With a new endowed scholarship fund, three Michigan Tech alumni are helping to ensure the future of academic excellence for students in the School of Business and Economics.
Alumnus Bob Tripp ’66 ’67 and his Sigma Rho fraternity brothers John Calder ’67 and Frederick Slocum ’66 have partnered with the Michigan Tech Fund to create two Leadership Scholarships that will be awarded starting in fall 2012.
Tripp, who was elected to the Michigan Tech Fund Board of Trustees in 2010, sees the endowment as a way to enable donors to make a lasting, sustainable difference with smaller contributions. “Our goal is to create a mass-marketing appeal that allows alumni to give smaller amounts,” he said “You don’t have to give a million dollars to make a difference. In an endowment fund, even $10,000 spread over ten years can have an enduring impact.”
“I look forward to contributing. I’m a happy giver.”
The Endowed Leadership Scholarships were established in the School of Business and Economics; in the initial stages of development, two students will receive $1,000 each. From there, Tripp and his Sigma Rho brothers will establish similar scholarships for engineering and forestry students. Once all of the scholarships are in place, the group aims to increase the amount of each award to $2,500 per student for up to four students in each department. “College costs are increasing, and we want to make a meaningful difference for recipients,” said Tripp.
Tripp, Calder, and Slocum see the endowment fund as a way to create a lasting Sigma Rho legacy on campus and to foster the fraternity’s strong traditions of leadership and service. Students don’t have to be fraternity members to qualify; requirements include US citizenship, a GPA of 3.0 or higher, and a proven record of leadership contributions. Faculty in the School of Business and Economics will make the award decisions based on individual applications and recommendations.
Tripp, who spends six months of each year in Dollar Bay, holds a BS in Metallurgical Engineering and an MBA from Michigan Tech and has strong ties to the Copper Country and the University. He has faith in Michigan Tech and believes in its power to provide a high-quality education. “I graduated from the School of Business and Economics with a strong foundation that has served me well throughout my career. I look forward to contributing. I’m a happy giver.”
The Endowed Leadership Scholarship fund welcomes contributions of all sizes and is open to all. Use our giving form to donate. Indicate SBE Leadership Endowed Scholarship (#5254) in the gift designation box.
Michigan Technological University is a public research university founded in 1885 in Houghton, Michigan, and is home to more than 7,000 students from 55 countries around the world. Consistently ranked among the best universities in the country for return on investment, Michigan’s flagship technological university offers more than 120 undergraduate and graduate degree programs in science and technology, engineering, computing, forestry, business and economics, health professions, humanities, mathematics, social sciences, and the arts. The rural campus is situated just miles from Lake Superior in Michigan's Upper Peninsula, offering year-round opportunities for outdoor adventure.
