Giving

Curtis T. Vaughan III is a proud supporter of the College of Sciences.

Message from Advancement Council Chair

The Advancement Council provides leadership, support and consultation to the College of Sciences

Dear Friends,

UTSA has earned recognition as one of the great public research universities in Texas. The College of Sciences’ achievements in research, discovery and teaching have been central to that distinction and have created great momentum for the future.

Fundamental to our growth is generous philanthropic support. Annual gifts and endowments are an invaluable source of stability and resilience.

Astrophysics was a passion of my late father. Years ago, when UTSA was just beginning, my father, mother and our family created The Vaughan Family Endowed Professorship in Physics at UTSA to recruit and retain the very brightest scientists to the university. Ours and other gifts have attracted outstanding researchers and teachers in disciplines ranging from cancer, heart and brain research to water sustainability, cybersecurity, virtual reality and STEM education.

As a friend of the College of Sciences, you can take great pride in your contributions to the college’s eminence and continued excellence and growth. Thanks to you, Roadrunners are graduating with the confidence, knowledge and skills they need to be successful.

I am a proud supporter of the College of Sciences and UTSA, and I am grateful to my father and mother for passing along a legacy of giving to their children and grandchildren. I watch with excitement as the university continues to advance, making a huge impact on the lives of so many.

As the chair of the College of Sciences Advancement Council, I hope to inspire others to invest in their passions at UTSA and help build upon our excellence for future Roadrunners and all of San Antonio and the South Texas region.

I encourage you to make a gift to the College of Sciences to help students achieve their dreams, change and save lives, and support scientific inquiry to solve the great problems humanity faces. With all of us working together, we can accomplish great things.

Be well and Go ‘Runners!

CURTIS T. VAUGHAN III Chair, UTSA College of Sciences Advancement Council To make a gift, contact the College of Sciences development team—Kim Fischer at kim.fischer@utsa.edu or Taylor Bird at taylor.bird@utsa.edu—or give online at utsa.edu/sciences/giving.

GIVING

By Jordan Allen

Helping Computer Science Majors Run Toward Success

Joey Mukherjee’s love of running inspired his unique scholarship.

UTSA alumnus Joey Mukherjee ’95 became interested in the field of computer science at a young age. Recognizing UTSA’s high-quality education, he joined the university’s computer science program after graduating from high school. Mukherjee recently created an endowed scholarship fund, the Joey Mukherjee Endowed Scholarship for Computer Science Majors Who Don’t Run Good—named as an homage to the comedy film Zoolander.

You might not think computer science and athletics go hand-in-hand, and neither did Mukherjee. “I recognized that a career in computer science kind of lends itself to a sedentary lifestyle,” he said.

To his surprise, Mukherjee found joy running after work to improve his focus and stay healthy. A self-professed slow runner, Mukherjee enjoys participating in San Antonio’s supportive running community.

“I decided to join an exercise program at work, and as a requirement, we had to sign up for a 5K or 10K,” he said. “I ended up having so much fun with it, and I hope other computer science majors will find this activity sooner than I did to help with focus and stress as they pursue their degrees.”

Immediately following his graduation from UTSA, Mukherjee was offered a position at the Southwest Research Institute (SwRI) in San Antonio. He now works primarily in data analysis in space research for notable projects such as building instruments for spacecraft including New Horizons, which flew by Pluto in 2015, and Juno, which passed by Jupiter in 2016. Mukherjee has worked for SwRI for 26 years and was recently promoted to staff computer scientist. “I got so much out of UTSA’s computer science program and that has propelled and helped me throughout my career,” he said.

Mukherjee has given back to UTSA for the past 20 years. He recognizes that UTSA has a large number of first-generation students and hopes they are able to have the same opportunities and excellent education he received. When he was approached about creating a scholarship and learned how easy the process was, he immediately jumped at the opportunity. Mukherjee has not only established a permanent endowment to fund his scholarship in perpetuity, but he also plans to include a gift to UTSA in his will.

“UTSA was such a positive experience for me, and I hope it is for the recipient of this scholarship as well,” he said. “I hope that whoever receives the scholarship will go on to pay it forward and possibly even create their own scholarship after they’ve graduated. I truly believe that paying it forward is so important to support college students.”

GIVING

By Taylor Bird

Taking Care of Patients and Premed Students

Dr. Pete Ramirez’s scholarship helps premed students focus on their studies.

Dr. Pete Ramirez ’81 attended a junior college in his hometown of Laredo, Texas, on a full-ride scholarship. He earned an associate degree in medical laboratory technology before coming to UTSA as part of the first graduating class to earn a combined B.S. in medical technology from both UTSA and UT Health San Antonio. He remembers struggling with the cost of education.

