Gift donated anonymously
RICHMOND, Ky. (Jan. 11, 2017) — Eastern Kentucky University has received an anonymous gift of $1.25 million to fund scholarships in math and science. The donor provided an immediate donation of $250,000, with the balance of $1 million part of an estate gift.
“This generous gift will provide opportunities and encourage students from some of the poorest counties of Kentucky to pursue their dreams of an education and career in STEM disciplines,” said Dr. Tom Otieno, interim dean of the College of Science at EKU. “As state support for higher education decreases and tuition costs increase nationwide, many talented students find themselves juggling rigorous laboratory-intensive curricula in the sciences and mathematics with a part-time or full-time job to make ends meet.
When the second phase of EKU’s New Science Building opens later this year, the college will boast the largest such facility on any campus in the commonwealth. The first phase opened in January 2012 and immediately resulted in increased student achievement and an increase in faculty collaboration and scholarship, among other pluses.
STEM-H degrees at EKU are up 26 percent over the past five years, with the number of freshmen enrolling in STEM disciplines up significantly. Eastern was named among the Top 125 STEM Colleges and Universities in the U.S. for 2015 by Victory Media.
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