Campus Highlights

During her decade as dean of CNHS, Patricia Prelock was a champion for expanding the college’s research program, advancing strategic recruitment, and enhancing internal and external research partnerships. In celebration of her tenure and transition to a new role as provost and senior vice president of the University, a fund has been established in her honor: the Patricia A. Prelock Nursing and Health Sciences Research Fund. When donors give to the fund, they will provide support to early-career investigators as they develop and pursue high-quality and competitive research projects in the basic, clinical, translational, and public health sciences.

UVM joined the Shepherd Higher Education Consortium on Poverty in 2015 with a goal of providing academic and applied learning opportunities to students who are committed to diminishing poverty through meaningful civic engagement. Since then, seventeen students have participated in 8-week summer internships at partner agencies across the country. Last summer, UVM students’ placements included Public Defender Services in Roanoke, Virginia; MetroHealth Hospital’s Office of Opioid Safety in Cleveland, Ohio; and the Austin, Texas Chamber of Commerce. These powerful service-learning opportunities are fully funded (including a stipend) by donors to CESS’s Poverty and Human Capability Fund, meaning that students can participate regardless of financial circumstance.

Eric Hernandez was appointed the Gregory N. Sweeny Green and Gold Professor of Civil Engineering in December 2018. This professorship fund was created through a bequest from Greg Sweeny ’70, a loyal philanthropic supporter of CEMS for over forty years. Professor Hernandez is already putting resources from the Sweeny Professorship Fund to work. He is planning trips to three major structural engineering conferences; has purchased new equipment for the Structural Monitoring, Diagnostics and Prognostics Lab; and, this coming summer, is planning to fund two undergraduate students who will help him improve methods for assessing the safety of bridge components.

The University has unveiled a new fund in honor of long-time UVM champions U.S. Senator Patrick Leahy of Vermont and his wife Marcelle HON’19. As part of the Patrick and Marcelle Leahy Scholars Initiative, donors can support undergraduates who are members of the Honors College. The Leahy Undergraduate Scholars will be chosen competitively based on their record of academic achievement and community engagement. Scholars will receive tuition support and funding for high-impact learning opportunities, including study abroad, research, internships, and community service. The awards will be targeted to maximize students’ potential, foster innovation, build leadership skills, and address need.