Anonymous Donor Provides $1.2 Million for Accounting Students

BUFFALO, N.Y. -- Future undergraduate and graduate students in the University at Buffalo School of Management will receive more financial help in pursuing their degrees, thanks to a $1.2 million endowment bequest established for undergraduate scholarships and graduate fellowships.

The donor, who holds undergraduate and graduate degrees from the School of Management, wishes to remain anonymous. The donor grew up in Buffalo and has provided for the school in her will, she said, in gratitude for the education she received at the school. She hopes the gift will encourage future students to pursue lifelong learning as she has done.

UB President John Simpson praised the donor for providing opportunities for UB students. "Scholarship support opens countless doors for our students, creating valuable opportunities and educational experiences that might not otherwise have been possible. It's always particularly gratifying when this support comes from former students who value their UB education so greatly that they are committed to enabling future generations of students to benefit from those opportunities, in turn."

The gift will fund scholarships for School of Management students studying accounting at the undergraduate or master's levels, or for MBA students choosing the accounting concentration. Scholarship support for undergraduate students will begin in the junior year or earlier. The scholarship will cover tuition and books for all years required to complete a program.

John M. Thomas, dean of the UB School of Management, said the bequest sends a valuable message about the importance of community support.

"This gift from a School of Management graduate," he said, "is pivotal in demonstrating to our alumni, friends and corporate partners how the funding of scholarships is vital to efforts by the school and the university to actively recruit highly qualified students."

Susan Hamlen, associate professor and chair of the Accounting and Law Department in the School of Management, commended the foresight of the donor.

"Through her gift, our loyal alumna has set a tremendous example that will enable deserving students to pursue an intellectually stimulating and professionally rewarding career," Hamlen noted. "We are most grateful."