Lawrence University News

Lawrence Celebrates the Life of Professor Emeritus E. Dane Purdo Oct. 26

A memorial service celebrating the life and career of Lawrence University Professor Emeritus of Art E. Dane Purdo will be held Sunday, Oct. 26 at 1 p.m. in the Wriston Art Center.

Dane-Purdo_newsblog — Professor Emeritus of Art E. Dane Purdo, 1926-2014.

An accomplished silversmith, Purdo taught at Lawrence from 1964-91. A Fox Cities resident in retirement, he passed away Aug. 19 at the age of 88.

He enjoyed a productive 36-year teaching career that began in 1955 at Milwaukee-Downer as both studio artist and art historian. After the consolidation, he taught courses in metals and ceramics in Lawrence’s art department until his retirement.

A native of Detroit, Purdo was an accomplished silversmith and his creations include Lawrence’s Faculty Marshal Mace carried at the head of formal academic processions as well as the Presidential Chain of Office and usher batons.

His craftsmanship was admired for its carefully controlled contours, perfect balance between convex forms and concave outlines and mirror-smooth surfaces. “Simplicity is the essence of good taste” is how he once described the philosophy behind his art. He was renowned for his ability to blend textures with modern balance and novel lines. His creations ranged from stunning jewelry to ecclesiastical chalices and were exhibited throughout the United States and Europe.

A recipient of a 1956 Fulbright grant, which he used to pursue his interests in silversmithing at the Royal College of Art in London, Purdo holds the distinction of becoming the first American to register his hallmark at Goldsmith Hall.

Acclaimed Setzer, Finckel, Han Piano Trio Opens Lawrence’s 2014-15 Artist Series

Violinist Philip Setzer, cellist David Finckel and pianist Wu Han open Lawrence University’s 2014-15 Artist Series Friday, Oct. 17 at 8 p.m. in Memorial Chapel with a program of favorite piano trios.

Setzer_Finckler_Han_newsblog — Violinist Philip Setzer, pianist Wu Han and cellist David Finckel have been hailed collectively as the “standard bearer” of the piano trio repertoire.

Tickets, at $25-30 for adults, $20-25 for seniors and $18-20 for students, are available through the Lawrence Box Office, 920-832-6749.

Internationally acclaimed, the “Han-Setzer-Finckel triumvirate” has been described by Edward Reichel of Reichel Recommends as the “standard bearer” of the piano trio repertoire. Setzer and Finckel, founding members of the celebrated Emerson String Quartet, have performed together for nearly 40 years.

As a professional and personal duo — they are husband and wife — Han and Finckel have performed to unanimous critical praise throughout the United States as well as in Canada, Mexico, the Far East and Europe. They were honored as Musical America’s 2012 Musicians of the Year, which cited the “boldness, imagination and collaborative intimacy of their work.”

Samantha George, associate professor of music at Lawrence and a former student of Finckel’s and Setzer’s, said she is looking forward to hearing “such accomplished instrumentalists and chamber musicians live in concert instead of on a recording.

“I am excited that my Lawrence students will have a chance to work with these great artists in a chamber music master class and attend the trio’s performance,” said George.

Prior to their Friday evening concert performance, the trio will conduct a master class at 4:30 p.m. in Harper Hall.

Setzer_Finckle_Han_newsblog_2 — David Finckel, Wu Han and Philip Setzer.

Setzer, Finckel and Han will perform three contrasting standards of the piano trio repertoire for their concert: Piano Trio in G major, Op. 1 No. 2 by Ludwig von Beethoven; Piano Trio in E minor, Op. 67 by Dmitri Shostakovich; and Piano Trio in C minor, Op. 66 by Felix Mendelssohn.

The trio records regularly on Han and Finckel’s innovated label, AristLed. All 16 ArtistLed productions, including the trio’s recording of Dvořák’s Piano Trios, have earned with critical acclaim.

Han and Finckel are currently serving their third term as artistic directors of The Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center. They are the founders and artist directors of Music@Menlo, a chamber music festival and institute in Silicon Valley.

Setzer is professor of violin and chamber music and SUNY Sony Brook and regularly gives master classes throughout the United States and abroad.

Riverview Gardens Receives Lawrence University’s 2014 Collaboration in Action Award

One of the Fox Cities’ newest and most inventive social enterprises was honored Oct. 14 by Lawrence University during the college’s sixth annual Report to the Community.

