Support for Students Fulfills Promise

“UMD could have 200 to 300 students studying civil engineering right now if they had the facilities for them,” explains Duluth alumnus and longtime donor Jim Swenson, ’59 B.S. To fill the need, Swenson and his wife, Sue, made a gift to help launch UMD’s civil engineering program, including a state-of-the-art building and expanded scholarship support.

The Duluth program, which welcomed its first freshmen in fall 2008, offers students instruction in sustainable engineering’s emerging fields, such as water resources and transportation. “We will graduate civil engineers with the skills that employers seek, and who are prepared to meet the future needs of regional government and industry,” says James Riehl, dean of the Swenson College of Science and Engineering.

Even with strong skills, recent graduates looking to launch careers can be hobbled by college debt. Dennis, ’66 J.D., and Gail Mathisen hope to alleviate some of that burden with their scholarship for high-achieving law students.

It’s also a way to help the Law School maintain its high quality and stay competitive. “The best law schools recruit the finest faculty and the brightest students, and scholarships provide access to high-achieving students whose only barrier is financial,” Mathisen says. “I wanted to give back to the community that gave me so much.”

When Elizabeth Griffith got the chance to strut and fret upon Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre stage, she knew exactly whom to thank. “They made it possible,” she said of donors Benjamin and Helen Cheng Liu. A senior in the U of M/Guthrie Theater B.F.A. Actor Training Program, Griffith spent a semester studying in London with the support of the Lius’ scholarship. She got to say “thank you” in person after the Lius attended one of her performances on the Minnesota Centennial Showboat. “It means so much to have scholarship help from such engaged donors.”