UF Celebrates More Than 200 New Endowed Funds

By the close of the Give Voice to Your Values Campaign later this month, more than 200 new endowed funds will be in place at The University of Findlay.
“Endowed funds allow our donors to make a significant impact on the education our students experience at the University in a way that’s truly meaningful to them,” said Marcia Sloan Latta, vice president for University Advancement. “We are pleased to see a large number of donors stepping forward to make a difference.”
From scholarships and faculty development to student research and programming, the funds created during this campaign establish a foundation that exists in perpetuity and influences the opportunities available to students at The University of Findlay. Each endowment reflects not only the needs of the University but also the legacy of the donors who created it.
More than 99 percent of students at UF receive scholarships or financial aid thanks to donors like Tom and Kelly Ernst of Cridersville, Ohio. Along with her husband Tom, Kelly, who graduated from Findlay with a B.S. in Business Management in 2003, was excited to create the Thomas, Kelly ’03 and Kirstie ’13 Ernst Family Scholarship Endowment Fund.
“The opportunity to study at UF provided great opportunities for our family, and we want new students to experience those same opportunities,” said Kelly. “Receiving a scholarship lessens the struggle for students. It can mean not having to work extra hours or having money available for books.”
When Kirstie was at UF, it meant being able to focus on her academics and the experience of being an Oiler. “Her degree provided her the opportunity to obtain a position in her field that is not only self-supporting, but also satisfying and rewarding,” says Kelly. “We’ve seen what UF has done for us, and we’re all excited to see what it will be able to do for future students,” said Kelly.
From a faculty perspective, Ron and Christine Tulley created a fund to support a need they saw for Findlay students and to honor a member of their family. Christine is a professor of English and director of the Master’s in Rhetoric and Writing Program at UF and Ron is the dean of the College of Liberal Arts. The Sandra “Sandy” Sauer Memorial International Travel Scholarship Endowment Fund, established in the name of Christine’s aunt, supports students’ financial needs for travel.
“For our students who are on financial aid, working, or unable to afford to study abroad for some other reason, the fund will allow them to take advantage of this international experience,” said Christine.
They also see UF as the right place to make this type of gift. “The University has strong ties to the international community. We have a large Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages Program (TESOL) for a school of our size, a large international population and a burgeoning Intensive English Language Program. Many of our students build connections through internships that lead to careers abroad,” said Ron. “This fund can be the catalyst that helps them take that trip.”
For Pam Beall, University Trustee and College of Business alumna, “Giving to The University of Findlay allows me not only to give back to the University but also to invest in the community. As a terrific asset to the community, enhancing the experience available to students gives the University the opportunity to reach greater potential and accomplish multiple objectives on campus and off.”
Beall, president of MPLX GP LLC and senior vice president of corporate planning, government and public affairs for Marathon Petroleum Company LLC, along with her husband John give regularly to two endowed scholarships to support students in areas that interest them. They established the Jessica and James Moses Business Scholarship for business students who have an accounting or economics major and are active in ENACTUS in honor of Pam’s parents Jessica (Lewis) Moses ’69 who majored in business at Findlay College, and James Moses, an ardent believer in the free market system. Additionally, along with other members of their family, they give to the William W. Beall Golf Scholarship to support a member of the intercollegiate golf team in honor of John’s father William W. Beall who graduated from Findlay College in 1943.
Each of these funds and others among the 200 will enrich the experience for students at UF in a lasting way. Endowed funds are a large part of the impact of the Give Voice to Your Values Campaign that the University will celebrate on Oct. 17, 2015 as part of Homecoming and Family Weekend. For more information about creating an endowed fund at The University of Findlay, donors should contact universityadvancement@findlay.edu or 419-434-5918.