John and Katherine Simpson Scholarship Fund

Established by friends, colleagues and other supporters of John and Katherine Simpson, this fund recognizes the couple for their steadfast commitment to the university during Dr. Simpson's seven-year tenure as President.

The fund provides provide robust academic merit scholarships for first-generation undergraduate students throughout the university. (A first-generation student is one who does not have a parent with a bachelor's degree or higher.)

President Simpson served from 2004-2010, and is credited with strong leadership during that time. Among his accomplishments as UB’s 14th president, Simpson led UB’s faculty and administration in a university-wide process of self-assessment and strategic planning that led to the UB 2020 strategic vision. Under the UB 2020 plan, the university crafted UB's first comprehensive physical plan in more than three decades, initiated major building and construction projects totaling more than $500 million on UB’s three campuses, achieved substantial university-wide efficiencies in campus operations and forged even stronger partnerships with the community.