December 3, 2020
A gift from a former University of Cincinnati faculty member will support and name a current program providing mental health services to UC College of Medicine students.
October 7, 2020
A newspaper article inspired Elizabeth Burress to reach out to the University of Cincinnati’s College of Education, Criminal Justice and Human Services (CECH). After reading about students in CECH’s Transition and Access Program (TAP) in her local newspaper and its impact on students, Burress wanted to help. As part of Advancement & Transition Services in CECH, TAP is a four-year college program for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities. TAP students live on campus, take classes, join student organizations and work on life skills. Reading about TAP’s impact on people’s lives made an impression on Burress because of her personal volunteer history. As a teenager, she volunteered at Camp Stepping Stones, a nonprofit providing pathways to independence for people with disabilities. As an adult, she has been an education aide in the Sycamore Community School District. This experience and a mutual love of UC sparked a conversation between Elizabeth and husband Brian, BS ‘91. “We know the expenses some of these students have—wheelchairs, medicines, speech boards, therapies—and a lot of families can’t afford to send them to school,” Elizabeth said. “We want these students to have access to college.” The kind and generous nature of Elizabeth and Brian caused them to set up a scholarship fund doing exactly this—supporting TAP students and providing life-changing opportunities. By creating the TAP Into The Future Scholarship Fund, the couple are helping students to experience the TAP mission to live, work, learn and lead.
October 29, 2020
A $1.5 million gift from Jeff and Jennifer Davis has created two endowed funds supporting social justice at the University of Cincinnati.
October 7, 2020
Monikia Murray’s pursuit of her bachelor’s degree has been a long journey. As a single mother working full-time, sometimes with a second job, her dream of earning a bachelor’s degree in Early Childhood Education hasn’t been easy. “It’s very challenging,” the UC Online student says. “Life does not stop. This is a milestone I really need to complete. I’m almost at the finish line.” Recently, the finish line began to fade because of a lack funds. Not only was she paying for her own classes, but her daughter had started college. Monikia was concerned she would have to defer her dream again but reached out to her academic advisor for help. This future teacher received support from the Frances A. Kemp Scholarship which was established in 1990 by the estate of Hazel N. Kemp to provide scholarships in the College of Education, Criminal Justice, and Human Services (CECH) for students studying early childhood education. She also received help from a CECH emergency fund.
October 15, 2020
Cameryn Blake remembers January 21, 2017 in vivid detail. On that day she was cheerleading at a high school basketball game. When halftime rolled around, she got some news that gave her another reason to cheer – she had been accepted to her dream school, the University of Cincinnati's College of Design, Architecture, Art, and Planning (DAAP). She nearly fell from the bleachers in excitement.
July 28, 2020
A University of Cincinnati alumnus has donated $200,000 to support a center at the law school focused on race, gender and social justice. Bill Morelli, A&S ’74, JD ’78, has created the Bill Morelli Endowment Fund for the Nathaniel R. Jones Center for Race, Gender, and Social Justice at the College of Law. Renamed in 2019 after Judge Nathaniel Jones in honor of his career as a champion for justice, the Jones Center trains and cultivates scholars, leaders and activists committed to social change. After his retirement as a federal judge, Judge Jones joined the law firm Blank Rome LLP, serving as its first chief officer of Diversity and Inclusion. Morelli says the timing of his gift was intentional. “At a time when national discussion—often divisive—is taking place on issues of race, gender and justice, it’s important for the legal profession to take the lead in framing issues and developing solutions,” he said. “The Jones Center is at the center of thought leadership in this area and I hope this gift can bring together scholars and practitioners in the field to inspire the next generation of lawyers to shape public policy and help build bridges of understanding in the broader community.” “Bill’s gift not only celebrates our university and the life work of Judge Nathaniel Jones, it supports our commitment to racial justice,” UC President Neville G. Pinto said. “It helps us create more welcoming spaces for listening, dialogue and support as we move forward and work to solve systemic issues of justice.”
May 18, 2020
A $1.5 million gift from the Turner Farm Foundation – and a $500,000 matching gift from the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine’s Hagins Family Matching Gift Program – has established an endowed chair at the UC Center for Integrative Health and Wellness.
May 29, 2020
The University of Cincinnati College of Arts & Sciences has created the Niehoff Center for Film and Media Studies, thanks to a $2.8 million gift from Peter and Betsy Niehoff.