, loyalty, strong will, and determination who formed lifelong friendships.”

The family has contributed over $7 million to Florida Tech since 2006.

If you would like to contribute to this fund, please go to Panther Fund and use the "other" designation to identify that you wish to give to this named endowment fund.

NDTA Space Coast Chapter Scholarship

Type

Scholarship / Fellowship

Year Established

2000

Purpose

Scholarships for students studying Aeronautics. (GF000068)

Description

History

 If you would like to contribute to this fund, please go to Panther Fund and use the "other" designation to identify that you wish to give to this named endowment fund.

Neil Branam-Lefkove Memorial Scholarship

Type

Scholarship / Fellowship

Year Established

2011

Purpose

Scholarships for undergraduate students majoring in Electrical Engineering or Computer Engineering. (GF000103)

Description

History

If you would like to contribute to this fund, please go to Panther Fund and use the "other" designation to identify that you wish to give to this named endowment fund.

Northrop Grumman George M. Skurla Engineering Scholarship

Type

Scholarship / Fellowship

Year Established

2002

Purpose

Scholarships for undergraduate students enrolled in Florida Tech's College of Engineering. (GF000174)

Description

History

If you would like to contribute to this fund, please go to Panther Fund and use the "other" designation to identify that you wish to give to this named endowment fund.

Northrop Grumman Scholarship In Engineering Studies

Type

Scholarship / Fellowship

Year Established

1998

Purpose

Scholarships for undergraduate students enrolled in Florida Tech's College of Engineering. (GF000046)

Description

History

Northrop Grumman Aerospace Systems started this endowment in 1998 at Florida Tech under the name; Northrop Grumman Scholarship in Engineering Studies Endowed Fund. The initial donation was $50,000 which the F.W. Olin Foundation matched it totaling an amount of $100,000. In addition, Northrop Grumman donated $5,000 more to the fund on June 18, 2009.

If you would like to contribute to this fund, please go to Panther Fund and use the "other" designation to identify that you wish to give to this named endowment fund.

Northrop Grumman Student Design Endowment

Type

General Endowment

Year Established

2008

Purpose

Support the College of Engineering student design projects. (GF000125)

Description

The funds will support the purchase of materials for the projects and the fees necessary to compete on a national scale. Endowment earnings will be used at the discretion of the Dean of the College of Engineering.

History

NorthStar Capital Management Endowed Scholarship

Type

Scholarship / Fellowship

Year Established

2003

Purpose

Award tuition scholarships to undergraduate students enrolled or planning to enroll in Florida Tech's School of Management. (GF000081)

Description

History

 If you would like to contribute to this fund, please go to Panther Fund and use the "other" designation to identify that you wish to give to this named endowment fund.

Numerical Control Society Scholarship

Description

History

If you would like to contribute to this fund, please go to Panther Fund and use the "other" designation to identify that you wish to give to this named endowment fund.

Ortega Endowment For Astronomy And Astrophysics

Type

General Endowment

Year Established

2006

Purpose

Fund the Ortega Professorship in Astronomy, the Ortega Fellowship for graduate students in Astronomy, the Ortega Scholarships for undergraduate students in Astronomy, and the Ortega Lecture Series. (GF000127)

Description

History

James M. Ortega was born in Havana, Cuba in 1932.  He is best known as the author of numerous books on information science and computers.

James spent part of his career serving in the U.S. Air Force, as a data analyst. He was a mathematician and programmer for Sandia Laboratories and Bellcomm Inc.  In 1964 he began teaching for the University of Maryland at College Park.  From 1969-1973 he worked for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Langley Research Center, in Hampton, VA, where he was the director of the Institute for Computer Applications in Science and Engineering.

He’s held faculty positions and served as department head at North Carolina State University, and was the Charles Henderson Professor of Applied Mathematics and Computer Science at the University of Virginia heading the department of applied mathematics and computer science.

From 1979-84, he served as associate dean of engineering and applied science, and from 1984-89, as director of the Institute for Parallel Computation.  He also was President of Awesome Computing Inc., from 1986-91.

James served as a visiting professor for the University of California, San Diego, and was a member of the U.S. Army Basic Research Committee for the National Research Council. He also held positions with the National Bureau of Standards, the National Science Foundation, and the Science and Technology Centers Advisory Committee.

In 2004, James Ortega gave $150,000 to the Florida Institute of Technology for a new 32-inch telescope that allowed the university to collect nearly twice the amount of light and access to double the number of objects in space. The telescope was the largest in Florida and was named the Ortega Telescope. His wife, Sara, and he later funded the Ortega Endowment. 

In October 2009, their estate gift, totaling nearly $2.5 million established a professorship in Astronomy, as well as support for the Ortega Fellowship for graduate students in Astronomy, the Ortega Scholarships for undergraduate students in Astronomy, and the Ortega Lecture Series.

If you would like to contribute to this fund, please go to Panther Fund and use the "other" designation to identify that you wish to give to this named endowment fund.

Paul Andre Hermansen Endowed Memorial Scholarship

Type

Scholarship / Fellowship

Year Established

1997

Purpose

Scholarships for students enrolled at Florida Tech. (GF000040)

Description

History

By the age of 20, when most young adults are just beginning to blossom as individuals, Paul André Hermansen was already a seasoned traveler who had studied abroad. He took to different cultures easily and studied several languages.

In both his personal life and his academic endeavors, Paul's activities were marked by an innate drive to experience the world, its cultures, languages, and people. He enjoyed skiing in Colorado, salmon fishing in Norway, and scuba diving in the Caribbean and off the Great Barrier Reef in Australia. He spent two summers studying in Europe, first in Aix-En Provence, France, and later at the International Summer School of the University of Oslo in Norway. He also spent a semester studying at the U.N. headquarters in New York City.

A global thinker with strong convictions, Paul's educational interests gravitated toward international studies, international relations, and ecology. He also studied French, German, Japanese, Norwegian, and other Scandinavian languages.

Because of his concern for the ongoing struggle for human rights around the world, Paul committed himself to improving the quality of life on our planet. Before his untimely death--the result of a tragic accident--Paul had made plans to study law and major in international human rights.

With his passion for fair play and his compassion for people, Paul would no doubt have made an excellent champion for human rights. However, nothing Paul could have accomplished would ever shine as brightly as Paul himself. Funny, endearing, sweet, and steadfast--Paul had a gift for kindness, which he generously bestowed upon all who knew him. His existence has already made our world a better place.

--From the Paul André Hermansen Memorial 

"His smile was so big and bright...One hug from Paul would melt all my troubles and burdens away. I knew that even on the worst days if I could just get a hug from Paul, everything would be okay.

Paul restored my faith in human beings and made me realize that genuinely caring for people my age really do exist."

Buffy Longmire, friend, and schoolmate

If you would like to contribute to this fund, please go to Panther Fund and use the "other" designation to identify that you wish to give to this named endowment fund.

Paul Cecala & Dan Nazzaro Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Scholarship

Description

History

Paul L. Chell Endowment in Memory of Jerome P. Keuper COA

Type

Scholarship / Fellowship

Year Established

2008

Purpose

Scholarships for students within the College of Aeronautics. (GF000090)

Description

History

Paul Chell was born on January 23, 1922, in Minneapolis, Minnesota, he attended the University of Minnesota to study mechanical engineering and business administration. World War II intervened. He became an aircraft inspector and joined the Army Air Corps in 1942. He received his pilot's license in 1943 and spent 19 months as a pilot and flight test maintenance officer in the Asiatic-Pacific Theater. During this time he flew 19 combat missions.

After the war, Paul left the Army Air Corps to return to the University of Minnesota where he met his wife of 65 years, Lois Chell. He rejoined the Air Force to become one of the "Wright Stuff" test pilots at Wright Patterson Air Force Base. He was a project manager for the F-88 and F-101. During his flying career, he flew 64 different types of aircraft and 93 different models of airplanes. Paul was a life member of The Society of Experimental Test Pilots and also was a member of the Institute of the Aerospace Sciences.

Paul later directed the Air Force Space Study Program in the middle and late 1950s while stationed at Andrews AFB and the Pentagon. His involvement with research and development in the space program led to his last military assignment at the Air Force Eastern Test Range at

Patrick Air Force Base in 1965. In 1988 Paul started the Indialantic Rotary Book Program which shipped medical and technical books and professional journals around the world. More than 225,000 books and about 154,000 journals have been delivered to Rotary Clubs for distribution in 14 countries. A third project he started was to supply donated FPL telephone poles to provide osprey nesting sites.

Paul enjoyed golf at Suntree Country Club, where he and his wife, Lois, were early members. He was a talented musician who played the piano and organ. Paul also was a sailor, fisherman, and crabber. On August 11th, 2012, Paul passed away at the age of 90.

Paul and Lois established two endowed scholarship funds at Florida Tech--one for students in the College of Aeronautics and the other for Engineering.

If you would like to contribute to this fund, please go to Panther Fund and use the "other" designation to identify that you wish to give to this named endowment fund.

