Northern Arizona University

NAU Donor Spotlight Archives

Mike Ryan, MSF ’78, has expressed his appreciation for NAU in meaningful ways. Not only is he a practicing research scientist for the U.S. Forest Service in Colorado, building on expertise attained from Northern Arizona University’s School of Forestry, but he has kept NAU in mind as he plans for his future. Mike has included the School of Forestry in his bequest, taking advantage of one of many planned giving options available to NAU’s alumni and friends. When Mike sat down to write his will, he “wanted to include places that had made a difference” to him throughout his life. And that is exactly what planned giving is designed to do—allow a donor to promote values developed throughout a lifetime by providing for future generations of students. Mike notes that it was his love for the outdoors that lead him into forestry, and that his time at NAU was inspiring and supportive, a time of intellectual growth. By putting NAU’s School of Forestry in his will, Mike is supporting future students who will believe in the things that Mike believes in now.

Giving works wonders – it can move backwards and forwards in time – as was recently proven by Kathleen Heard when, with a gift of $16,000, she founded the Tom Heard International Forestry Scholarship. A proud daughter and parent, Kathleen’s gift pays homage to her father while honoring her son. Tom Heard dedicated his life and his mining career of 53 years in South America to higher education, economic advancement and global development. Kathleen’s son, Justin Hallett, recently completed his bachelor’s in forestry at NAU and began work on his master’s this fall. Looking behind, and ahead, Kathleen created this endowed scholarship which will provide support beginning in 2010 for NAU students interested in international forestry. Additionally, so impressed with the School of Forestry, Kathleen provided four $500 scholarships awarded last April to forestry students Peter Evtimov, Karen Koestner, Charles Machula (pictured above) and Isaac Bickford. With her generosity today, Kathleen transforms her father’s successful past into the promise of success for NAU students. Parents like Kathleen Heard affirm that supporting one’s beliefs, and one’s children, can indeed establish a family legacy.

Art Haynie, ’87, a role model alumnus, not only donated $25,313 worth of publicity for Northern Arizona University, he included students in the project. What an opportunity for NAU electronic and media students—to work alongside an award winning director, who is also an active NAU alum. Giving, and an NAU degree, came full circle for this fine arts graduate when approached last winter for suggestions on an NAU television commercial. He had more than advice to offer, and within two months, he completed a 30-second spot. The piece gives an unexpectedly quirky look at the anthrax research conducted at NAU. “It’s amusing and well-done” said Victor Dailey, videographer/producer at NAU Television Services. The spot receives broad play locally and nationally, and potential viewership of the NAU ad could be in the millions. Plans are underway for the commercial to play on social websites like Facebook and MySpace. Kudos to this artistic graduate, and please see for yourself how this NAU alum took care of his alma mater. Enjoy “Spiders and Snakes” at http://promos.distance.nau.edu/tvs/Spiders_Snakes.mov

With his gift of thousands of pounds of alabaster and a collection of hundreds of unique art history books, Daniel Newman, a Sedona sculptor, has impacted the NAU community for generations to come. A retired engineer and successful Sedona craftsman, Newman sculpted with alabaster early in his career. But he’s moved on to marble and onyx and thought his inventory of the softer stone would be perfect for beginning sculpture students. Brian Painter, associate professor for the School of Art (pictured at left with a 1-ton stone), couldn’t agree more and says Newman’s timing was perfect. “We were out of alabaster, and now, for years to come, sculpture students will have stone—high quality stone—for free!” Newman also believed his mother’s collection of fine art history books deserved a university audience. Kathleen Schmand, Cline Library’s community affairs coordinator, says that these books “invite students, faculty, and the community to explore the world of art through resources the library might not otherwise be able to offer.” Gifts-in-kind like Newman’s distinctly enhance the creative spirit that drives NAU’s art and art history programs, and make NAU proud to have such philanthropists in its midst.

Anna and Bobby Acord of Wilmington, North Carolina recently established the Kenny Acord Award for Graduate Students in Archeology in memory of their son. The Acords hope that their gift will help students with the "hidden costs" of pursuing their research-the costs that often come out of a student's pocket. Kenny Acord, who received his master's and bachelor's in Archeology at NAU, died in 2006 of a rare form of cancer. A gifted academic, outdoor enthusiast and river guide, he became a professional archaeologist for the National Park Service. His thesis, A Ceramic Inventory and Chronological Analysis of Sinagua Settlement at Walnut Canyon National Monument, is a ground-breaking contribution to the prehistory of the Flagstaff area. Lori Sloat, the first ever scholarship recipient (pictured between Anna and Bobby Acord), is excited to receive this scholarship and will use it to conduct research on rock art in Texas. She was happy to learn that she and Kenny shared this interest. With this gift the Acords are proudly welcomed into the NAU President's Circle.

