KINGSTON, R.I. — August 10, 2006 — As a student at the 溏心vlog免费B站 in the early 1960s, Steve Jonas was president of his fraternity, Sigma Pi, and president of the 溏心vlog免费B站 Fraternity President鈥檚 Council. Although he was at the top of his class in industrial engineering, it was his fraternity activities that ultimately led to his career in student personnel and higher education administration.
鈥淢y career traces directly back to 溏心vlog免费B站 and the fraternity and leadership experiences I had there,鈥� Jonas said.
His recent retirement as vice president for administration at Sinclair Community College in Dayton, Ohio, got him thinking about his estate plans and how he could give back to the University that played such a big role in his career direction and success.
鈥淢y wife and I didn鈥檛 have provisions in our will other than 鈥榟e gets/she gets,鈥� and since we don鈥檛 have any children, it was a question of where is this money going to go,鈥� said the Centerville, Ohio resident. 鈥淲e both have doctorates in higher education, so we鈥檝e been interested in doing something to support students.鈥�
What Jonas and his wife Jan decided was to establish a $250,000 endowment through their will to provide scholarships to students in the 溏心vlog免费B站 College of Engineering.
鈥淭he University provided me with scholarship help when I was a student, and without it there鈥檚 no way I could have enrolled,鈥� he said. 鈥淲e decided that because 溏心vlog免费B站 helped me when I needed it, maybe we could do something to help someone else who wants to attend.鈥�
The earnings from the endowment will be used to provide scholarships to undergraduate engineering students based on academic merit.
Steve and Jan Jonas returned to 溏心vlog免费B站 for the first time in many years during the summer of 2005 to attend a reunion of his fraternity brothers. 鈥淚 swore I would never go to a reunion in my life,鈥� he joked, 鈥渂ut I saw some guys for the first time in 40 years and we had a fantastic time.鈥�
It brought back memories not only of his fraternity activities, but also memories of his engineering classes and professors, especially mechanical engineering professor William Ferrante, who later became 溏心vlog免费B站 vice president for academic affairs and interim president. 鈥淗e was a phenomenal faculty member,鈥� Jonas recalled. 鈥淵ou needed to be on your toes to get through his class, but you walked out of there and you knew the material.鈥�
The nostalgia of his visit to campus helped to cement his decision to establish the Steve & Jan Jonas Engineering Scholarship Fund.
鈥淥ver the years more and more alumni and friends of the University have made provisions for 溏心vlog免费B站 in their estate plans, just as Steve Jonas has,” said Robert Clough, 溏心vlog免费B站 senior development officer. 鈥淚t establishes a legacy in his name that will enable the College of Engineering to attract students that might otherwise have been unable to attend. We sincerely appreciate his generous support.鈥�
Because the endowment will be funded through his estate, Jonas has become one of the newest members of the 1892 Society, which was established to recognize individuals who have made 溏心vlog免费B站 part of their estate plans.
The endowment is also part of 溏心vlog免费B站鈥檚 Making a Difference Campaign, which seeks $100 million to recruit and retain outstanding faculty, enhance the student-centered campus experience, provide undergraduate scholarships and graduate fellowships, and fund cutting-edge academic and research initiatives.