CLASSICS DONOR LEAVES A LEGACY OF LEARNING

For more than three decades, gifts made by Meg Greenfield in memory of her brother, Jim, have had a transformational impact on undergraduates and graduates in the Classics Department.

What began in 1989 as a series of annual gifts expanded dramatically after Meg’s death in 1999 through her generous bequest to the College of Arts and Sciences. Since that time, the Jim Greenfield Endowment has allowed the Classics Department to increase, on a grand scale, full-tuition scholarships for undergraduate majors, to offer competitive graduate fellowships, and to explore creative ways of rewarding student excellence and initiative.

“Every day in the department, we see the endowment’s impact in the way it allows superb students to turn opportunity into action and make the absolute best use of their time to challenge themselves and excel,” says Catherine Connors, professor and chair of the Classics Department. “As chair, I am so grateful for Meg’s vision. Time and time again, when a striving student faces a financial or logistical obstacle, the fund allows us to make a strategic investment that in turn enables the student to solve the problem and move forward in the most efficient and productive way.”

Meg Greenfield was a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist, editor of The Washington Post editorial page and bi-weekly columnist for Newsweek for more than 20 years. A scholar and lover of language, Meg read Latin to relax and was fascinated with Augustine and other classical authors concerned with ethics, as well as the comic writer Plautus.

Her connection to the Classics Department originated in the 1980s through her friendship with then-UW President William P. Gerberding, who knew about her lifelong passion for classical languages and literature, and introduced her to faculty in the department. While Meg was a Seattle native, she was not a University of Washington alumna — her brother Jim was the UW graduate, and “a lifelong Huskies nut,” who, she believed, would have forgiven her for creating “scholarships in classics and not, say, in football.”

“TIME AND TIME AGAIN, WHEN A STRIVING STUDENT FACES A FINANCIAL OR LOGISTICAL OBSTACLE, THE FUND ALLOWS US TO MAKE A STRATEGIC INVESTMENT THAT IN TURN ENABLES THE STUDENT TO SOLVE THE PROBLEM.”

– Catherine Connors

It is hard to overstate the endowment’s wide-reaching impact. It has supported travel, writing and research, which benefit both graduate and undergraduate students, and has extended into the local community, supporting high school students through the UW in the High School Latin program.

Since its establishment, 89 awards have been made to undergraduate classics students (and an additional 35 undergraduate Jim Greenfield Scholarship awards were given by funds donated by Meg Greenfield prior to the endowment’s creation). Of these individuals, 14 have gone on to become professors of classics, with an equal number pursuing Ph.D.s in fields ranging from Sanskrit to math. Others have pursued careers in journalism, law, business and secondary education.

Kate Evans, a 2016 recipient of the Jim Greenfield Undergraduate Scholarship, finds the study of classics an indispensable part of a well-rounded liberal arts education. “My interest in Latin and physics is very intuitive, because together they allow me to have a deep knowledge of what I say and do,” she says. “With physics I learn how and why things work the way they do, and with Latin I can see the roots of almost everything I say.”

In addition to undergraduate scholarships, the endowment also provides travel bursaries for undergraduates and graduates alike, allowing students to engage in study abroad programs, travel to conferences and undertake independent studies.

Students participating in the annual Classical Seminar in Rome. Each student received a Jim Greenfield Travel Bursary.

Every student who attends the department’s annual Rome program receives support from the endowment, covering most — if not all — of their travel costs, and offsetting a portion of the program cost. This funding has also allowed the department to send students to once-in-a-lifetime archaeological digs in Spain, Italy, Turkey, Greece and Israel.

For doctoral students, the Jim Greenfield Dissertation Fellowships have proved crucial, providing significant financial support to promising scholars at a time when most graduate students have outrun their traditional financial aid package, and are in the final stages of completing their degrees. These awards have a proven record of helping students launch themselves and their careers successfully within the always-tight academic job market.

“The impact of the endowment is a legacy of leadership. People for whom support from the fund was crucial and transformative have gone on to become leaders — some in law, business or journalism, and many more as excellent researchers and teachers, who share their rigorously-informed and vibrantly energetic engagement with the ancient worlds of Greece and Rome with new generations of students,” concludes Connors. “I was amazed at the original news that the endowment had been established, and 17 years later, it remains amazing to me just how impactful Meg Greenfield’s gift has been.”

---

ENDOWMENT GIFTS AT WORK: College of the Environment

ALVERSON ENDOWMENT HONORS A LEGACY AND INSPIRES A NEW GENERATION

DAYTON “LEE” ALVERSON ENDOWED FELLOWSHIP

Lee Alverson had a remarkable research career studying and protecting North Pacific fisheries, both as a federal marine biologist based in Seattle and as a long-time affiliate professor with the School of Marine and Environmental Affairs. Lee passed away in 2013, and in his memory, family, friends and members of the fishing industry established the Dayton “Lee” Alverson Endowed Fellowship. Honoring the contributions he made to science and management of fisheries in the North Pacific, this fellowship is awarded to graduate students in the School of Marine and Environmental Affairs and the School of Aquatic and Fishery Sciences (SAFS).