The Emily Marie Benson Memorial Scholarship was established to assist Northern Arizona University students who have a significant medical condition &/or disability. Parents Mark and Valerie Caro, and the family and friends of Emily, created the fund in loving memory of this very special young lady. Although faced with a medical challenge, Emily lived every day to the fullest. Now, because of the diligence and generosity of Emily’s family and friends, NAU students can receive assistance toward their academic goals. The Caros established this annual $10,000 scholarship in 2004 and recently enhanced their gift by establishing an endowment -- the fund will now provide this scholarship in perpetuity. As Emily will forever be a role model for others, this contribution will inspire NAU students for many years to come.

Women and minority students at Northern Arizona University will benefit from the Ortega Scholarship for Science Teachers established by Lilly Moore, a dedicated educator from Scottsdale. Lilly established this scholarship to support teachers, who like herself, are passionate about teaching science. From 1985-1995, Lilly enrolled in NAU biology courses during the summer to enhance her teaching of science. She delighted in providing “hands-on” learning experiences for her middle school students and believes that her education at NAU contributed to her success as a science teacher. As both Arizona and the nation face critical shortages in the area of trained science educators, Lilly’s gift helps NAU with its focus on producing more teachers who will educate the next generation of science and technology experts. With this $10,000 contribution, Lilly is welcomed into the NAU President’s Circle. She has proudly dedicated this scholarship to her parents, Maria and Blas Ortega, and her oldest brother, John Ortega, for the profound influence they had on Lilly’s decision to pursue science and teaching. Funds from this endowed scholarship will be available to students in Fall ’09.

NAU students seeking internship opportunities in Washington, D.C. will now have assistance due to the Roy and Delores Morey Award. The Moreys, ’59, “were kids from working families” and believe that “later in life when you are successful, you need to think about giving back.” That’s exactly what they’ve done with their initial donation of over $10,000 towards this scholarship. Their daughter and son-in-law, Carolyn and Teall Edds, followed suit and added an additional $20,000 to this award to celebrate the Morey’s 50th wedding anniversary. The Moreys understand how much NAU relies on private funding, and they believe in enriching student experience and promoting student success. They look forward to meeting award recipients and learning how the internship experience has changed their lives.

To help a Native American student achieve a four-year degree from NAU, Gregory and Cynthia Gwash established the Gregory and Cynthia Gwash Scholarship. The Gwashes, who recently re-located from Washington to northern Arizona, have made their permanent home in Prescott. Because of this transition, and their admiration for Native American cultures, they decided to create a life changing opportunity for an NAU student. When they had the opportunity to make a gift, they chose NAU, not only because of the proximity to the reservations, but because of NAU’s commitment to Native Americans. Their contribution of $50,000 supports a current general scholarship for an Arizona Native American student. The Gwashes believe that their gift represents an investment in the future of Arizona’s Native American people, considering the challenges and opportunities of the 21st century.

A $500,000 gift from Freeport-McMoRan Copper & Gold Foundation will boost science and engineering programs at Northern Arizona University and expand efforts to promote interest in math and science among pre-college students. This gift will be used to create an undergraduate mentoring and research office expanding undergraduate research opportunities in the College of Engineering and Natural Sciences (CENS) and serving as a central resource for students and faculty who are interested in undergraduate research. Gift funds also will support an outreach and recruitment coordinator to manage undergraduate recruitment for CENS. Additionally, a lecture series highlighting the importance to society of engaging more young people in scientific and engineering careers is planned. Freeport-McMoRan is the world’s largest publicly traded copper company and is based in North America with ties in Arizona and to NAU. This generous gift welcomes the Freeport-McMoRan Copper & Gold Foundation into the NAU President’s Circle.

Because of a life-long desire to help under-privileged students earn a college degree, the Suzanne Ingersoll Endowed Scholarship was established last fall in memory of Suzanne Ingersoll. Suzanne’s passion initially led her to establish the Suzanne Ingersoll Foundation in 1995. Her Foundation provided scholarships to students from Northern Arizona University, and Suzanne enjoyed travelling from Phoenix to Flagstaff to take scholarship recipients to lunch. Upon her death, the board of her Foundation chose NAU as the home of the Suzanne Ingersoll Endowed Scholarship, and this gift will help provide student access and affordability. This endowed fund was established with shares of appreciated stock; and the 2007 gift will be available for general scholarships for the 2009/2010 academic year.

The Eleanor Joan Kellis Memorial Scholarship will annually award nursing students from NAU’s College of Health and Human Services thanks to Joan’s devoted husband Jim Kellis. Kellis, an NAU alum, ’54 Pre-Engineering, is honoring the memory of his wife with a $25,000 gift to the NAU School of Nursing. Joan was dedicated to her family, her community and her lifelong career as a nurse. She worked in hospitals such as the United Mine Workers in Kentucky, Yavapai Medical Center, Tucson Medical Center, and the Santa Ana-Tustin Community Hospital in southern California. Additionally, she volunteered for the American Red Cross and the Children’s Hospital of Orange County. Joan’s family ties to NAU reach beyond her husband Jim in that her father, brother, mother-in-law and brother-in-law all received degrees from NAU (or Arizona State College). Joan's life was full and spirited because of her enthusiasm to help others, and Jim knows that students from the NAU School of Nursing will honor Joan's memory with their outreach to those in need.