New Grants or Gifts Relating to Women in Higher Education

Here is this week’s news of grants and gifts that may be of particular interest to women in higher education.

Hydro One, a large power company in Ontario, has established the Hydro One Women in Engineering University Partnership program to increase the number of women pursuing degrees in STEM fields. Partnering institutions include Ryerson University, the University of Ontario Institute of Technology, the University of Waterloo, and Western University.

Under the program, new outreach efforts will be made to elementary and high school girls. Retention programs will be initiated for undergraduate women in STEM fields and there will be new programs to ease the transition to the work force for women graduates of engineering programs.

Salem College, the liberal arts educational institution for women in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, received a gift from alumna E. Sue Cox Shore to create an endowed fund for student travel. Susan Pauly, president of Salem College, said, “This generous gift will have an impact on young women for years to come. Students will have the opportunity to travel, expand their world outlook, and participate in international service projects and internships.”

Scripps College, the highly rated liberal arts institution for women in Claremont, California, received a $5 million gift from alumna Eileen Schock Laspa and her husband, Jude Laspa. Eileen Laspa also served as a trustee of Scripps College from 1996 to 1999.

The money will be used to establish the Leadership, Analysis, Scholarship, Public service and Action (LASPA) Center on the Scripps College campus. The center will focus on leadership training for women.