Paul L. Chell Endowment in Memory of Jerome P. Keuper COE

Type

Scholarship / Fellowship

Year Established

2008

Purpose

Scholarships for students within the College of Engineering. (GF000179)

Description

History

Paul Chell was born on January 23, 1922, in Minneapolis, Minnesota, he attended the University of Minnesota to study mechanical engineering and business administration. World War II intervened. He became an aircraft inspector and joined the Army Air Corps in 1942. He received his pilot's license in 1943 and spent 19 months as a pilot and flight test maintenance officer in the Asiatic-Pacific Theater. During this time he flew 19 combat missions.

After the war, Paul left the Army Air Corps to return to the University of Minnesota where he met his wife of 65 years, Lois Chell. He rejoined the Air Force to become one of the "Wright Stuff" test pilots at Wright Patterson Air Force Base. He was a project manager for the F-88 and F-101. During his flying career, he flew 64 different types of aircraft and 93 different models of airplanes. Paul was a life member of The Society of Experimental Test Pilots and also was a member of the Institute of the Aerospace Sciences.

Paul later directed the Air Force Space Study Program in the middle and late 1950s while stationed at Andrews AFB and the Pentagon. His involvement with research and development in the space program led to his last military assignment at the Air Force Eastern Test Range at

Patrick Air Force Base in 1965. In 1988 Paul started the Indialantic Rotary Book Program which shipped medical and technical books and professional journals around the world. More than 225,000 books and about 154,000 journals have been delivered to Rotary Clubs for distribution in 14 countries. A third project he started was to supply donated FPL telephone poles to provide osprey nesting sites.

Paul enjoyed golf at Suntree Country Club, where he and his wife, Lois, were early members. He was a talented musician who played the piano and organ. Paul also was a sailor, fisherman, and crabber. On August 11th, 2012, Paul passed away at the age of 90.

Paul and Lois established two endowed scholarship funds at Florida Tech--one for students in the College of Aeronautics and the other for Engineering.

If you would like to contribute to this fund, please go to Panther Fund and use the "other" designation to identify that you wish to give to this named endowment fund.

Phebus Family Scholarship Endowment

Type

Scholarship / Fellowship

Year Established

1997

Purpose

Award one or more full tuition scholarships to undergraduate students. (GF000057)

Description

History

Mr. and Mrs. Phebus donated $200,000 in 1997 to create the endowment called “Phebus Family Scholarship Endowment Fund”. The donation was matched by the F.W. Olin Foundation. The purpose of the fund is to award one or more full tuition scholarships to undergraduate students.

If you would like to contribute to this fund, please go to Panther Fund and use the "other" designation to identify that you wish to give to this named endowment fund.

Phi Kappa Phi Chapter Scholarship Fund

Type

Scholarship / Fellowship

Year Established

2020

Purpose

Income from this fund will support an annual one-year scholarship for PKP undergraduate or graduate student(s) based on merit and selected by the PKP committee. (GF000445)

Description

Students will be chosen based on their academic achievement while pursuing a degree at the institution. Recipients should be full-time students with good merit. Applicants will be chosen by the Phi Kappa Phi school committee.

History

Phi Kappa Phi is an honor society that was founded in 1897 at the University of Maine. Since then the society has had over 1.5 million members at 325 campuses around the country and surrounding territories all supporting the academic achievement of students. 

In the 1900s, the organization was renamed to what we know today, which means “let the love of learning rule humanity”.

If you would like to contribute to this fund, please go to Panther Fund and use the "other" designation to identify that you wish to give to this named endowment fund.

Philip and Eloise Kalker Family Scholarship

Type

Scholarship / Fellowship

Year Established

2001

Purpose

Provide scholarships for undergraduate students at Florida Tech. (GF000149)

Description

History

 If you would like to contribute to this fund, please go to Panther Fund and use the "other" designation to identify that you wish to give to this named endowment fund.

Physics and Space Sciences Program Endowment

Type

General Endowment

Year Established

1997

Purpose

Support the instructional program of Physics and Space Sciences. (GF000140)

Description

History

If you would like to contribute to this fund, please go to Panther Fund and use the "other" designation to identify that you wish to give to this named endowment fund.

Picou Endowed Scholarship Fund

Description

History

President's Scholarship Fund

Type

Scholarship / Fellowship

Year Established

2004

Purpose

Provide scholarship support for outstanding current or prospective students enrolled in Florida Tech. (GF000077)

Description

History

If you would like to contribute to this fund, please go to Panther Fund and use the "other" designation to identify that you wish to give to this named endowment fund.

Proctor Entrepreneurial Endowment Fund

Type

General Endowment

Year Established

2012

Purpose

Provide financial support for entrepreneurship and business education at Florida Tech. (GF000178)

Description

History

The Proctor Academy was founded in 1848 in Andover, New Hampshire. It brings together a multitude of learning styles and activities so that the students can better perform in their academic endeavors. These learning styles include 140+ academic courses that are in-person, remote, a combination of the two, or a chance to study abroad in different countries. Proctor establishes the need for a social life and extracurriculars for it’s students this includes but aren’t limited to: 30+ art electives, a ski hill, soccer, and lacrosse.

If you would like to contribute to this fund, please go to Panther Fund and use the "other" designation to identify that you wish to give to this named endowment fund.

Protestant Campus Ministry Endowment

Type

General Endowment

Year Established

1999

Purpose

Support of Protestant Campus Ministry. (GF000162)

Description

History

If you would like to contribute to this fund, please go to Panther Fund and use the "other" designation to identify that you wish to give to this named endowment fund.

Psychology Science Endowment

Type

General Endowment

Year Established

2010

Purpose

The mission of this endowment is to effectively inform the public about the science of psychology, the value, and importance of psychological research, and its applicability to people's lives. (GF000131)

Description

History

This endowment was sponsored by a retired psychology professor, Faculty Emeritus Juanita Baker. She retired in 2007 but continues to help out the school she has grown to love. The endowment is also linked to the weekly broadcast on WFIT 89.5 radio called Psychology Science Minute. This broadcast is to give research-based students a chance to display their findings in a way to educate the community. 

Emeritus Juanita Baker was brought on board the Florida Tech staff in 1984, where she stayed until 2007. The courses that she taught mainly resided around children ‘s psychology when in relation to sexual abuse.

If you would like to contribute to this fund, please go to Panther Fund and use the "other" designation to identify that you wish to give to this named endowment fund.

Ravindran Palaniyandi, M.D. and Ambika Palaniyandi Scholarship

Type

Scholarship / Fellowship

Year Established

2004

Purpose

Scholarship awards to senior students and graduate students at Florida Tech. (GF000084)

Description

This scholarship is administered by the Office of Financial Aid. Recipients must be senior graduate students; must have a minimum GPA of 3.0; must demonstrate financial need.

History

Richard and Teresa McNeight Endowed Fellowship

Type

Scholarship / Fellowship

Year Established

2007

Purpose

Fellowships for graduate students enrolled in the College of Engineering that have an interest in expanding their knowledge of business, management, and entrepreneurship. (GF000095)

Description

History

Richard and Teresa McNeight have three children and strive to better the community and the students at Florida Tech. Teresa McNeight knows how much school is important for an individual due to receiving an A.S. and a B.S. degree in dental hygiene. Teresa also gives back to the community by being a part of the Holy Name of Jesus School Board. 

Richard McNeight is currently working as a Chief Digital Officer at Health First Inc. He has experience in business through being on boards for multiple companies and has over 30 years of management. From those 30 years, he brings any company he administers a wide range of knowledge on computers, software, and data analytics.

If you would like to contribute to this fund, please go to Panther Fund and use the "other" designation to identify that you wish to give to this named endowment fund.

Robert A. Schilling Paravant Computer Systems Scholarship

Type

Scholarship / Fellowship

Year Established

1998

Purpose

Scholarships for Paravant (now DRS Tactical Systems 2000) employees and their dependents studying under any college within the University or any student studying in the College of Engineering if a Paravant employee/ dependent is not chosen. (GF000153)

Description

History

In August of 1998, Paravant Computer Systems made a pledge of $25,000 to the Campaign for a Rising Star designated to establish a new scholarship endowment at Florida Tech. This was presented in March 2002, upon the final payment to the Olin Foundation for their match.

The purpose of the endowment is to provide scholarships in memory of their employee, Robert A. Shilling. Employees of Paravant Computer Systems or their dependents were preferred if they applied to Florida Tech.

Paravant Computers Systems Inc (Paravant) was a US manufacturer of rugged portable computers and communication interfaces that were utilized in outdoor environments and in the medical marketplace. Paravant specialized in customized portable and handheld computers. Paravant's products were sold to the military establishments of the US and other countries. They also sold to other government agencies and civil customers.

On 9 October 1998 Paravant acquired Engineering Development Laboratories Inc and Signal Technology Laboratories Inc. At the time, the company was based in Melbourne (Florida, US). In October 2002 Paravant was acquired by DRS Technologies Inc.

