Sixth UB scholarships gala raises $157,000

BUFFALO, N.Y. -- The 2011 Scholarship Gala raised $157,000 for University at Buffalo student scholarships, thanks to the more than 360 UB alumni, faculty, staff, friends, and business and community leaders who attended the November event.

Now in its sixth year, the annual gala was begun in 2006 to raise funds so UB could offer more scholarships to attract the best students, a goal of UB 2020, the university's strategic plan to become a model 21st-century public university. Scholarships are one of the most effective ways to guarantee that top students choose UB.

Since 2006, the event has raised $974,000 to be used for scholarships across the university. UB distributes some of the funding for scholarships each year, depositing the rest into an endowment to be used by future generations of students.

UB President Satish K. Tripathi told gala attendees that their presence at the event supports his vision for academic excellence throughout the university.

"We consider this one of our top priorities: guaranteeing access to public higher education for deserving students," Tripathi said. "A first-class education pays large dividends, both socially and economically. But we cannot forget that an increasing number of our students have financial need -- even as a college education is more critical than ever."

Four UB alumni served as co-chairs for the 2011 gala, held in the Edward Wright Practice Facility on the North Campus: Pamela Davis Heilman, JD '75, and her husband Robert Heilman, MBA '75, along with Andrew Cappuccino, MD '88, and Helen Cappuccino, MD '88, BA '84.

Independent Health, Turner Construction and Verizon were the presenting sponsors for the gala, which included dinner, dancing, performances by UB students and auctions. For more information, visit http://giving.buffalo.edu/ubgala.