A PASSION FOR HANDS-ON RESEARCH

Brianna Dailey-Pierce, a SAFS graduate student, is the inaugural Dayton “Lee” Alverson Fellowship recipient. With a passion for combining hands-on field research with advanced mathematical techniques to answer pressing ecological questions, Brianna’s research is focused on how juvenile salmon use and move between different habitats, as well as how they relate to other fish present in their community.

For the past two summers, Brianna has conducted research in the Anchor River estuary in south central Alaska. She hopes to answer many unknown questions about how juvenile salmon use Alaskan estuaries, including how long they remain in estuaries, whether they remain in one area and if they avoid other fish that might be predators or competitors.

“The Anchor River is a common destination for sport fishermen, and it has been very rewarding talking with the anglers, sharing our research findings and showing kids what kind of fish live in the estuary and how we do our research,” says Brianna. “I feel so blessed that this fellowship will enable me to complete my Master’s degree and pursue a career in fish ecology and conservation.”

---

ENDOWMENT GIFTS AT WORK: Intercollegiate Athletics

‘MOM, I KNEW I WAS SMART’

A daughter’s learning disability inspires donors to ensure UW student-athletes have every academic advantage

Larry and Cindy Law faced a difficult decision.

As proud University of Washington graduates, Larry and Cindy are deeply committed to the value of education, yet several years ago they were considering encouraging their daughter, Shannon, to forego college. Always a middle-of-the-road student, by the time Shannon reached high school she was struggling so terribly they feared higher education might be too big a reach.

It wasn’t until she brought home Huckleberry Finn from a combination history and literature class and said, ‘I just can’t do it,’ that I realized she couldn’t read,” mom Cindy recalls. “She was getting an A+ in advanced algebra but she couldn’t stay focused enough to read a book.”

A school counselor’s connection to another mother whose teen had similar issues led the Law family to a testing facility in California. There, Shannon was diagnosed with attention deficit disorder (ADD) — and a whole new future opened up to her.

“She walked out of that meeting and said, ‘Mom, I knew I was smart,'” says Cindy. Shannon not only went to college, she went on to earn a master’s degree and become a teacher.

“They are students first and athletes second, and it’s great to know that everyone from the coaches to the staff at the Academic Center believes that,” Larry notes. “It was exciting for us to find a way to support these kids and to tie it to what we saw with our daughter. Once she got assistance and support, she took off.”

The Laws’ gift provides steady, reliable funding each year, which the Ackerley Academic Center can count on for diagnostic testing. The testing covers everything from attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) to dyslexia to processing disorders in math and reading, along with basic skills assessments — expensive protocols that in the past had to be outsourced. Now, thanks to the endowment, these invaluable tests are done more cost-effectively by highly trained, in-house staff.

“We get a really comprehensive view of each student and can then provide resources and accommodations in

class, in tutoring sessions and even in their sports so they can be more successful,” says Kim Durand, associate

athletic director for student development. “If a coach takes a long time with a detailed explanation of an offensive play, a student-athlete with ADD won’t be able to focus or absorb it. We can work with coaches to get them to pare it down, speak in bullets, show them something on a whiteboard or physically walk them through it. It’s the same with how we tailor tutoring.”

It’s an emotional awakening for student-athletes, too, just as it was for Shannon Law.

“For years, they may have been feeling they were just stupid, filled with self-doubt and frustration,” explains Kim. “When we tell them they’re just wired differently and we can help them with that, they become so much more confident and they really excel in class.”

The Laws are grateful the endowment gives them a lasting way to make a real difference in students’ lives, not just today — but forever. They continue to support the endowment and hope their family and friends will continue to do so through the years as well.

“It’s something we really believe in, and it just warms our hearts to be able to bring some success to students that they might not have had,” Larry says.

“We’re investing in the success of these student-athletes,” Cindy adds. “What better investment could there be?”

Note: Larry Law passed away in August 2016. To honor his deep commitment to helping students, the Law family will continue the endowment and extend Larry’s legacy of service.

---

ENDOWMENT GIFTS AT WORK:  UW Medicine

A LEGACY OF SUPPORT FOR RURAL PHYSICIANS

When Dr. Norman James Rose began his North Dakota practice in the mid-1930s, he found the agrarian society in crisis. The Depression and the Dust Bowl had shattered the livelihoods of everyone in the county. Given farmers’ and merchants’ lack of cash, a barter system prevailed. Patients paid with whatever they could: foodstuffs, a haystack, furniture, etc.

Dr. Rose and his wife, Ethel Jenisch Rose, never forgot their North Dakota experiences. After he passed away in 1993, she took the lead in establishing an endowed scholarship in his memory, the Norman James Rose Scholarship. When she died in 2003, her name was added to the scholarship to commemorate her role as his stalwart lifelong partner.