If you would like to contribute to this fund, please go to Panther Fund and use the "other" designation to identify that you wish to give to this named endowment fund.

Robert L. Long Professorship in Ethics

Type

Faculty Chair

Year Established

2002

Purpose

Funds are to be used in support of a Chair in Ethics within the College of Business. (GF000157)

Description

History

Robert L. Long was born in 1937. For 30 years, slowly but surely, he was able to build a career at Tennessee Eastman Chemical and at Eastman Kodak in Rochester, New York, where he started as an engineer and climbed up to senior Vice President. In 1992, he retired and moved to Melbourne Beach where he was very active in the community, worked as a strategic planning consultant to several CEOs and investors, and served the Florida Institute of Technology on a Board of Trustees from 1999 to 2006.

Long died in 2006 and is remembered as an “intelligent individual who listened intently and displayed an uncanny ability to cut right to the heart of the issue being discussed. He was adept at working through extraneous information and engaging in critical thinking”, said his friend Roger Manley, a distinguished professor who served for more than 30 years to Florida Tech.

If you would like to contribute to this fund, please go to Panther Fund and use the "other" designation to identify that you wish to give to this named endowment fund.

Russ S. Lawton Scholarship

Type

Scholarship / Fellowship

Year Established

2023

Purpose

Income from this fund will support an annual scholarship for undergraduate student(s) in the College of Aeronautics, who need financial assistance and who plan to pursue a career in flight safety. (GF000500)

Description

History

Russell Stuart Lawton (Russ) passed away at the age of 70 on January 14, 2023, following a long illness. He was born in New Britain, Connecticut, the only child of Richard and Madeline (Pepe) Lawton, who preceded him in death. He is survived by his wife, Sherryl Marshall, his stepdaughter, Cara Marshall, and Cara’s sons, Tyler and Carter Sandt.

Russ’s abiding passion in life, both personal and professional, was aviation. He soloed at the historic Willow Run Airport in Ypsilanti, Michigan, at the age of 15. He went on to attend Florida Institute of Technology, graduating with a Bachelor of Science degree in Air Commerce with Flight Technology. After graduation he pursued his passion by working for many years for the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA) and the AOPA Air Safety Foundation, ultimately becoming vice president of operations. He pursued his aviation proficiency by earning ratings for Airline Transport Pilot, with airplane multi-engine land, and a commercial pilot airplane single engine land and airplane single engine sea. He was a flight instructor single engine and instrument airplane, and ground instructor. He also obtained certification in Aviation Safety and Security at the University of Southern California.

Other positions during his 40-year career in aviation safety included director of operations for Wyvern Consulting, editor-in-chief of IFR Refresher magazine, and editorial consultant to the Flight Safety Foundation, as well as consulting with the Federal Aviation Administration and National Transportation Safety Board on issues requiring his expertise.

In 2006, Russ joined Air Charter Safety Foundation, dedicated to improving aviation safety standards for business and general aviation, ultimately becoming its vice president of operations. During his tenure he helped the foundation increase its membership from zero to 300 companies.

For his contributions to aviation safety, Russ was honored in 2005 by his alma mater with its Outstanding Alumni Award. In 2022, the Flight Safety Foundation awarded him its Business Aviation Meritorious Service Award for his outstanding service and contributions to corporate aviation safety.

In addition to his professional achievements, he was the chief pilot for family flights to visit friends and relatives, a connoisseur of good red wine, solely responsible for keeping the family pool in perfect condition for pool parties, and endured Sherry’s never-ending home-improvement projects. He was an active member of the Lutheran Church of St. Andrew in Silver Spring, MD.

The Air Charter Safety Foundation has pledged to honor Russ' legacy by creating a scholarship in his name.

To give to this scholarship fund, click here.

Ruth Funk Museum Endowment Fund

Type

General Endowment

Year Established

2018

Purpose

Protect and support the University's ability to enhance the academic experience for all Florida Tech students by providing opportunities to interact with art. (GF000159)

Description

History

Ruth E. Funk through her world travels has created a museum for Florida Tech. It brings the campus and the surrounding area a variety of textiles and jewelry enriched in cultures. These cultures include Africa, Japan, India, Central Asia, European, and North America. 

Funk grew an interest in sharing her knowledge and collection for the school ever since 2003 during an exhibition and gala event hosted by the school. Since then she and the President, at the time, Dr. Anthony J. Catanese worked together to bring the school an assortment of programs teaching about culture and textiles from those areas.

Even though Ruth Funk died in 2017 at the age of 91, her legacy and contribution to art live on.

If you would like to contribute to this fund, please go to Panther Fund and use the "other" designation to identify that you wish to give to this named endowment fund.

Sant Ram Sharma Endowment In Chemistry

Mr. Sant Ram Sharma

Type

General Endowment

Year Established

2000

Purpose

Designated to support research in the Department of Chemistry at Florida Tech initially for research being conducted by Dr. V. K. Sharma and then new research projects in the future years. (GF000134)

Description

Donor specifies support for Sharma Project (Environmental Chemistry). In future years endowment income will be available to initiate and support new research in the Chemistry Department.

Dr. Virender K. Sharma

History

Dr. Virender K. Sharma, originally from India, obtained his bachelor’s and of his master’s degrees from the University of Delhi in 1980 and 1982, respectively. In 1984, he received his other master’s degree from the Indian Institute of Technology, and his Ph.D. from the University of Miami in 1989.

Dr. Sharma was a faculty at Florida Tech for over 13 years (1999-2013). Dr. Sharma is currently a Professor at the Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, School of Public Health (SPH), Texas A&M University.  He is also serving as the Director of the Program of Environment and Sustainability of the SPH.  Dr. Sharma has made seminal contributions in the areas of chemistry and environmental applications of ferrates. Dr. Sharma has also made key contributions in elucidating the stabilization and toxicity of natural nanoparticles in an aquatic environment, resulting in an impact on human and ecological health. He has published more than 320 peer-reviewed publications. Dr. Sharma has also published 55 book chapters, and 36 proceedings, and authored/edited 8 books. His distinguished awards include Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry, Bush Excellence Award for International Research, Faculty Excellence in Research by Florida Tech, Outstanding Chemist by the American Chemical Society (Orlando Section), Outstanding Distinguish Scientist Award by Sigma Xi (Texas A&M University Chapter), International Fellowship awarded by the Chinese Academy of Sciences, and Invited Professorship by University of Paris, France.

This endowment was named in honor of his father, Sant Ram Sharma, to support departmental research.

Sant Ram Sharma

Mr. Sant Ram Sharma was born in Gondpur Banehra in Himachal Pradesh, India. His childhood was spent in hardship at the time of World War I and his mother always taught him the values of hard work, integrity, honesty, and ethics.  He was the first among eight siblings who earned a two-year college degree before World war II.  Mr. Sharma passed his values to his five children and all received at least undergraduate degrees.   He appreciated the virtues of education and was a daily reader of newspapers.  In reading and listening to the news, he was amazed and excited throughout his life about the creativity of research that improves the quality of life for human beings.  He learned early in his life the importance of research and encouraged his children to pursue higher education.  One of his youngest children, Virender Sharma graduated with a doctorate degree in the chemistry of natural waters in the United States.  Dr. Sharma received research funding from a non-profit organization, which allowed him to establish an endowment in the memory of his father, Sant Ram Sharma.  This income from the endowment can be utilized for pursuing Mr. Sharma’s values for improving the quality of life through innovative research in the field of chemistry.  

If you would like to contribute to this fund, please go to Panther Fund and use the "other" designation to identify that you wish to give to this named endowment fund.

Sarkis Acopian Chair In Environmental Education

Type

Faculty Chair

Year Established

1990

Purpose

Create environmental awareness and promote environmental ethics for Florida Tech students. (GF000137)

Description

History

Sarkis Acopian was born on December 8^th, 1926 in Iran. In 1945, he left the country and came to the United States to pursue a degree in engineering at Lafayette College in Pennsylvania. While he was in college, he was drafted into the U.S. Army and served two tours. In one of them, he met Bobbye Seitze Mixon, who later became his wife. Acopian graduated from college in 1951 and started his professional career as an engineer at Weller Electric Corp.

His entrepreneurship mindset led him to start his own business. In 1957, he not only designed and manufactured the first ever solar radio but, along with a partner, Acopian also opened a small shop that eventually became Acopian Technical Company, which is still operating today. 

Acopian’s success combined with his kindness and civic mind was the reason why he gave back to society on numerous occasions. He made significant donations to The Acopian Engineering Center at Lafayette College, The Acopian Center for Conservation Learning at Hawk Mountain Sanctuary, The Acopain Center for Ornithology at Muhlenberg, and endowed an environmental education program at the American University of Armenia and the Florida Institute of Technology. The list goes on, he donated to the Armenian General Benevolent Union, the Embassy of Armenia in Canada, the Diocese of The Armenian Church of America, Columbia University, and The Children’s Home of Easton, among others. Not done yet, he is the largest individual donor to the World War II Memorial in Washington, D.C., and was awarded the Ellis Island Medal of Honor, the St. Gregory the Illuminator Medal, and an honorary Doctor of Science degree from Muhlenberg College.

