Women in Philanthropy Provides Funding for Five Campus Projects

The generous spirit of a group of University of Findlay supporters will provide a STEM training program for first-generation female college students, new cultural experiences for students and community members, and renovations for the Dudley and Mary Marks Lea Gallery, among other UF initiatives.

Women in Philanthropy, a women’s giving circle at UF, has awarded nearly $26,000 to five campus projects this spring.

Nicole Burgy ’99, a member of Women in Philanthropy, is pleased to see many local women coming together “to inspire, empower, and connect UF students with women in the community.”

“We are excited that our gifts can collectively support innovative projects and research at the University,” she said. “We enjoy the opportunity to learn about the good work UF is doing, to meet high-achieving young women scholars, and to network with other philanthropic-minded women in the community.”

Among the successful efforts of this giving circle are an endowed scholarship and an annual slate of projects that they choose to fund after reviewing proposals and listening to presentations from faculty and staff.

This year, the five projects receiving funding and their faculty sponsors are:

Maryam Yousif, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Chemistry – establish a two-semester training program for female, first-generation college students studying chemistry.

In 2023, she noted only 28 percent of employees in the STEM workforce are women, which Yousif attributed to “the lack of role models and mentorship.”

“As educators, we can influence their journeys by offering them opportunities,” Yousif said.

She will use the grant “to address the gender gap, empower women, and increase student-faculty interactions.”

Valerie Escobedo, Associate Professor of Art – Update walls and flooring for the Dudley and Mary Marks Lea Gallery in the Virginia B. Gardner Fine Arts Pavilion.

The Lea Gallery hosts the annual undergraduate student art show, along with a number of senior, alumni, and faculty shows, and guest exhibits by regional and nationally-known artists.

The thousands of visitors who participate in Mazza’s Funday Sundays also come through the gallery, as do the weekly school tours of the museum, she noted.

“This would modernize the space and provide a professional exhibit space,” Escobedo said, adding that previous renovations were done in 2008.

Richard Dudley, Ph.D., Professor of Pharmaceutical Sciences – enhancing therapy with GLP-1 agonists through potential biomarker identification and analysis.

The effectiveness of diabetes and weight loss drugs, such as Ozempic, Trulicity, and Victoza, make them “amazing clinical assets” in treating patients with diabetes and obesity. They are being investigated for a variety of other diseases including fatty liver disease, Parkinson’s, and helping with heart and kidney diseases, he noted.

However, some patients have unpleasant side effects as the dosages increase “and their weight can rebound or the therapeutic effects are lost if they can’t tolerate the medication,” he said.

Dudley said perhaps certain tests and screens can be done before patients take GLP-1 medications to identify their genetic differences and determine how different doses could be utilized without sacrificing efficacy.

UF professors and clinical pharmacists will work on the project along with several student research assistants. They plan to recruit 40 patients for screening and then share their findings to support broader pharmaceutical research efforts.

Christine Denecker, Ph.D., Katy August, Sarah Fedirka, Ph.D., and Nicole Schilling, Ph.D., all of the Center for Teaching Excellence – Develop 12 workshop-in-a-box programs to support teaching excellence.

Inspired by a conference of the Professional and Organizational Development Network in Higher Education, the professors want to provide teaching development materials for UF faculty and build student rapport.

“We want to invite, engage, and inspire students through this teamwork and continue to build a sense of community,” Denecker explained.

The boxed programs can be checked out by academic departments or faculty participating in the CTE’s Teaching Partners program and will include questions, prompts, and other activities fostering ideas that can be implemented in the classroom.

“These help the instructor think through what they’ll do with students, especially expectations for learning and studying,” Fedirka said. “We’re excited about the response we will get.”

Hiro Kawamura, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Japanese and Director of Modern Languages – enhance cultural activities and training for UF students and the community.

“We want to strengthen the community by promoting appreciation for other cultures,” he said.

For many years, Kawamura has coordinated the Cultural Connections of Hancock County program, bringing together international students attending UF and area residents, including local schoolchildren. Class visits and activities have taken place at 50 North, Birchhaven senior living community, Cory Rawson High School, and Gateway Church among other locations.

The programs include games, picture books in different languages, international snacks, and the opportunity for students to speak one-on-one with area residents, he said.

Additionally, the International Mother Language Day event on campus each year showcases UF students who share songs, poems, dances, and clothing from a variety of nations and cultures.

“We want to create occasions for students to interact with people in many ways,” Kawamura said.

With the encouragement of President Katherine Fell, Ph.D., Women in Philanthropy connects generations of women who want to make a difference in the world by investing in UF people and projects.

“Women play a key role in philanthropy at UF, ranging from volunteering to financial giving, and serving as role models for the next generation of Oilers,” President Fell noted. “We are grateful for members’ past support, and we invite new members to join our efforts.”

All gifts to Women in Philanthropy are used for grant funding. Each member is asked to make an annual leadership gift starting at $1,000.

For more information on membership in Women in Philanthropy, visit https://give.findlay.edu/women-in-philanthropy/ or contact Shayna Pothast, UF development officer, at 419-434-5928.

Post Views: 33