UT Dallas’ 19th Annual Scholarship Golf Tournament more than doubled funds raised last year, with players and donors contributing $74,000 to benefit UT Dallas students.
Money raised from the April 19 tournament at the Sherrill Park Golf Course in Richardson adds to an endowment that benefits the Betty and Gifford Johnson Graduate Scholarship and the Patti Henry-Pinch Undergraduate Scholarship. This year, a portion of the funds also will go to help the UT Dallas Academic Bridge Program.
A team heavy on research chemistry expertise included Dr. John Ferraris, Dr. John Sibert, Dr. Phil Forshee, Dr. Dean Sherry and Dr. D.J. Yang All are faculty members in the UT Dallas Chemistry Department with the exception of Forshee, who earned his doctorate in the deparment in 2005 and now works in industry.
The tournament, which was held at the Sherrill Park Golf Course in Richardson, drew 170 participants.
Sponsors included Hill & Wilkinson and Hunt Construction Group.
The endowment currently totals more than $243,000.
“This is a significant achievement because for the second consecutive year we’ve more than doubled our annual contribution to UT Dallas scholarships at a time when support of our students really means a great deal to them,” said Dr. Calvin Jamison, vice president for administration.
Last year’s fundraising total was $36,000
Golf tournament co-chairs Tysh Coleman-Tatum and Richard Arduengo said the tournament drew 170 players and 187 contributors.
“We credit the success of the tournament and fundraiser to relationships with the community and to the committee’s efforts to ensure that each tournament is memorable,” Coleman-Tatum said.
Business sponsors and contributors included Hill & Wilkinson, Hunt Construction Group, Austin Commercial, Skanska USA Building, the City of Richardson and Cisco Systems Inc.
Dr. Austin Cunningham, the dean of graduate studies and co-sponsor of the event, said that without the scholarship funding raised many students would not be able to attend scholarly events and give presentations at conferences and scientific sessions.
The Betty and Gifford Johnson Graduate Scholarship is named for the former president of the Southwest Center for Advanced Studies, the predecessor to UT Dallas. The Patti Henry-Pinch Undergraduate Scholarship is named for a life member of the University’s development board.
The Academic Bridge Program (ABP) seeks to attract, support and retain high-potential, first-generation college students who graduate from Dallas-area urban high schools.
The Office of Administration and Office of Graduate Studies have organized the tournament fundraiser every year since 1992 except for a two-year hiatus in 2007 and 2008.