Aside from his professional career and philanthropic donations, Acopian’s hobbies had some degree of danger. He jumped out of an airplane over 250 times, enjoyed scuba diving, and got his pilot’s license to do tricks over Blue Mountain.

Sarkis Acopian passed away on January 18^th, 2007 at his home in Easton, Pennsylvania, at the age of 80.

If you would like to contribute to this fund, please go to Panther Fund and use the "other" designation to identify that you wish to give to this named endowment fund.

Acopian Chairs

1992 - Present: Tom Marcinkowski

Save Our Bay, Air, and Canals/Waterways, Inc. (SOBAC) Endowed Fellowship

Type

Scholarship / Fellowship

Year Established

2006

Purpose

Fellowship awards to graduate students studying Environmental Resources Management with an emphasis on air and water quality. (GF000108)

Description

History

SOBAC was an environmental organization with a focus on raising concern about problems in the marine systems. Before it was dissolved in 2006, it was the largest desalination plant on the Tampa Bay Estuary. After the dissolvement of the organization majority of the remaining amount of funds were used to create the endowment at Florida Tech.

If you would like to contribute to this fund, please go to Panther Fund and use the "other" designation to identify that you wish to give to this named endowment fund.

School of Psychology Endowment

Type

General Endowment

Year Established

1999

Purpose

Support Florida Tech's School of Psychology. (GF000130)

Description

History

Trustee Dr. Raymond Armstrong has been on the Board of Trustees since 1984 when he retired from being a physician. From the generous contributions from Mr. Armstrong, the School of Psychology have added a number of different courses and tools to better their educational system for their students. This includes adding courses and degrees in industrial-organizational psychology, forensic psychology and applied behavior analysis.

If you would like to contribute to this fund, please go to Panther Fund and use the "other" designation to identify that you wish to give to this named endowment fund.

Schumann Scholarship Fund

Description

History

Scott Matthew Sindel Scholarship

Type

Scholarship / Fellowship

Year Established

2014

Purpose

Scholarships for upperclassmen with financial needs in good academic status with satisfactory academic progress. (GF000142)

Description

Preference is given to students who have participated in Florida Tech campus-life student activities or who are active within the community. Preference is given to renewing the same student in subsequent years.

History

VIDEO

Scott Sindel's love for aviation began at the early age of two when his grandfather took him to Port Columbus International Airport every Sunday morning to watch airplanes. As he grew up, anytime a plane passed overhead, Scott’s head instinctively lifted and gazed skyward. At the age of 17, Scott began flying lessons. As part of his Senior Class project at New Albany High School, he documented his progression from student pilot to a licensed private pilot. He earned his private pilot’s license in the spring of 2000. After graduating high school in 2000, Scott enrolled in the Flight Operations degree program at Daniel Webster College in Nashua, New Hampshire. In 2002, during his sophomore year of college, Scott enrolled in Aviation Management at the Florida Institute of Technology in Melbourne, Florida, without his parents knowing. Scott progressed rapidly, earning multiple ratings and licenses. He graduated with honors in 2004 and became a Flight Instructor at FIT Aviation, training students in both single and multi-engine aircraft. After 18 months of instructing, he was hired by ExpressJet Airlines where he flew Embraer 135-145 regional jet aircraft. In November of 2006, Scott was hired by Spirit Airlines, flying the Airbus A319, A320, and A321 series aircraft.

In 2003, while attending the Florida Institute of Technology, Scott was diagnosed with Adenoid Cystic Carcinoma, a rare form of cancer. After receiving treatment, he was able to regain his FAA medical certificate. In 2007, he was told his cancer had returned. Once again, Scott was told he was unable to fly. His determination to get back to his passion led him around the country seeking treatments for this disease until finally in November 2013, the FAA granted Scott his medical and returned to Spirit Airlines. Unfortunately, after two months of training and only sixteen days of duty, Scott’s cancer returned once again. Scott fought cancer for nearly 12 years until his passing on July 12th, 2014 at the age of 32, surrounded by friends and family. Scott was loved by many and will be greatly missed by all.

If you would like to contribute to this fund, please go to Panther Fund and use the "other" designation to identify that you wish to give to this named endowment fund.

Shirley Mataxis Slack Engineering Scholarship for Women Athletes

Type

Scholarship / Fellowship

Year Established

1997

Purpose

Scholarships for female athlete-scholars enrolled or applying to any area of Engineering. (GF000059)

Description

History

John Slack was born in Burning Sands Springs, Oklahoma. He graduated with a bachelor's degree from Oklahoma State and a graduate degree from Colorado University.

John knew early in his life that he wanted to serve his county. He served, after college, for several years in the Air Force. Then, because of his exceptional skills, he went to work at the National Security Agency; rising to several executive-level positions. Following his NSA Service, he was selected to be Assistant Secretary of Defense for Intelligence during the Carter Administration.

In retirement from government service, John couldn't resist the opportunities and lifestyle offered in Florida. He became a successful entrepreneur and brought fresh life and success to more than one defense electronics organization. More importantly, John, along with many friends, became a staunch supporter of many Brevard County Charitable organizations and activities. He proudly served on the Board of Trustees for Florida Tech, for 20 years.

John and his wife Shirley have been long-time donors to Florida Tech, they gave the bronze panther statue that sits out front of the pool and dining hall for the whole campus to see. Shirley also established the Shirley Mataxis Slack Engineering Scholarship for Women Athletes, which supports female athletes from the College of Engineering. Preference may be given to those with interest or involvement in crew and/or those students from military families. They are also supporters of Florida Tech’s Scott Center for Autism Treatment.

If you would like to contribute to this fund, please go to Panther Fund and use the "other" designation to identify that you wish to give to this named endowment fund.

SkyCross Laboratory Endowment

Type

General Endowment

Year Established

2000

Purpose

Provide funds to be used in support of research and laboratory development in the area of antenna technology in Florida Tech's College of Engineering. (GF000169)

Description

History

SkyCross is a company whose mission is to develop antennas and further the research of wireless devices. It was founded in 2000 by Eric Alterman. Eric has founded many companies that relate to online communications, software development, and semiconductor ventures. Before his entrepreneurial journey, Eric graduated from the Tufts University and the Washington College of Law with a law degree. He worked as an attorney for multiple years until he formed MILCOM in 1997.

If you would like to contribute to this fund, please go to Panther Fund and use the "other" designation to identify that you wish to give to this named endowment fund.

Software Engineering Scholarship

Type

Scholarship / Fellowship

Year Established

1998

Purpose

Scholarship for students studying software engineering. (GF000050)

Description

History

James Whittaker, distinguished engineer, and technical evangelist received his BA in Computer Science and Math from Bellarmine University in 1987 and his Ph.D. in Computer Science from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville in 1992. 

James has worked in well-known companies such as the FBI, IBM, Microsoft, and Google. In 1986, he became the first computer science graduate hired by the FBI, working as a Programmer and System Admin. In 1989, he worked as a consultant at IBM for three years, and then, in 1991, as Software Developer at Software Engineering Technology for five years. After that, he founded Security Innovation, which is an authority on application security and a leading independent provider of Risk Assessment, Risk Mitigation, and Education services to Fortune/Global 500 and mid-size companies. In 1996 and for almost 10 years, James was a Professor of Computer Science at the Florida Institute of Technology. Later, he joined Microsoft where his first stint was in Trustworthy Computing and Visual Studio. He then joined Google as an Engineering Director and lead teams working on Chrome, Maps, and Google+/ for almost three years. In 2012, he rejoined Microsoft and held the Partner Development Manager position and Distinguished Engineer and Technical Evangelist, which is his current position.  

James is known for being a creative and passionate leader and sought-after speaker. He is the author of five books two of which have been Jolt Award finalists.

If you would like to contribute to this fund, please go to Panther Fund and use the "other" designation to identify that you wish to give to this named endowment fund.

Sportfish Research Institute Endowment

Type

General Endowment

Year Established

2003

Purpose

Support faculty and staff research projects; engage in community service and outreach projects; provide instructional and research resources for Sportfish Research Institute. (GF000166)

Description

History

Florida Tech has teamed up with The Sportfish Research Institute to educate and give students the opportunity to study the ecosystem of The Indian River Lagoon. The stated lagoon is the most essential nursery for sportfish. Fish that includes tarpon, snoot, sea trout, etc. The lagoon is the perfect environment for these fish due to it’s enriched soil, solid mangroves, and the migration of prey for the sportfish to consume. Sportfish Research Institute holds many research events at the lagoon in attempts to preserve its entirety.

If you would like to contribute to this fund, please go to Panther Fund and use the "other" designation to identify that you wish to give to this named endowment fund.