“I worked 15 to 17 hours a week as a work-study student in the biology department at UTSA setting up labs and working in the central area for supplies,” he said. “It was a great opportunity and one I enjoyed, but it was hard to get scholarships and grants. After working for five years as a microbiologist, I was admitted into medical school in 1986, which was even harder and more expensive than my undergrad. Graduating with so much debt was scary.”

Since 2012, Dr. Ramirez, a pathologist in San Antonio, has established the Peter Enrique Ramirez M.D. Scholarship to provide funding to premed students at UTSA so they can focus on their studies with fewer financial worries. He remembers what it was like to receive help when he needed it most.

“When I did get help, I was so grateful,” Dr. Ramirez said. “Every little bit helps.”

Dr. Ramirez first worked with a medical technology colleague to establish an endowed scholarship at UT Health San Antonio to assist students in the clinical laboratory sciences program he graduated from. “It was a big, yearlong campaign to get the funds needed to establish the endowment, and it’s grown so much since then,” he said. When that colleague retired, she established an endowment in her name to benefit the same program, and Dr. Ramirez took interest. “I thought, good for her; I want to do that someday!”

Several years later, he did just that—transforming his annual support of UTSA students into a permanent, endowed scholarship that will benefit students forever.

As Dr. Ramirez planned for the future, he took comfort in knowing that the students he cares so deeply for will receive the help they need, which is why he also chose to include UTSA in his estate plans. “I thought, who is going to take care of the students when I’m gone? I was worried about that.”

He hopes to inspire a thoughtful, giving attitude in others, too. “That’s the message I really want to get across to students and others out there more than anything else—when you succeed, be thankful to those who helped you along the way. Those institutions that helped you need your support so they can continue to help others.”

Thanks to Dr. Ramirez’s generosity, there will be many future success stories and more opportunities to ensure others have the same chance to excel and give back.

I always thought to myself, if I ever succeeded, wherever I ended up, I wanted to give back.

GIVING

By Taylor Bird

Maggie Bennette is pictured in front of the Haleakala Observatory in Maui, Hawaii. It’s the state’s first astronomical research observatory.

Envisioning the Perfect Philanthropic Fit

“Given that my family’s background is in education, it was a perfect fit,” Maggie Bennette explained.

Born in Guangzhou, China, Bennette grew up with a family that highly valued education and has been deeply associated with it for generations. “In a way, being involved with the university feels familiar,” she said.

When it came time for Bennette to update her will, her attorney asked if there were any philanthropic organizations she would like to include. She set out to find an organization that aligned with her values, passions and goals.

Around that time, she met Dr. Chris Packham, professor of astronomy at UTSA, who invited her to a Friends of Astronomy event in San Antonio. She found a welcoming, active community of like-minded people.

As she attended events and learned more about UTSA, it seemed as though the stars had aligned.

“I love President Taylor Eighmy’s ambitious vision for UTSA. ... I thought, this is wonderful, and I would like to be a part of it,” she said.

Bennette was especially excited for the development of the Downtown Campus, as well as for research and teaching in all areas of the university.

“San Antonio has this rich history and culture, and UTSA’s Downtown Campus integrates that with the new and progressive,” she said. “Having the university in the core of the city elevates San Antonio.” At a College of Sciences Advancement Council on-campus luncheon, she learned about the Cypress Living Laboratory, which also resonated with her.

“When I learned about the off-grid teaching lab and how its focus would be water and environmental conservation, I was very interested,” she said.

For the past 25 years, Bennette’s company, Creative Industries, has provided environmentally conscious, energy-efficient residential lighting products that are as stylish as they are innovative.

In addition to the educational and research value the Cypress Living Laboratory will provide, the architectural and design elements of the building echoed some of her company’s own design inspirations.

“The Cypress Living Lab was everything that speaks to my soul, my passion,” she said.

Bennette found what she was seeking at UTSA—a philanthropic cause that reflected her passions and a vision she wanted to help realize. Bennette’s planned gift will support the College of Sciences.

Now a member of the College of Sciences Advancement Council, which provides leadership, support and consultation to the college, Bennette is excited to bring others on board. “I look forward to continuing to be an ambassador for the university,” she said. “Every time I attend events or parties I think, ‘Oh, they would be great for UTSA.’ I think connecting with UTSA serves a great purpose for everyone.”

Thanks to Bennette’s generosity, thoughtful planning and advocacy, UTSA’s vision is becoming a reality.