News

Students Receive SBS Scholarships

Congratulations to all of this year's SBS students who earned scholarships for internships, study abroad and meritorious academic achievement.

Several individuals whose generosity established some of the awards attended this year's ceremony. Among them were Carol and Alan LeBovidge ’64, who witnessed the inaugural presentation of the Alan L. and Carol S. LeBovidge Undergraduate Research Scholarship. SBS is truly excited about this award. These scholarships allow the College to provide undergraduates with a fantastic opportunity to obtain invaluable research experience as undergraduates—something that is not typically available to them. Each of the recipients will be working on a substantive research project with a member of the UMass Amherst faculty.

Ron Ansin presented the Ansin Study Abroad Fellowship to an impressive group of 22 students who are heading all over the world—to Spain, England, Egypt, Ireland, Scotland, France, Sengal, India, Australia, Argentina/Chile, and Italy—for the summer, the fall semester, or the whole year. Ansin is the father of two alumni, Ken '87 and Bob '96, both political science majors. The endowed award, established nine years ago, helps undergraduates with expenses associated with study abroad experiences. Since its initiation, the Ansin Award has helped more than 200 individuals.

Several relatives of the late Scott Bacherman '76, who established three awards in Scott's memory, attended the ceremony as well. On hand were Scott's widow Susan Ryerson with daughter Jade and son Sam, his cousin Marc Berman '80, Marc's wife Betsy Stone, Scott's parents, Rosalyn and Marshall, and his sister Donna Bacherman. These awards honor students who have a strong commitment to WMUA and are looking toward careers in broadcasting. In addition, the broadcast center at WMUA now bears the Bacherman name. A sign with a brief biography of Scott Bacherman was hung by its entry as an ongoing testimonial to his legacy.

All of the awards presented at this ceremony, in fact, are funded through private gifts from alumni and friends of SBS. The SBS Opportunity Fund, for example, comes from an endowment that is enriched by alumni through the annual fund, which means that its funds come from all alumni who earmark their gifts for SBS scholarships. This year the Opportunity Fund benefited twelve individuals. The dean dreams of increasing that endowment exponentially, so that SBS can not only fund more students but also increase the size of individual awards.

Giving to scholarships makes opportunities possible for students who otherwise might not be able to take advantage of life- and career-shaping opportunities like travel abroad or internships or even continuing with their educations. Why not consider a gift today? You can give online to SBS scholarships, or if you have something more specific in mind, contact James Mallet, director of development (413.577.1700).

Click here for a listing of all student award recipients and pictures of the event.

May 15, 2008