Allowing Students to Experience New Cultures: Ron and Christine Tulley

“It’s everybody’s responsibility to make UF better. Giving back is a way to strengthen the University as a whole,” says Christine Tulley, professor of English and director of the Master’s in Rhetoric and Writing Program. As faculty at The University of Findlay, Christine and her husband Ron Tulley, dean of the College of Liberal Arts, see giving back as a way to support the institution where they have built relationships with their students and seen them grow.
Recently they created the Sandra “Sandy” Sauer Memorial International Travel Scholarship Endowment Fund to support students’ financial needs for travel. When Christine’s aunt Sandy died this past February, she and Ron wanted to find a way to honor her generosity and passion for international travel. “Sandy was one of the first women in the computer science program at Bowling Green State University in the mid 1960s and went on to be very successful in her field and become a passionate traveler,” they said. “She set foot on all seven continents and every year took an extensive trip.”
In the same way, Ron says, “We want to get students out of their comfort zones. Before they start their careers and become rooted to a location for their jobs, this is their chance to get out and experience the world and different cultures.”
Christine and Ron see this fund as a way to make sure students have the opportunity to travel abroad regardless of their financial circumstances: “Your gift, no matter what size can make a real difference here. It doesn’t get lost in the machine,” says Ron. “The amount that this endowed fund will produce each year is enough to make an impact on students’ ability to travel abroad every year.”