Whenever possible, the scholarship is awarded to medical students interested in pursuing rural family medicine, like Autumn Walker, a third-year medical student in the WWAMI Program, an educational consortium that spans Washington, Wyoming, Alaska, Montana and Idaho. For Walker, the scholarship means being able to pursue her goal of becoming a rural physician. “Rural communities are in desperate need of primary-care doctors,” she explains. “This gift allows me to reduce my loan burden. That’s important, as I’m planning on a career in rural family medicine, which has less financial compensation than most medical specialties.”

The Roses’ son, UW Bothell Dean Emeritus Norman Jenisch Rose, Ph.D., has continued to support the scholarship, and is gratified by the assistance it provides. He hopes that some of the scholarship students will, one day, find themselves in a position to expand the legacy started by his mother, remember the help they received and establish new endowed scholarships to help the next generation.

---

ENDOWMENT GIFTS AT WORK: Academic and Student Affairs

A FUTURE ENGINEER’S RECIPE FOR SUCCESS

When Keon Vereen needs to take a breather from his research in experimental plasma physics, plasma diagnostics and plasma thruster development, he turns to another form of science — baking.

It’s not just the science of baking that appeals to Keon; the desserts he bakes also bring people together. Keon, who is pursuing his doctorate in aeronautics and astronautics, often stops by the Graduate Opportunities and Minority Achievement Program (GO-MAP) office with one of his creations — for example, a vegan blueberry chocolate cake.

With or without baked goods, Keon is always a welcome presence.

“Keon is a steadfast citizen scholar. While his priority is his academic goal, he also possesses a great commitment to serving others,” says Cynthia Morales, director of GO-MAP. “As a member of the GO-MAP graduate student advisory board, Keon has helped shape our student programming to ensure that there is a strong sense of community among our graduate students.”

Beyond the work Keon does to enhance the graduate student experience, he is also a prominent role model. He mentors underrepresented minority undergraduate students in STEM fields through programs in the Office of Minority Affairs & Diversity, including the Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation, the College Assistance Migrant Program and Washington MESA, as well as the Washington NASA Space Grant Consortium.

The recipient of several fellowships and scholarships, including the George Dragseth Endowed Fellowship, Keon believes firmly in paying it forward.

“My goal is to build a ‘communication bridge’ so students find their ‘aha’ moments and learn that nothing is unreachable when they take full responsibility for their futures,” he says.

Keon grew up in an area of Orlando where violence surrounded the public schools. Even though these schools lacked key resources and did not provide the best educational environment, there were still a few great teachers. By receiving strong guidance from these mentors, Keon became the first member in his family to attend college. He went on to receive his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in aerospace engineering from the University of Central Florida, close to Cape Canaveral.

As a National Science Foundation and Ronald McNair fellowship awardee, he had many choices on where to pursue his studies, and chose the University of Washington because of its “faculty research focus as well as its outstanding research record across the board that allowed for collaborative and innovative thinking.”

“The UW was always my number one school selection,” he says.

That decision has certainly paid off. Keon is among the inaugural Husky 100, a group of students recognized for making the most of their time at the UW and contributing to their communities. After finishing his doctorate, Keon’s ultimate career goal is to become a research scientist within the space technology community.

Keon’s life was changed as a result of the fellowships he has benefited from, which have allowed him, in turn, to mentor others. It is truly a case where the initial act of generosity on the part of a donor has far-reaching implications beyond the original recipient.

“Due in large part to external funding support, I have been able to lead and serve in the manner I have and continually enhance the community on and off campus,” Keon asserts.

“GRADUATE STUDENTS ARE WIDELY RECOGNIZED AS PIVOTAL TO THE UNIVERSITY’S EXCELLENCE IN TEACHING AND RESEARCH; THEY SERVE AS TEACHERS AND MENTORS FOR UNDERGRADUATES AND INSPIRATIONAL COLLEAGUES TO FACULTY SCHOLARS.”

– Gerald J. Baldasty, Provost and Executive Vice President

---

ENDOWMENT GIFTS AT WORK: UW Tacoma

Endowments at UW Tacoma create a world of good, fueling faculty achievement and boosting student aspirations. They not only provide financial support, but also professional prestige and powerful intellectual validation for recipients. Thanks to the generosity of forward-thinking donors, UW Tacoma is transforming the lives of students and faculty members, and in turn, they have a huge impact on Washington and the world.

DOGGED DETERMINATION TO SUCCEED

33-year-old Georgena Frazier, ’16, has a big idea: She wants to start her own nonprofit.

Not too long ago, that aspiration seemed unattainable. Frazier started her college journey roughly eight years ago at Seattle Central College. The then-24-year-old was in an abusive relationship, which disrupted all aspects of her life, including her education.

Finally in a position to put herself first, Frazier transferred to UW Tacoma in 2014 and established herself as a doggedly determined student.

“I was in the Teaching & Learning Center every day,” she said. “I made myself get up early every single morning and run so I could be ready for class.”

Thanks to support from the Debra Friedman Memorial Scholarship, which helped pay for textbooks and allowed her to work less, Frazier earned her degree in psychology, putting her one big step closer to starting a nonprofit focused on education and training.