GIFT IN HONOR OF FRIEND LEADS TO DEEPER UNION CONNECTION Susan Mullaney Maycock ’72, one of the first women to receive a Union degree, and her husband Alan Maycock, a former Union chemistry professor, wanted to help the College and honor a dear friend. For tax purposes, they also chose to make a gift through their estate that would provide them with income for life. The Maycocks, who live in Santa Fe, N.M., used a charitable remainder trust as the lead gift in establishing the Byron A. Nichols Fellowship for Faculty Development in honor of Nichols’s retirement in 2008. They also helped raise more than $815,000 (of $1 million) from Nichols’ former students, colleagues and friends to endow the fellowship fund in perpetuity. For 40 years, Nichols, professor of political science emeritus, enabled students to recognize and realize their potential. And because of a decades-long friendship with Susan and Alan, Nichols also impacted their own growth and development, as well as their children’s. “Byron has challenged us to think about what we believe and why we believe it,” Susan said. “He’s a very caring, loving man with a generous spirit, and he lives a value-centered life. We wanted to honor
how he brought all those qualities to his teaching.” The two-year fellowship supports faculty in becoming more rigorous in teaching, more compassionate with students, and better advisors and mentors. To ensure the fellowship stays true to these goals, the Maycocks serve on the advisory committee that reviews applications and makes recommendations to the dean of the faculty, who makes the final selection. “It’s been exhilarating for Alan and me to see this fellowship in action—how the Nichols Fellows have fostered deeper relationships with students and brought them along as thinkers,” Susan said. “It’s incredibly fulfilling for us and wonderful for Union.” The Maycocks’ engagement with the fellowship has led to a richer connection with Union. Susan is a committed volunteer on the President’s Council, and she and Alan are seeking to build internship possibilities for Union students at the Los Alamos National Laboratories in N.M. But their first love is the Nichols Fellowship. “We would like to see the fellowship fund become even more substantial to help teaching at Union continue to evolve and flourish,” Susan said.
TO LEARN MORE, PLEASE CONTACT:
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Jacqueline Cavalier, Director, Gift Planning (518) 388-6156 (direct) (888) 843-4365 ext. 6156 (toll free) cavaliej@union.edu www.union.plannedgifts.org