Squamish Scholarship Endowment

Type

Scholarship / Fellowship

Year Established

2008

Purpose

Scholarship support for a student attending Florida Tech. (GF000093)

Description

History

Deborah Heystek graduated from the Florida Institute of Technology with a bachelor’s degree in Biology in 1979. She was a software architect at a research institute and defense contractor where she was doing modeling and simulation. However, after a few years, she started her own line of clothing from South African fabrics, which was her dream as an entrepreneur.

Deborah states that her time at Florida Tech was a great experience and it is where she established enduring friendships. She is a member of the alumni board and is active on the Botanical Garden Committee plus serves as an alumni adviser to the Squamish fraternity. For this reason, she created the Squamish Scholarship Endowment, which currently helps fund outstanding and deserving students at Florida Tech. “The Squamish Scholarship has been funded by past and present Squamish Brothers and will serve as a legacy to the organization,” says Heystek.

If you would like to contribute to this fund, please go to Panther Fund and use the "other" designation to identify that you wish to give to this named endowment fund.

Steve Freeman College of Business Student Support Fund

Type

General Endowment

Year Established

2002

Purpose

Support student activities and projects as well as provide scholarships to undergraduate and graduate students. (GF000173)

Description

History

Steve Freeman, a current member of the Board of Trustees at Florida Tech, graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Finance and an MBA from Florida Tech, in 1990 and 1992, respectively. While in college, he was also part of the soccer team that won the NCAA Division II national title.

His professional career started as a Financial Advisor at A.G. Edwards & Sons, where he served for seven years. Then, it continued at Merril Lynch for two years where he was a Producing Branch Manager, and, since 2001 until now, he’s been working at Morgan Stanley where he is the current Executive Director – Complex Manager.

Aside from his professional career, Steve still is actively involved in competitive sports and still plays soccer, run marathons, and works out. He assures that competitive sports are what helped him “to understand the value of teamwork and a competitive spirit.”

If you would like to contribute to this fund, please go to Panther Fund and use the "other" designation to identify that you wish to give to this named endowment fund.

Steven Petrosky Memorial Scholarship

Type

Scholarship / Fellowship

Year Established

2000

Purpose

Scholarships for students in the College of Aeronautics. (GF000064)

Description

History

Mrs. Audrey Ulozas donated $25,000 in June 2000 to the Campaign for a Rising Star to create the “Steven Petrosky Memorial Scholarship Fund”. The gift was fully matched by the F.W. Olin Foundation. The endowment was created as a memorial of Mr. and Mrs. Ulozas son, Steven Petrosky, (’93 graduate of Aeronautics) who died in an air crash at the age of 26. The recipients of the scholarship have always been full-time students enrolled in the College of Aeronautics.

If you would like to contribute to this fund, please go to Panther Fund and use the "other" designation to identify that you wish to give to this named endowment fund.

Sujit and Nidhi Jain Scholarship Endowment

Description

History

SunTrust Reliance Bank Scholarship

Type

Scholarship / Fellowship

Year Established

1988

Purpose

Provide Scholarships. (GF000019)

Description

History

In 1891, SunTrust was created to be a bank system in Atlanta, Georgia. By 1920, the bank became the first national bank. You can find and operate the bank all throughout the United States. SunTrust wants to give back and let individuals who wouldn’t have had the opportunity to go to school due to financial reasons have that chance.

If you would like to contribute to this fund, please go to Panther Fund and use the "other" designation to identify that you wish to give to this named endowment fund.

SunTrust Scholarship

Type

Scholarship / Fellowship

Year Established

1988

Purpose

Provide scholarships. (GF000018)

Description

This scholarship is awarded by the Office of Financial Aid Office with preference given to Bevard County residents, then Florida, then others.

History

Based in Atlanta, SunTrust bank was the ninth-largest bank in the U.S. as of 2004. On February 2, 1988, SunTrust Bank pledged $100,000 to Florida Tech. Awardees are selected by the Florida Tech Director of Financial Aid. Bevard County residents are given preference in receiving this scholarship, then Florida residents, and then everyone else. In addition, maintaining a good academic standing permitted awardees to renew their award until their graduation.

If you would like to contribute to this fund, please go to Panther Fund and use the "other" designation to identify that you wish to give to this named endowment fund.

Susan Galos Eason Memorial Scholarship

Type

Scholarship / Fellowship

Year Established

1986

Purpose

Support a female flight student enrolled in the College of Aeronautics. (GF000016)

Description

History

On November 27, 1985, Susan Eason, age 24, a recent Florida Institute of Technology graduate, died when a plane she was co-piloting crashed in East Greenwich, Rhode Island while en route from Morristown, New Jersey to Providence, Rhode Island. Susan was a commercial pilot who held multiengine and airline transport ratings. She was employed for the previous year as a pilot and flight instructor for Northeast Airways in Morristown. Before that, she had been employed by Hyannis Aviation in Massachusetts as a pilot flying scenic flights over the Bar Harbor, Maine area.

In her memory, numerous friends and family donated support to establish the Susan Galos-Eason Memorial Scholarship. Since 1992, the fund has supported scholarships for female flight students, enrolled at the Florida Institute of Technology College of Aeronautics, who have achieved academic distinction.

If you would like to contribute to this fund, please go to Panther Fund and use the "other" designation to identify that you wish to give to this named endowment fund.

Susan Stackpoole Endowed Fund For COA Faculty, Programs, And Lab Enrichment

Type

General Endowment

Year Established

2013

Purpose

Support the College of Aeronautics to assist in faculty development, academic program development and delivery, and aeronautics laboratory enrichment. (GF000122)

Description

History

The passing of one of Florida Institute of Technology’s most recognizable and beloved faculty members, Susan Stackpoole, prompted her husband, Ken Stackpoole, dean of the College of Aeronautics and vice president for aviation programs, to establish an endowed fund to further the mission started by his wife.

“As a teacher for our online programs, Susan understood the value of such programs and wanted to see them grow,” Stackpoole said. “This endowment will enhance our offerings here in aeronautics.”The Susan Stackpoole Endowed Fund for College of Aeronautics Faculty, Programs and Lab Enrichment will support efforts throughout the college, including expanding the college’s graduate online offerings."

If you would like to contribute to this fund, please go to Panther Fund and use the "other" designation to identify that you wish to give to this named endowment fund.

Tarragon Award

Description

History

The Ashok And Kumkum Pandit Family Endowment

Type

General Endowment

Year Established

2017

Purpose

Provide an annual award to one senior and one junior in the Civil Engineering program. (GF000185)

Description

History

Ashok Pandit obtained his bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology in Kanpur, India in 1973; his master’s degree in Water Resources Engineering from Clemson University in 1976; and his Ph.D. from Clemson University in 1982.

He has been serving at the Florida Institute of Technology since 1998. For three years (1998-2000), Ashok was a Professor and Program Chair of Civil Engineering; then, from 2000 to 2016, he was a Professor and Department Head of Civil Engineering; from 2016 to 2018, he was a Professor and Department Head of Civil Engineering and Construction Management; and since 2018, he has been Professor and Department Head of Mechanical and Civil Engineering.

In addition to teaching, his research activities “focus on simulation of contaminant transport in subsurface media using numerical and physical models, saltwater intrusion, hydrological modeling, and stormwater management.” Moreover, he is active in STEM education and outreach and recently received an NSF STEM grant to grow STEM education to students from Community and State Colleges.

Professor Pandit has also organized successful week-long Engineering Summer Camps since 2009 for 9^th to 12^th graders who are interested in engineering. During this camp, students learn about MATLAB, AutoCAD, Fusion 360, and Pro Engineer, plus they witness laboratory demonstrations and conduct well-design experiments in different fields.

If you would like to contribute to this fund, please go to Panther Fund and use the "other" designation to identify that you wish to give to this named endowment fund.

The Carl And Joann Bottcher Endowed Scholarship Fund

Type

Scholarship / Fellowship

Year Established

2014

Purpose

Support a student in the College of Engineering who shows significant promise and potential for achievement but who has limited financial means. (GF000215)

Description

History

Carl Bottcher has always had a passion for engineering, even though his main source of income was through growing his family-owned painting company. When the two visited the Florida Tech campus; Carl Bottcher stated, “We realized Florida Tech has enormous potential to impact the way we live.” From the donation of the Bottchers and another family, the Mertens, Create the Future was established to help Florida Tech grow the financial resources to become a predominant school in technological resources and courses.

If you would like to contribute to this fund, please go to Panther Fund and use the "other" designation to identify that you wish to give to this named endowment fund.

The Dean Mead Scholarship

Type

Scholarship / Fellowship

Year Established

2015

Purpose

The scholarship which will support a FIT undergraduate student in his or her Junior or Senior year studying for a STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math) degree. (GF000190)

Description

History

The Dean Mead Law Firm was established in 1980 by Stephen T. Dean, Robert W. Mead, Jr., Charles H. Egerton, Darryl M. Bloodworth, Albert D. Capouano, Stephen J. Bozarth, Lauren Y. Detzel, and Lynn J. Hinson. The firm over the years has developed offices all across Florida; with its most recent office opening in Vero Beach. In 2015, the stakeholder of the firm, Kimberly Rezanka, started the scholarship program for students.

