SU Foundation Celebrates 50 Years

SALISBURY, MD---For Salisbury University biology pre-medical major Ateebullah Mirza ‘21, receiving the Daly Computers, Inc. Scholarship was “a light in my tunnel” after an “uphill battle.”

“My drive to never give up [was] rekindled thanks to this scholarship,” he said.

For senior biology major Aerin Rost-Nasshan, the SU Women’s Circle Educational Enhancement Award “lifted a huge burden … and opened up new doors for my research.”

Similarly, SU’s Hattie M. Strong and Andes Family scholarships helped early childhood education major Maya Batson ‘19 “remain focused on my dream … aiding me in finding what sets my soul on fire and enabling me to pursue it with every fiber of my being.”

For the past half century, the Salisbury University Foundation, Inc., has helped students like these Make Tomorrow Yours, working with donors to administer millions of dollars in scholarships. This year, the Foundation celebrates the 50th anniversary of its incorporation on February 16, 1973.

In commemoration, the Foundation hosts an open house 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Thursday, February 16, at the SU Foundation Center, 1308 Camden Ave. Admission is free, and the public is invited.

“The SU Foundation was created to promote, sponsor and carry out educational, scientific and charitable purposes and objectives for the benefit of SU and its students,” said Jason Curtin ’98, SU vice president of University advancement and the Foundation’s executive director. “Through the generosity of our benefactors and supporters, we have spent the past five decades fulfilling that promise to the SU community.”

With a current endowment of nearly $100 million, the Foundation set a new record for scholarship funding last fiscal year, administering some $1.5 million in student awards.

“For 50 years, the SU Foundation has made a difference in the lives of countless students, faculty and staff on this campus,” said SU President Carolyn Ringer Lepre. “From board members and partners, to the donors who have supported us for throughout the years, we are truly grateful to all who have contributed to the success of not just the Foundation, but of SU.”

Beyond scholarships, virtually every student who has attended SU in the past 15 years has been impacted by the Foundation’s work, which has included securing and administering funds for the construction of new buildings that have changed the skyline of Route 13: Perdue Hall, the Patricia R. Guerrieri Academic Commons and Sea Gull Stadium, to name just a few.

Inside those and other buildings, the Foundation is responsible for securing the state-of-the-art equipment that has allowed students to hone their skills at cutting-edge facilities such as the Richard A. Henson Medical Simulation Center, Henson High-Performance Computing Lab and Dave and Patsy Rommel Center for Entrepreneurship.

That, too, would not be possible without the generosity of donors who have supported the Foundation and the University as a whole. The University features five endowed colleges and schools: the Glenda Chatham and Robert G. Clarke Honors College, Charles R. and Martha N. Fulton School of Liberal Arts, Richard A. Henson School of Science and Technology, Franklin P. Perdue School of Business and Samuel W. and Marilyn C. Seidel School of Education.

“During my time as a student, I saw first-hand the powerful effect each donor can make on the educational experience at SU,” said Ashley Stern ’08, M’09, chair of the Foundation’s 29-member board of directors. “Without the unwavering support from private donors and the Salisbury University Foundation, many of us may not be where we are today.”

“Donors are the lifeblood of the Foundation and allow us to provide the University with the resources it needs to give our students the best futures possible,” Curtin agreed. “With their support, we look forward to continuing to fulfill that mission for the next 50 years and beyond.”

For more information about the SU Foundation and ways to support the University’s students and programs, visit the Foundaton's webpage.

Learn more about opportunities to Make Tomorrow Yours at the SU website.