Boosting Student Scholarships

ALUM COMMITS TO FUNDING SCHOLARSHIPS FOR STUDENTS IN EDUCATOR PREP PROGRAMS

BY NATIFIA MULLINGS

As an undergraduate student at the University of Maryland, Rocky Lopes ’80 kept a busy schedule. He was pursuing a bachelor’s degrees in elementary education and microbiology, and engaged in several student organizations and committees, including Homecoming, University Sing, Kappa Sigma Fraternity, Student Government Association and the Student Alumni Board (now called the Student Alumni Leadership Council).

Lopes may not have known it at the time but his involvement on campus and education courses would prepare him for an award-winning career in the field of emergency management. Lopes is recognized for developing and implementing a national, award-winning education and public safety program for the American Red Cross, and creating a “Masters of Disaster” standards-based curriculum used by thousands of educators across the country—both a nod to his time as an elementary school teacher.

“A lot of my accomplishments can be attributed to the skills, experience, and knowledge I gained at the College of Education as well as serving as a student leader,” he said. “Faculty and staff molded me into an educator, and it’s because of them that my career has had such an impact on the nation’s public safety, health and well-being.”

It was the recent loss of Lopes’ husband, Chuck Angelucci, that prompted the reflection. Angelucci died from pancreatic cancer in 2021, and when updating his own will, Lopes developed a strong desire to leave an impactful legacy. As a result, he has committed to a $1M planned gift to fund a scholarship for students in the college’s educator preparation programs.

The gift comes at a time when the country is facing a teacher shortage and colleges of education nationwide are experiencing stagnant or declining enrollments.

“I was afforded so many opportunities at Maryland, and I’m now in a position to give back to the next generation of students who are preparing to make a positive impact in the classroom and beyond,” he said. “My hope is that this scholarship makes it easier for students to realize their dreams of becoming a teacher.”

Alum Establishes Scholarships for Students in Special Education Teacher Preparation Program

BY HOLLY LEBER SIMMONS

Elliott Jaffa ’65, A.G.S ’68, Ed.D. ’73 knows first-hand the challenges and joys of working with students with learning differences. As a behavioral specialist for over 40 years, Jaffa has worked with students with different abilities throughout his career.

To encourage and foster future generations of special education teachers, Jaffa has committed to giving $133,000 to establish two merit-based scholarships for undergraduate students in the University of Maryland College of Education Special Education Teacher Preparation program. Scholarship recipients must demonstrate leadership and innovation in the field of special education.

“Special education teachers work with students who have a physical or intellectual disability or an emotional and behavioral disorder, and they bring a unique set of skills and instructional practices to their classrooms,” he said. “The work is sometimes hard and I’d like to support these students in their academic pursuits. There is a continued need for qualified special education teachers in Maryland and across the country.”

Jaffa credits Maryland for preparing him to enter and remain in the field. He took every behavioral psychology course available through the college, studying under professors like George Marx, head of the department of counseling and personnel services, and Lewis Gollub, professor of experimental psychology department. In 2020, he participated in a Zoom call to hear a handful of students speak about their work and studies.

There was one young woman, a freshman, who blew me away,” he said. “She projected more confidence and articulated her goals significantly better than any of the other participants.” He suggested to a friend who is the head of a Maryland private school that the student be hired as a summer teacher with the standard staff salary.

Fifty years later, he continues to be impressed by how prepared—and not only willing, but eager—Maryland’s special education teaching students are to make a difference.