If you would like to contribute to this fund, please go to Panther Fund and use the "other" designation to identify that you wish to give to this named endowment fund.

The Delta Sigma Phi Scholarship

Type

Scholarship / Fellowship

Year Established

1998

Purpose

Scholarships for students at Florida Tech. (GF000073)

Description

History

If you would like to contribute to this fund, please go to Panther Fund and use the "other" designation to identify that you wish to give to this named endowment fund.

The Gary and Kerry Barronette Grant Emergency Scholarship Fund

Type

Scholarship / Fellowship

Year Established

2018

Purpose

Support one or more scholarships for any student who may have financial needs that put them at risk of completing their academic program at Florida Tech. (GF000204)

Description

History

Gary Grant joined Florida Tech in 2017 to serve as the VP for Development. Kerry Grant, his wife, purchased a ticket for the annual Chopper Dropper event and that ticket won the grand prize. Gary and Kerry invited the President to use the funds however he wished. President McCay created this endowed fund.

Gary grew up in Long Island NY and after graduating from the University of Chicago, he worked for that institution as Associate Dean for External Affairs in the social work school and for the Medical Center. He was VP for Development for the University of North Texas Health Science Center and for Washington College before coming to Florida Tech.

Kerry Grant grew up in Kingston, Jamaica, and taught High School math for several decades, including at the Lab School for the University of Chicago.

In setting up this fund, Gary said he was delighted by Dr. McCay's decision because he himself benefitted from a similar fund when he was in college and his parents lost their home to a fire. He was always grateful that his university found sufficient money to cover the lost income and allow him to graduate and he hopes this fund will similarly help others in need at Florida Tech.

If you would like to contribute to this fund, please go to Panther Fund and use the "other" designation to identify that you wish to give to this named endowment fund.

The Lawrence and Margarete Mertens Endowed Fellowship

Type

Scholarship / Fellowship

Year Established

2014

Purpose

Provide support for a graduate student in the College of Engineering who shows significant promise and potential for achievement but has limited financial means. (GF000184)

Description

History

Lawrence Mertens was Florida Tech’s first marine biology instructor who later became a major benefactor with his wife, Margarete Mertens.

In earlier years, Mertens was a chief scientist for RCS and was assigned to work on the Missile Test Range. During that time, he met his fellow engineer, Jerome Keuper, who asked him to serve as the first instructor for marine biology in the school he had founded, Florida Tech, after realizing how much of an expert Mertens was on the field.

From that moment, Mertens significantly contributed to Florida Tech. For example, he designed and ran the first summer field course in the Bahamas for underwater photography and became the instructor for the university’s first course in optical oceanography. Additionally, he was the first Florida Tech member to author a college-level textbook on in-water photography.

In 2015, Lawrence and Margarete, established the Lawrence and Margarete Mertens Endowed Fellowship, with the purpose of benefiting graduate students in the College of Engineering and Computing.

Lawrence passed away on December 16^th, 2017, at the age of 88.

If you would like to contribute to this fund, please go to Panther Fund and use the "other" designation to identify that you wish to give to this named endowment fund.

The Neha And Sanjay Rishi Scholarship Fund

Type

Scholarship / Fellowship

Year Established

2020

Purpose

The Neha and Sanjay Rishi Scholarship will support a Florida Tech undergraduate African-American junior or senior student majoring in a degree within the Nathan Bisk College of Business, who demonstrates financial need. (GF000440)

Description

History

Sanjay Rishi, Ph.D., graduated from Florida Tech in 1985 with a master’s degree in systems management.

“Neha and I are honored to establish this scholarship. It is essential for us as a society to make sure that opportunity exists for everyone,” Sanjay Rishi said. “I was fortunate to attend Florida Tech, and the education I received has been integral in my development as a leader. I hope that this scholarship will help deserving students who may not have the same opportunity I had. Neha and I are excited to continue to support Florida Tech.”

Rishi is CEO, of Corporate Solutions – Americas for the real estate services company JLL. He joined JLL in 2018 from IBM, where he ran the Cloud Consulting Services business. Prior to that, he was chief information officer and group vice president of strategic planning for Johnson Controls Automotive. He has also held roles as a partner for PwC and vice president for IBM Global Strategy.

Sanjay Rishi joined the advisory board of the Bisk College of Business at Florida Tech in 2020. 

If you would like to contribute to this fund, please go to Panther Fund and use the "other" designation to identify that you wish to give to this named endowment fund.

The Richard Lincoln Turner Endowed Research Fund

Type

Professorship / Research Fund

Year Established

2018

Purpose

Support undergraduate research on organismal, cell, or molecular biology. (GF000188)

Description

History

Dr. Richard Lincoln Turner, Ph., served the Florida Institute of Technology for 41 years. He was hired in 1976 when Florida Tech was just beginning to build its reputation as a research university. He was an outstanding professor and his research and service helped the university to advance more and more. For example, he contributed new insights into the biology of starfish, brittle stars, and related animals.

During his time at Florida Tech, he published different times in scientific journals, coauthored an undergraduate textbook on marine biology, and was very active in the Florida Academy of Sciences, serving as president, treasurer, and editor of The Florida Scientist. Additionally, he was the director of undergraduate programs for biological sciences and was a major contributor to the university’s SACS-accreditation effort.

His achievements and years of service were awarded the Florida Academy of Sciences 2018 Medal. The academy awards one medal every year to a Florida resident who has “contributed in an outstanding manner to the promotion of scientific research, to the stimulation of interest in the sciences, or to the diffusion of scientific knowledge.”

Dr. Turner retired at the end of the spring semester in 2017 and was named professor emeritus. However, his impact on students' lives and in his field has been honored with the “Richard Lincoln Turner Endowed Research Fund in Biological Sciences”, established by his friends and family members. “I am delighted that Dick’s impact will continue to be felt forever at Florida Tech as this fund supports generations of student research,” said Dwayne McCay, President of Florida Tech. 

If you would like to contribute to this fund, please go to Panther Fund and use the "other" designation to identify that you wish to give to this named endowment fund.

The Scott Center for Autism Endowment

Type

General Endowment

Year Established

2022

Purpose

To support the ongoing work at the Scott Center for Autism. (GF000167)

Description

History

In 2019, Brevard County philanthropist, Mr. Fred Sutton, co-founder of Sutton Properties, challenged Florida Tech to raise support for the Scott Center through naming rooms.  He himself gave a lead gift of $100,000. Other donors matched this. During the Evening of Hope celebration that year, Mr. Sutton was so moved by the gratitude of families who had benefitted from the Scott Center's support and work with their children, that he issued a second challenge, offering an additional $150,000 if we could raise $250,000 in the next five days.

Thanks to several leaders, including Trustees F. Alan Smith and Vik Verma, and community leader Ted and Melissa Parker as well as a Florida Tech parent, Mr. Greg Williams, we reached this goal. Other donors included the NY Jets Football team and the Unchained Kings Motorcycle Club.  The University continues to pursue all naming opportunities at the Scott Center in support of this endowment and welcomes any additional gifts to sustain and grow these vital programs for the benefit of the community and all the students there working on and researching treatments for autism.

See the full story at Scott Center Endowment News Release

If you would like to contribute to this fund, please go to Panther Fund and use the "other" designation to identify that you wish to give to this named endowment fund.

The Shirley Cui Tarantino Scholarship Fund

Type

Scholarship / Fellowship

Year Established

2019

Purpose

To support a student demonstrating financial need. (GF000499)

Description

History

In 2019, Shirley Tarantino gave a major gift to Florida Tech in support of the Florida Tech Alumni Center and an Endowed Scholarship Fund. As a Computer Information Systems alum and Director of Consumer Products & Retail Strategy at Eurofins, Shirley is a leadership volunteer who participates in mock interviews and the mentoring of Florida Tech students.

The Walter and Hortense Nunn Electromagnetics Chair

Type

Faculty Chair

Year Established

2018

Purpose

Establish an Endowed Chair in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering. (GF000007)

Description

History

Walter Nunn, a professor of electrical engineering arrived at Florida Tech in 1969, just more than a decade after its founding. He spent many years as a faculty member, bolstering the knowledge and touching the lives of thousands of students from his microwave laboratory and classroom in the Frueauff building.

He passed away in 2005, and his wife Hortense passed in 2017. By then they had made clear their longstanding desire to enhance the teaching and development of electrical engineering by establishing a faculty chair dedicated to advancing research and education in that critical field.

In just his second year at Florida Tech, the university gained accreditation from the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology, now known as ABET, a critical step in confirming its place among the leading engineering schools in the country and solidifying the discipline’s key role on campus.

“In those days, electrical engineering was the whole School of Engineering, and I comprised 25 percent of the school’s faculty, being the fourth member,” Nunn told the university’s Florida Tech Today magazine in 2003. Nunn worked for Harry Weber, who served as both head of the Department of Electrical Engineering and dean of the graduate school.

