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gifts support
Recent Gifts to The USC School of Engineering There are numerous ways to support the School of Engineering. We are pleased to share a selection of recent gifts that demonstrate the variety of ways to support the School.* From gifts of stock and securities, to planned giving opportunities, to outright contributions, our departments, programs, faculty and students can benefit greatly from your philanthropy. Please call External Relations at the School of Engineering at 213/740-2502, to discuss the wide-range of giving options. ARCS Foundation – $180,960 In support of graduate and undergraduate student scholarships The ARCS (Achievement Rewards for College Students) Foundation Scholarships will provide vital assistance to students in Biomedical/Biochemical Engineering, Civil Engineering, Industrial and Systems Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, and Environmental Engineering.
Philip R. MacDonald (BSCE ’70, MBA ’72) – $20,000 In support of a $100,000 pledge to the Engineering Academic Center The new Engineering Academic Center will house state-of-art teaching and research laboratories, and provide much needed space for innovative educational advances.
Gloria Lee Wilson (BSEE ’64, MS ’66) – $5,000 In support of the Engineering Annual Fund The Engineering Annual Fund supports the School’s most critical needs, including emergency scholarship supplements, vital curriculum development, and technological enhancements.
Scott R. Shoults (BSEE ’88) – $1.8 million A charitable remainder trust in general support of the School of Engineering A charitable remainder trust at USC is an excellent option for individuals wishing to preserve asset values and make thoughtful allocation arrangements for long-term charitable goals, including those involving children, grand-children and other loved ones.
Emrick A. Webb (BSISE ’50) – $100,000 A gift annuity in general support of the School of Engineering Gift annuities at USC enable individuals to contribute to the growth and success of the university while taking advantage of guaranteed income important in the current market climate.
Peter Willcox (BSME ’65, MSME ’71, PhD ENGR ’74) – $25,000 Including a matching ITT Industries gift in support of the Posch Biomedical Engineering Endowed Fellowship in honor of Peter’s wife, Nancy Willcox, mother of Theodore “Ted” Posch Jr.
Photo by Lee Salem
Established in 1996 to honor Ted’s father, Theodore Eugene Posch (BAPSYC ’65, MSEE ’70), the Posch Fellowship is awarded to a top PhD candidate in the Department of Biomedical Engineering who intends to pursue research in the field of Neural Engineering.
*The above list is not a comprehensive record of all gifts received, but rather a sampling of gift options and categories at the USC School of Engineering.
Dean C.L. Max Nikias and Merwyn C. Gill at the October 19 dinner to celebrate Gill's gift to the Center for Composite Materials
Alumnus Merwyn C. Gill Pledges Support for the Center for Composite Materials A Pasadena industrialist who started a company in his garage 55 years ago has given $7 million to the USC School of Engineering's Center for Composite Materials Merwyn C. Gill (BSCHE ’37), Chairman of the Board of M.C. Gill Corporation in El Monte, California, has pledged $7 million through the M.C. Gill Foundation to endow the Merwyn C. Gill Foundation Composites Center and will provide an additional $250,000 per year for eight years to support operations. “The world of materials science has advanced tremendously since my early days, and composite materials are an increasingly important aspect of our everyday lives,” said Gill. “It is important that the USC School of Engineering play a bigger role in composite materials research and education.” The center was established in 1995 for research and development in composite technology. It continues to collaborate with corporate partners in the Los Angeles area. Composites are used in everything from fishing rods and wall paneling to bullet-proof vests and satellites. Center director Steven Nutt, holder of the M.C. Gill Chair in Composite Materials, points out that the center harbors more than a dozen projects, involving eight faculty members from six different departments. In 1945, Gill began making “Wallfab,” a washable, laminated, decorative wall covering. It evolved into “Gillfab,” a puncture-resistant liner for aircraft cargo compartments. The El Monte company is now the world's largest manufacturer of cargo liners for passenger and freight aircraft. Gill is a member of the School of Engineering Board of Councilors, a Presidential Associate, a member of Cardinal and Gold, and the USC Norris Auxiliary. He resides in Pasadena with his wife, Hester.
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