Savvy investors often make decisions based on a scale of return. The larger the return, the easier it is to dedicate financial resources to a specific investment.
But not all returns are measured in dollars. In fact, with record growth and rising research expenditures, UTA has established itself as a sound investment, both for its annual impact on the local and regional economy and for its focus on student success. Private philanthropists have realized that to drive the North Texas economy, investing in people and programs at UTA is a smart choice.
Three gifts over the past year have made a transformational impact in key areas. From scholarships for all majors to a unique, collaborative endowed chair, these gifts and the donors who made them create a rich learning environment that benefits the entire North Texas community.
Mike and Sunny Dolabi, owners of National Autobody Parts Warehouse in Grand Prairie, leveraged UTA's strengths in engineering and business to establish an endowed chair that combines resources from both fields. This unique research position will help businesses tackle major logistical issues by developing innovative best practices in business logistics, systems engineering, and supply chain and operations management.
Another chair, endowed by Paul Andrews Jr., was recently established in the College of Engineering: the Dr. Bob Woods Chair in Automotive Engineering. For decades, Dr. Woods has driven the UTA Formula SAE racing team to global success. In addition to ranking as high as fifth internationally, the program has trained students to enter the highly competitive automotive engineering and design workplace and has a near-perfect job placement rate for all participating students.
Student success also lies at the heart of the University's fundraising efforts, and that mission was made evident when Raj ('93) and Mona Malik created a permanent, $500,000 endowed scholarship. The Rajeev and Ritu Malik Endowed Scholarship for Student Success will be used to support students from all majors, including international students. The scholarship acknowledges the role UTA played in helping Raj achieve success and adapt to a new country when he moved to the United States.
In the world of major gifts, UTA has built strong relationships with committed donors who want to make a difference. These gifts have not only set up a path for success for the University, but they are also establishing a culture of giving back that current students are beginning to recognize.
"Individual donors provide a growing amount of stability for a public university."
"Individual donors provide a growing amount of stability for a public university," says Dee Robinson, vice president for institutional advancement. "When a donor invests in our University and our students, we can begin to plan for the future and adapt quickly to the changing landscape of higher education. These gifts allow us to be ambitious and set high goals that benefit not just UTA, but our regional economy and industry."
With such rapid growth at UTA, opportunities abound to foster an environment of success for talented students. The commitment of each of these donors is playing a major role in enriching our entire community by sparking new ideas that drive our economy and improve our quality of life.
Give Today
If you are interested in getting involved at UTA through private philanthropy, contact Rose Youngblood, assistant vice president for university initiatives, at rose.youngblood@uta.edu or 817-272-6851. If you would like to make a gift of any amount, text GIVEUTA to 41444.