Weber supported Nunn during those early days when Nunn used some unorthodox methods to advance the university’s teaching mission. “Harry helped me start the microwave laboratory,” Nunn said, noting that the original equipment, much of it built by students, was somewhat primitive. “Of course, we didn’t have room for it inside our building, so we put it together on tables in the parking lot.”

That arrangement remained until Florida Tech founding president Jerome Keuper came by during a lab session. “The lab went back into an extremely crowded building,” Nunn said.

In spite of these humble beginnings, Nunn pointed out with justifiable pride that the electromagnetic program he helped launch in 1971 was the first Ph.D. program at Florida Tech.

Both teaching and research were vital for Nunn. While he took great pleasure in teaching, he said his principal research in computer simulation and modeling was always a high priority.

Walter and Hortense, who both grew up in Louisiana, had no children but saw the Florida Tech community as their extended family. Hortense put the university in her will in 2005 after her husband passed away.

“Walter worked at the height of his profession, both in the classroom and in the laboratory. When I went to visit him in the hospital the day before he died, he was still talking about the projects he was working on at FIT,” said Syed Murshid, a professor of electrical engineering and Walter Nunn’s colleague of 25 years. “He served as an inspiration for his colleagues in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering and for faculty throughout the college. He was simply a joy.”

And Nunn’s legacy lives on.

In his commencement address in May 2018 to the university’s spring graduates, Florida Tech Board of Trustees member Vik Verma, a successful Silicon Valley CEO, remembered his former teacher.

“One of my favorite professors was Professor Walter M. Nunn, Jr. He was a former Marine, a world-renowned professor in electromagnetic theory, and one of the toughest graders….Professor Nunn was an amazing man. He passed away a few years ago and I miss him today as does the entire Florida Tech family.”

If you would like to contribute to this fund, please go to Panther Fund and use the "other" designation to identify that you wish to give to this named endowment fund.

Thomas C. Pridmore Endowed Scholarship

Type

Scholarship / Fellowship

Year Established

2008

Purpose

Offer scholarships to assist undergraduate students pursuing a career in Engineering at Florida Tech. (GF000091)

Description

History

Thomas C. Pridmore was born in Birmingham, Alabama on August 20^th, 1923. He obtained his bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from Auburn University after he served in the Army in World War II as a member of the Signal Corps, where he set up communications on the European and Japanese fronts.

His professional career started in 1946 and he worked for some of the major US electronics manufacturers, including Bell Labs, Westinghouse, and ITT. Later, in 1963, Pridmore moved to Indialantic to become an independent electronics manufacturer’s representative. During the 80s, he sold his business and decided to set up as an electronics distributor. He started Pridmore Corp. in his garage, however, the business grew to be a well-respected distributor serving the region’s electronics producers.

He made himself known in the electronics industry by being a successful salesman in Florida and an active member of IEEE (the world’s largest technical professional organization dedicated to advancing technology for the benefit of humanity) and NEDA (National Eating Disorders Association).

Thomas Pridmore died on April 13^th, 2006, leaving the legacy of Pridmore Corp. to his daughter and two long-term employees and he is remembered by his loved ones as a passionate guy who was a huge car and motorcycle fan.

If you would like to contribute to this fund, please go to Panther Fund and use the "other" designation to identify that you wish to give to this named endowment fund.

Thomas E. And Lois R. McNamara Scholarship

Type

Scholarship / Fellowship

Year Established

1999

Purpose

Scholarships for undergraduate students. (GF000056)

Description

History

In October 1999, a donation of $25,000 was made by Thomas E. and Lois R. McNamara to create the endowed fund called “Thomas E. and Lois R. McNamara Scholarship Fund”. The value of the gift was matched by the F.W. Olin Foundation. In 2002, an additional donation by Mr. McNamara of 970 shares of Morgan Stanley ($47,559) was made and was matched by F.W. Olin Foundation. In addition, Mr. and Mrs. McNamara created an Honorary Scholarship (612142) for their deceased grandchildren Melissa Lee Crist.

If you would like to contribute to this fund, please go to Panther Fund and use the "other" designation to identify that you wish to give to this named endowment fund.                

Van Pelt Foundation Research Endowment

Type

General Endowment

Year Established

2001

Purpose

Support research and development in the Computer Sciences Department and provide income to be used for research and software testing. (GF000165)

Description

History

Meredith Van Pelt, known to her close friends as “Med,” was born on June 3^rd, 1915 in Westwood, New Jersey, where she spent her childhood and most of her adulthood. She attended Centenary College in New Jersey, where she found her passion and everlasting love for education. She served on numerous committees and in fund-elevating capacities for decades, which led her to become a major benefactor at Centenary.

Mrs. Van Pelt had a tremendous, generous heart which was reflected in her considerate, unselfish actions. She was a tireless worker, volunteer, and philanthropist who supported hospitals, historical societies, and educational groups, among others. Without a doubt, the 25 years in which she was serving as Trustee of the New York-based Van Pelt Foundation, which was founded by her late husband, Edwin Van Pelt, were the most enjoyable years for her. Her role consisted of evaluating and recommending charitable funding proposals from educational and medical institutions.

She moved to Brevard County in 1992 where she became a member of the Prince of Peace Anglican Church in Viera. Mrs. Van Pelt passed away on March 13^th, 2015 when she was 99 years old.

If you would like to contribute to this fund, please go to Panther Fund and use the "other" designation to identify that you wish to give to this named endowment fund.

Vito A. Kaminskas Scholarship

Description

History

W. Lansing And Isabelle Gleason School Of Management Award

Type

Scholarship / Fellowship

Year Established

1989

Purpose

Academic awards for undergraduate students enrolled in Florida Tech's School of Management. (GF000023)

Description

This scholarship is chosen by a School of Management committee. The recipient must be a full-time undergraduate student who demonstrates academic merit; the committee can request personal interviews with potential recipients.

History

William Lansing Gleason was a three-term mayor of Eau Gallie, Florida from 1930 to 1943 and 1950 to 1951. 

He was the son of William Henry Hunt Gleason, who was also mayor, and Flora Belle Lansing Gleason. His grandfather was William Henry Gleason, the founder of Eau Gallie, Florida, and 2nd Lieutenant Governor of Florida.

He was involved in the local community including donating a coquina rock slab that the first school house in Brevard County now sits on at Florida Institute of Technology.

In addition to naming the auditorium for him, W. Lansing Gleason's name is remembered at Gleason Park and Lansing Island.

Isabelle and W. Lansing Gleason donated $50,000 in October 1989. half to be used for scholarships and half as an endowment to support student research and university faculty development for the School of Management. In addition, many gifts were added to the endowment by others who knew him well.

If you would like to contribute to this fund, please go to Panther Fund and use the "other" designation to identify that you wish to give to this named endowment fund.      

Walter And Dorothea Gatti Scholarship

Type

Scholarship / Fellowship

Year Established

1999

Purpose

Financial aid for students. (GF000054)

Description

This scholarship is administered by the Office of Financial Aid based on need and merit.

History

In March of 1999, Walter and Dorotea Gatti made a gift of $240,000 to the campaign for a rising star. The F.W. Olin Foundation matched the initial donation of $240,000 and the fund totaled $480,000. The recipients have always been selected by financial need and academic merit and they have had to be enrolled full-time in FIT.

Walter J. Gatti founded Tensor Engineering in 1958. Since that time, Mr. Gatti and Tensor Engineering have played an integral part in the construction of most of the major steel structures built in the United States.

Mr. Gatti has more than 60 years of knowledge and experience in his role as company president. He has personally supervised the structural steel fabrication detail and field erection drawings for over 3,300 bridges. Recognized within the industry as a leading authority, Mr. Gatti currently serves as the chairman of the NSBA/AASHTO committee the standard presentation of design drawings, detail drawings, approval processes, and electronic data transfer.

If you would like to contribute to this fund, please go to Panther Fund and use the "other" designation to identify that you wish to give to this named endowment fund.

Walter D. and Paula LeCler Wood Scholarship

Type

Scholarship / Fellowship

Year Established

1980

Purpose

Scholarships for deserving freshman Engineering students. (GF000011)

Description

History

Once Paula LeCler Wood passed away on March 1, 1979, the Florida Institute of Technology received a donation of $10,000 from her estate to create a scholarship fund called “Walter D. and Paula LeCler Wood. 

If you would like to contribute to this fund, please go to Panther Fund and use the "other" designation to identify that you wish to give to this named endowment fund.

Warren And Evelyn Foster Scholarship Endowment

Type

Scholarship / Fellowship

Year Established

1987

Purpose

Support undergraduate students who are Florida residents and demonstrate a financial need. (GF000017)

Description

History

Warren and Evelyn Foster dedicated decades of their time, energy, and money to support organizations that provide care and opportunities to people in need. They have been named Humanitarians of the Year by Holmes Regional Medical center, in addition to their other philanthropic awards. Although much of their work has focused on the American Cancer Society, the couple made a $50,000 gift to the Florida Institute of Technology in April of 1987. The purpose of the endowment has been to support students who are Florida residents with outstanding academic performance in need of financial assistance. The Fosters donated an additional $25,000 to the fund during 2001-2002 in order to pledge for the campaign for a Rising Star.

