Gifts at Work

By Carol Olechowski

UAlbany’s First Couple Establishes Scholarship Endowment

Motivated by the conviction that “higher education has the power to transform lives,” UAlbany’s 19th president and his wife commemorated his installation last fall by remembering that students are their priority.

A $100,000 commitment from the couple established The Robert and Lynn Hassan Jones Presidential Inauguration Scholarship during Celebrate & Advance UAlbany, a weeklong celebration culminating in the Sept. 28 inaugural. Through the endowment, the Joneses will expand access to the University’s exceptional opportunities by encouraging students to pursue their academic dreams.

The University at Albany Foundation is seeking private donations to bring the fund to a total of $1 million.

For more information about The Robert and Lynn Hassan Jones Presidential Inauguration Scholarship, please contact Vice President for Development Fardin Sanai at 518-956-8060 or [email protected]. Make a gift to the endowment.

Standishes Fund $1.5 Million Professorship

Longtime UAlbany supporters J. Spencer and Patricia Standish have established a professorship that will benefit the University’s entrepreneurial track.

Funded with a $1.5 million contribution, the Standish Professorship will leverage two new tenure-track faculty positions in social entrepreneurship and a third in life-sciences entrepreneurship. The three positions will be added to the faculty in conjunction with Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s NYSUNY 2020 challenge.

J. Spencer Standish, chairman emeritus of Albany International and president emeritus of The University at Albany Foundation, received The Foundation’s Community Laureate Award, UAlbany’s Distinguished Service Award and the Medallion of the University. Patricia Hunter Standish, a College of Saint Rose graduate, is a retired college lecturer who taught English at her alma mater and at Siena College. In the Science Library and the School of Business, rooms have been named in their honor.