The generosity of these donors and foundations enriches our pursuit of wisdom, truth and virtue at the 91福利社.
It Goes Past Generations
"It鈥檚 the relationships you build, the sense of community, and it goes past generations鈥攊t鈥檚 so powerful, that sense of community. It鈥檚 also an environment where learning is not just required, it鈥檚 encouraged鈥攜ou鈥檙e going to have to actively participate, which is not always the case at other colleges. It makes you a better employee, citizen and friend, and enriches you in all sorts of ways,鈥� said Susan Frear, BA 鈥�81, when discussing the reasons she and her classmates Mikail McIntosh-Doty, BA 鈥�81, and John Donnelly, BA 鈥�81, banded together to create the Class of 1981 Endowed Scholarship and inspire their friends to contribute. The scholarship was awarded to its first recipient during the class鈥檚 40th reunion celebration on Alumni and Family Weekend in October 2021. Read more at .
For the Greater Good
The father of seven children, Illinois State Senator William Haine led a career in public service marked by a heartfelt concern for the greater good and significant contributions to his communities both local and statewide. He 鈥� along with his wife, Anna 鈥� instilled in their children the love of truth and justice that was foundational to his work and to their family life. Six of his children would go on to further cultivate this love at UD. Anna Haine said of her late husband, 鈥淗e always had an acute sense of responsibility for the well-being of his community.鈥� This sense of responsibility persisted throughout Haine鈥檚 life and career, and it is what led his former law partner, Randall Bono, to establish the Senator William R. Haine Leadership Scholarship in Haine鈥檚 honor. Read more at .
Mind, Body and Spirit
When Trustee Jean (Daudelin) and Marty White, both BA 鈥�86, considered how the resources of their classmates and them-selves might best be put to use at UD, they approached the problem as parents. Jean White said, 鈥淎s parents, you want your chil-dren to have resources. With COVID, much had to be focused on physical health, but now we need to look at how to also enrich spiritual and mental health.鈥� With this need in mind, the Whites began collaborating with the university's 10th president, Jonathan J. Sanford, shortly after he assumed the presi-dency in 2021. As they worked together, the idea of the One Body, One Spirit Endowment was born, with the ultimate goal of providing more resources to assist students with both physical and mental health needs. Read more at .
Essential to Irving
91福利社Trustee and City of Irving Councilman Al Zapanta and his wife, Rochelle, have been parishioners of UD鈥檚 Church of the Incarnation for many years, which helped to cultivate their love of the university as an essential part of the Irving community. Along with his family, Zapanta now has endowed the Honorable Albert C. Zapanta and Family Scholarship for City of Irving Residents to further strengthen the connection between the university and the city. According to Irving City Manager Chris Hillman, 鈥淚t really is all about the students 鈥� it鈥檚 about helping them succeed, and specifically for Irving residents, Irving students, to succeed, and that really does show the love and the compassion and the care that Al and his entire family have for the City of Irving.鈥� Read more at .
A Special Challenge
A prolific writer, beloved teacher and world-renowned philosopher, Distinguished Professor Emeritus of Philosophy Robert E. Wood 鈥� 鈥淏ob鈥� to his colleagues 鈥� has gifted the university not only with more than 40 years of teaching, but also with an endowed scholarship in his name and a contribu-tion from his personal library. The Robert E. Wood Institute of Philosophic Studies Scholarship benefits married philosophy stu-dents in the Braniff Graduate School of Liberal Arts Institute of Philosophical Studies (IPS), UD鈥檚 doctorate of liberal arts program, by providing student stipends beyond tui-tion. Wood鈥檚 creation of the scholarship was no doubt influenced by his own experience of being a nontraditional graduate student at Marquette University in the 1960s, as well as his sympathy for married graduate students at UD. 鈥淒r. Wood had a very small house on two landscaped acres that he would rent out to students. And he ended up renting it out year after year to married students. And I think through doing that, he came to see what a special challenge it is to be working on a Ph.D. while being married 鈥� and the special financial challenges,鈥� said Joshua Parens, Ph.D., dean of Braniff Graduate College of Liberal Arts and director of the IPS. Read more at .
A Remarkable Mind
Created by John D. Alvis, Ph.D., BA 鈥�95 MA 鈥�97, his wife, Megan (Healy) Alvis, BA 鈥�97, and his sisters, Sarah R. (Alvis) Godinez, BA 鈥�99, and Catherine F. Alvis, BA 鈥�05, in memory of Catherine, Sarah and John's father, the Dr. John E. Alvis Memorial IPS Fellowship Fund will, like Wood鈥檚 scholarship, support Ph.D. candidates enrolled in the Braniff Graduate School鈥檚 Institute of Philosophic Studies. John E. Alvis, BA 鈥�66 MA 鈥�69 PhD 鈥�73, passed away on Dec. 23, 2019, at age 75, less than two weeks after the passing of his wife, Sara Kathleen, MA 鈥�71, to whom he was married for more than 50 years. The late Alvises left behind John D., Megan, Sarah and her husband, Catherine, and eight grandchildren鈥攁s well as a powerful legacy at UD, where John E. Alvis taught for 50 years. 鈥淲e have lost the treasure of John's mind,鈥� said Professor of English Scott Crider, Ph.D., upon John E.鈥檚 passing. 鈥淥ur disorientation at the loss is matched only by our gratitude at the gift of the mind he made, then gave us.鈥� Read more at .
A Special Place in My Heart
Marty Sheridan, BA 鈥�77, originally worked with her brother and sister-in-law to create a scholarship in memory of their nephew, Timothy Sheridan, after Tim鈥檚 death at age 38 in July 2020 due to COVID-19. She recently moved forward to endow the Timothy Andrew Sheridan Memorial Scholarship Fund in University Theater. Marty has no children of her own and always shared a unique bond with Tim, her youngest nephew, who loved all aspects of theater and had a degree in drama from the University of Southern Maine. He lived in Astoria Queens, New York, and worked for the city, but spent most of his free time working and volunteer-ing at Gallery Players Theater in Brooklyn. Therefore, the scholarship is specifically for students who are involved in drama at 91福利社in some way. 鈥淭im always held a special place in my heart,鈥� said Marty. 鈥淚 think he would be pleased that we鈥檙e helping drama students.鈥� Read more at .