If you would like to contribute to this fund, please go to Panther Fund and use the "other" designation to identify that you wish to give to this named endowment fund.                      

Wells Fargo Scholarship

Type

Scholarship / Fellowship

Year Established

1989

Purpose

Used for scholarships to support students. (GF000022)

Description

History

In 1989, First Union National Bank pledged $30,000 to Florida Tech over the next five years ($6,000/year). There are no specified criteria to select the awardee but recipients will be selected by the Financial Aid office. In addition, a gift of $5,000 from Wachovia Wells Fargo Foundation was donated in 2009.

If you would like to contribute to this fund, please go to Panther Fund and use the "other" designation to identify that you wish to give to this named endowment fund.

Wendell H. Colson Scholarship

Type

Scholarship / Fellowship

Year Established

1997

Purpose

Scholarships for undergraduate students. (GF000038)

Description

History

In December 1997, Wendell H. Colson made a gift in form of stock valued at $37,343.75 to establish the “Wendell H. Colson Scholarship Endowed Fund”. The F.W. Olin Foundation matched the initial donation. The purpose of the fund is to provide scholarships to full-time undergraduate students in good academic standing.

If you would like to contribute to this fund, please go to Panther Fund and use the "other" designation to identify that you wish to give to this named endowment fund.

WFIT Endowment Fund

Type

General Endowment

Year Established

2018

Purpose

Provide an income stream for use in the operation of the WFIT Radio Station. (GF000203)

Description

History

WFIT is a student-based radio station for Florida Tech. Over its 40-year journey, it helps to promote students’ work and bring topical news to its listeners. When it it doing podcasts, it presents a wide range of music genres; genres like indie rock and pop, jazz, folk, alternative, blues, classical, world, etc. In the Gleason building holds many live performances of songs for the radio station.

If you would like to contribute to this fund, please go to Panther Fund and use the "other" designation to identify that you wish to give to this named endowment fund.

Whit and Martha Cotten Scholarship

Type

Scholarship / Fellowship

Year Established

2023

Purpose

Income from this fund will support one or more students in the College of Business who have financial needs. (GF000496)

Description

History

Whitworth Wilson Cotten, Jr. was born on February 5th, 1938, in Petersburg, Virginia. From the young age of 3, he began tinkering with things and never stopped. Starting in early childhood, to the surprise of those around him, he took apart clocks and radios, only to later put them back together again.   

With his smarts and “whits” about him, he joined the Navy and served in Japan. He spoke fluent Japanese and other languages. He made electronics, and engineered radio boards and fiber optics. His work involved recording conversations in the jungle which ultimately helped end the Vietnam war. 

After the Navy, he married Martha DeNeen, She had a daughter, Deneane, whom he raised as his own. They had a son Whitworth III and a daughter Martha-Carole. Their grandson, Jayden Rhys Whitworth Hottenstein, was born with striking Scottish blue eyes. Martha passed away in May 2015.  

His work changed the world. His time was spent inventing and was driven by electronic engineering. He designed a chip that went to space and contributed to the moon landing. His passion to create cable helped make high-speed internet possible. He worked for industry-leading companies like Stromberg Carlson, Harris, JDS Uniphase, and BCP (Broadband Communication Productions). 

He attended Florida Institute of Technology to finish his master's degree in advanced technologies.  

His free time was consumed with family. Often playing music, especially the classical piece Pachelbel, especially for the ears of his daughter.  He raised mallard ducks earning his nickname, “Duckman” as the ducklings would follow him and come when he called. The family even owned a duck phone that quacked when it rang. 

He was a giver, supporting the Orlando Philharmonic, The Museum of Art and the needs of those in poverty. He founded a children’s center with his church. He believed in giving back to the community and service to God.  

He was a true renaissance man. He challenged financial professionals, used his carpentry skills to construct a tree house and family home, became a beekeeper making sweet honey candy, sang folk songs while playing guitar, proudly wore his eclectic ties, invented things that changed our world, and all with a kind, gentle heart. 

A testament to his lifelong “whit-isms” was a sign in his garage “SPEED LIMIT 186,000 MPS It’s not just a good idea, it’s the law.” It is the speed of light.  

He stood by what he defined as the most important things in life, wisdom, insight, courage, finding the strength in God and inside yourself. 

Aloha O’e 

Whit passed on September 27, 2021, but left a legacy forever at Florida Tech by establishing the Whit and Martha Cotten Scholarship.

William And Wendy Potter School Of Business Scholarship

Type

Scholarship / Fellowship

Year Established

2000

Purpose

Scholarships for students within the College of Business. (GF000062)

Description

History

On April 26^th of 2000, Mr. and Mrs. Potter donated 1900 shares of Titan Corporation stock ($40.25/share) totaling a value of $76,475 to create the “William and Wendy Potter School of Business Endowed Fund”. The gift was matched by the F.W. Olin Foundation which arrived at $152,950 by the end of 2000. In 2003, Mr. and Mrs. Potter donated an additional $20,000 to the fund. 

If you would like to contribute to this fund, please go to Panther Fund and use the "other" designation to identify that you wish to give to this named endowment fund.

William Kenny Bittner Scholarship Fund

Type

Scholarship / Fellowship

Year Established

2019

Purpose

Income from this fund will support an annual scholarship for undergraduate engineering/physics students who have financial needs. (GF000427)

Description

History

The fund was established for the late William Kenny Bittner. William graduated from Florida Tech with a B.S. in Physics/Pre-Med. Even though he died at 30 in 2018 from a car accident, he has accomplished many aspects in life. He has created a number of technological companies and has developed a technological pathway for drug testing with a close friend.

If you would like to contribute to this fund, please go to Panther Fund and use the "other" designation to identify that you wish to give to this named endowment fund.

Winifred Schumann Engineering Scholarship

Description

History

Yue-Eng Gail Wang Study Abroad in Taiwan Fund

Type

General Endowment

Year Established

2017

Purpose

Established in memory of Dr. Yue-Eng Gail Wang to increase Americans’ knowledge of Taiwan by encouraging and supporting study abroad in Taiwan by students at the Florida Institute of Technology. (GF000186)

Description

Funds from this endowment are to be used specifically to study in Taiwan at an accredited university. The length of stay in Taiwan must be at least one month or longer, with a full-semester duration of study in Taiwan strongly preferred. Applicants must be U.S. citizens in good academic standing at the time of the application. Applicants must not be 1st or 2nd generation immigrants from Taiwan or other Chinese heritage nations as the intention of this award is to support new cross-cultural experiences. Students in any major can apply. Matriculation must be in 1. A credit-granting course, in any subject, that will be certified by the Registrar to transfer 1 or more credits back to Florida Tech if a grade of C or better is earned; or 2. An accredited Mandarin Chinese or Taiwanese language program associated with an accredited university in either Taiwan or the U.S.

History

Dr. William Gabrenya, Professor in the School of Psychology at Florida Institute of Technology, established this endowment to support students at FIT wishing to study abroad in Taiwan. The endowment honors Dr. Gabrenya’s wife, Yue-Eng Gail Wang, who passed away on November 9, 2011. Born in Taipei, Taiwan on June 8, 1948, Yue-Eng graduated first in her class in History at National Taiwan University in 1970. In 1979, she earned her Ph.D. in cultural anthropology from the University of Missouri-Columbia following fieldwork in Hartsburg, Missouri. She received an M.S. in computer science from Florida Tech in 1987 and had a successful 17-year career at Harris Corporation as a software engineer, retiring in 2010.

The Yue-Eng Gail Wang Study Abroad in Taiwan Fund was established to increase Americans’ knowledge of Taiwan by encouraging Florida Tech students to study abroad in the country at any of several outstanding Universities. It is his hope that this fund will foster, for its future beneficiaries, a greater appreciation of Taiwanese society and culture, provide an opportunity to learn its languages, and develop enduring friendships and connections.

“What is particularly wonderful about this fund,” said President McCay, “is that it builds on FIT’s place as a national leader in internationalism while building on the University’s early connection with Taiwan that was established by FIT founding president Dr. Jerome Keuper. We attract a high percentage of international students to the U.S. and this fund will help our U.S. students to share in a meaningful experience in Taiwan. I am also very honored that Dr. Gabrenya has chosen to honor his wife, and our alum, Yue-Eng, in this special way.”

The Yue-Eng Gail Wang Study Abroad in Taiwan Fund will launch immediately this year.  Students interested in the program can contact Heather Wautlet, Director of Study Abroad at hcudmore@fit.edu, for information on how to apply.

Anyone interested in helping to support and grow this program is welcome to contact Gary Grant, Vice President for Development, at  ggrant@fit.edu.