Development Office: Celebrating Our Donors
On Tuesday, May 17th, the College of Arts and Sciences hosted its 2007 Honors Convocation. Some of the College's most talented and brightest student scholars received scholarships, sponsored by many generous friends and alumni of Rutgers-Camden. In total, 324 individual undergraduates were honored including 82 scholarship recipients; 84 recipients of departmental, college, and campus awards; and 147 inductees into our undergraduate honor societies. In addition, the University recognized the sixteen inductees into Phi Beta Kappa.
Prior to the Honors Convocation ceremony, a selection of donors and friends gathered for the annual Scholarship Awards and Research Appreciation Dinner to recognize the individuals who support Rutgers Camden scholarships and research awards. This dinner gave donors an opportunity to personally meet the students who benefit from their generosity.
Faculty of Arts and Sciences Dean's Leadership Council Co-Chairs Brian Baratz CCAS '72 and Edward Kiessling CCAS '79 hosted this year's dinner. Ed spoke at the beginning of the event, reinforcing the importance of the donors and their contributions stating that "you are supporting the academic pursuits of unique, talented individuals… You are opening up the doors of opportunity for those students who would never have them otherwise."
Interim Provost Margaret Marsh added to that sentiment stating "the scholarships that you have created provide invaluable educational access to students that otherwise may not be able to afford this academic opportunity and privilege. Strong and well-established scholarship programs attract the best and brightest students to the University, both nationally and internationally. These students are instrumental in contributing to not only the value and enrichment of our student body, but to the leadership that Rutgers furnishes to society."
Dean Marsh went on to acknowledge the generosity of the many donors in the room, also highlighting the recent gift from Joseph S. and Loretta L. Lopez to create the first endowed Chair on the Rutgers-Camden campus, the Joseph and Loretta Lopez Endowed Professorship in Mathematics in Honor of Professor Leonard Bidwell.
Dr. Sylvia Bidwell DC '90, a Rutgers alumna, spoke to the audience on behalf of herself, her brother Nicholas Bidwell, and mother Eva Bidwell. Sylvia spoke primarily about her father, former professor Leonard Bidwell. She expressed gratitude to Joseph S. and Loretta L. Lopez who contributed a multimillion-dollar gift to create the campus' first endowed professorship, the Joseph and Loretta Lopez Endowed Professorship in Mathematics in Honor of Professor Leonard Bidwell. This endowed professorship is the first on the Rutgers-Camden campus and will allow the school to attract a top mathematician to support the campus' growing program in computational biology.
Additionally, student speakers added to the event.
Graduating senior Rachel McCormick '07, recipient of the Leonard Bidwell Endowed Scholarship spoke to the dinner audience about her personal journey at Rutgers, expressing a deep appreciation for those who have made her education possible.
Philip Osborne '06, recipient of the Dean's Undergraduate Research Prize and the Harold and Florence Woll Scholarship spoke to the dinner audience to share his appreciation of meeting face to face with alumni and friends who have helped to fund his educational experience. Mr. Osborne received the research award for his project "Ontological Arguments: An Investigation" conducted with Associate Professor of Philosophy Dr. Charles Jarrett.
