Grants That Make a Difference
"Grants that Make a Difference" highlights grants given to Southeastern organizations that have helped make a difference in people's lives. Getting the grant is only the beginning of the story. At least once a month, "Grants That Make a Difference" will profile these important grants and what their recipients are doing with them.
Marshall University in Huntington, West Virginia, has announced a $2.5 million gift from Arthur and Joan Weisberg in support of the Division of Engineering and Computer Science in the
College of Information Technology and Engineering (CITE).
In recognition of the gift, which will be paid over five years, as well as previous donations from the couple, the department will be renamed the Arthur and Joan Weisberg Division of Engineering and Computer Science.
Art Weisberg, founder of Huntington-based State Electric Supply Company, said that as the need for engineers grows, so does the importance of educating them locally. “Ten years ago we didn’t have any engineers working for us (at State Electric),” Weisberg said. “We have eight now, and they are very valuable. None of them went to Marshall. To keep bringing people in is very difficult. We have local talent here, we can’t sell ourselves short. Unless we have engineers (in Huntington), the standard of living is going to drop. Engineering is where we are going to have to fight.” He describes Marshall as “an asset to the community. If we are going to keep up in the future, we have to be technologically smart. Marshall is the vehicle we are going to use.”
More than 150 students are currently enrolled in undergraduate computer science and engineering programs at the school, said CITE dean Betsy Dulin, with additional growth expected as the number of engineering programs increases. "The generosity, enthusiasm, and encouragement of Art and Joan Weisberg has been instrumental in the development of CITE and its engineering and computer science programs," Dulin added. "As the college moves into the next phase in its growth, the current gift will be transformational and will push CITE's programs to new levels."
Recipient Contact Information:
Recipient Name: Marshall University
Address: 213 Old Main
Huntington, WV 25755-1090
Phone: 304-696-7153
FAX: 404-894-2301
Contact: Dave Wellman, Director of Communications
Email: wellmand@marshall.edu
URL: www.marshall.edu
The selection of organizations for the "Grants that Make a Difference" is based on criteria such as programmatic interests, geographic focus, and size of funding programs to ensure the broadest possible representation of the region's nonprofit sector.
If you'd like to see support for your organization featured in "Grants that Make a Difference," e-mail a detailed description of the grant, including the name and contact information of the funder and of your organization, the amount given, and how the grant made a difference. For your convenience, we have provided a template to follow. We welcome press releases in addition to, or as a substitute for, the information in the template.
Email the description or press release to
atweb@foundationcenter.org, with "Grants that Make a Difference" in the subject line.
Recipient Name:
Project Name:
Organization Mission and how it relates to the project:
Beneficiaries or Community Impact:
Funding Partner(s): (Grantmaker Names)
Grant Amount:
Recipient Contact: Name, Address, Phone, Fax, E-mail, URL
Grantmaker Contact: Name, Address, Phone, Fax, E-mail, URL
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