Collaboration is often the key to success in the worlds of both business and education. A recent gift to the UT Foundation represents a partnership with the community and The University of Toledo---in support of yet another partnership within the University.
A $300,000 donation from the Charlotte R. Schmidlapp Fund, managed by Fifth Third Bank, will endow a scholarship to support women pursuing UT’s new bachelor of science and information technology degree.
“This dual degree is the first of its kind at UT,” said Dr. Thomas Gutteridge, dean of the College of Business Administration. One of only a handful of such programs in the nation, the program will provide an innovative curriculum, combining technology and business skills.
The gift, which will also support scholarships for women in UT’s traditional information technology programs, will be an incentive for women interested in a field primarily populated by men, he said.
“The generosity of the Schmidlapp Fund will create a new generation of business women with IT knowledge and experience,” said Dr. Gutteridge.
Dr. Nagi Naganathan, dean of the College of Engineering, said the gift goes beyond supporting talented students. “The gift addresses an important societal context,” he said, “as we have an increasing pool of bright young women graduating from high school who are expected to contribute significantly as members of the computing and information technology workforce in the near future.”
“Many of these graduates will be expected to work at the intersection of engineering and business disciplines, and our programs prepare them well for such opportunities,” he explained.
The Charlotte R. Schmidlapp Fund was created by former Fifth Third Bank president Jacob Schmidlapp, in memory of his daughter, who was killed in an auto accident, said Karen Franker, senior vice president of marketing at Fifth Third Bank. Mr. Schmidlapp, who had already lost his wife and only other daughter in a train wreck, established the scholarship fund to help other young women realize their lives’ dreams.
“The creation of the Schmidlapp Fund is a tragic story that has ultimately benefitted many people,” said Mrs. Fraker. “It was the first foundation established in the United States for women’s initiatives. This gift, which helps guide women into a career not typically inhabited by many females, is a fitting piece in Mr. Schmidlapp’s goal.”