Riverview Gardens was presented Lawrence University’s Collaboration in Action Award as part of the report.

Report-to-the-community_newsblog — Lawrence students helped construct hoop houses last January at Riverview Gardens, the recipient of Lawrence’s 2014 Collaboration in Action Award. Students contributed a total of 1,038 volunteer hours to Riverview Gardens last year.

The award recognizes an individual or organization, who, in partnership with Lawrence, has provided exemplary service to the Fox Cities community through strategic vision, leadership influence, long-standing commitment and enthusiasm, financial contributions and/or volunteerism.

Riverview Gardens was founded in December 2011 on the grounds of the former Riverview Country Club on Appleton’s south side. As a self-sustaining social venture, it engages Fox Valley residents in community stewardship of a market garden, community park space and job training program. It seeks to assist local outreach organizations and build financial resources to help address the root causes of poverty, homelessness and unemployment.

“Riverview Gardens is not only innovative in its approach to addressing root causes of poverty, it has been equally creative in its partnership with Lawrence,” said Burstein. “The staff at Riverview has collaborated with Lawrence on a variety of initiatives ranging from courses that use the gardens as a living laboratory and research and internships that help students prepare for a wide range of careers to outreach projects that take classical chamber music beyond the concert hall and community meetings to foster dialogue on issues of common concern.”

“Our relationship is far more than just a volunteer affiliation,” Burstein added. “It is a deeply rewarding connection that helps both the college and community thrive.”

Since embarking on its mission, Riverview Gardens has utilized Lawrence students with expertise in sustainable agriculture provided by the Sustainable Lawrence University Gardens (SLUG) and the college’s environmental studies program. During the 2013-14 academic year, more than 300 Lawrence students contributed 1,038 volunteer hours at Riverview Gardens, the most of any of the 144 area agencies at which students served.

Two recent Lawrence graduates, Oren Jakobson (2011) and Hava Blair (2013) turned their student involvement with environmental and sustainability issues into key leadership roles with Riverview Gardens after they graduated.

“Riverview Gardens is not only innovative in its approach to addressing
root causes of poverty, it has been equally creative in its partnership
with Lawrence. It is a deeply rewarding connection that helps
both the college and community thrive.”
— President Mark Burstein

Jakobson, who led the permitting process involved with establishing a bee colony on campus, serves as Riverview Gardens’ director of farm operations. Blair, who conducted an independent study project that created a wetlands restoration plan for Riverview Gardens, is the manager of farm sales and markets.

Lawrence’s connection to Riverview Gardens also includes executive director Cindy Sahotsky and ServiceWorks outreach coordinator Ronan Christman, 1984 and 2013 graduates, respectively.

“Riverview Gardens is a great opportunity for students to put thought into action and the people we serve benefit greatly from their impetus to action,” said Sahotsky. “Many students will take what they learn at Riverview Gardens and use it to provide community, wherever they live. We are extremely grateful and humbled by the financial and volunteer support we receive from Lawrentians.”

Report-to-the-community_newsblog2 — Bethesda Thrift Shop, where Lawrence students help sort donated items, was one of 144 community agencies in the Fox Cities served by Lawrence student volunteers in 2013-14.

Riverview Gardens joins the Boys & Girls Club of the Fox Cities (2013), the Appleton Area School District (2012), the YMCA of the Fox Cities (2011) and the Mielke Family Foundation (2010) as previous winners of Lawrence’s Collaboration in Action Award.

As part of its Report to the Community, Lawrence’s involvement with the greater Fox Cities community was highlighted, including:

• Lawrence faculty and staff volunteer and make contributions to 133 community agencies, serve on the boards of 46 local nonprofits while spending an average of 71.4 hours a year volunteering in the community.

• 71 different Lawrence student organizations volunteered in the community in the past year.

• 52 percent of Lawrence students — 785 — volunteered during the 2013-14 academic year, contributing 12,420 volunteer hours to 144 community agencies.

• Lawrence Academy of Music teachers and students provided 74 free community concerts, recitals or master classes during the 2013-14 academic year.

• 35 local employers provided internships to 45 Lawrence students.

• 73.1 percent of the Wisconsin vendors used by Lawrence University in the 2013-14 fiscal year were located in the NEW North Region.

• Lawrence spent $5,438,819 in the NEW North Region during the 2013-14 fiscal year.

• 2,026 Lawrence alumni live in the NEW North Region.

New York Chamber Ensemble Opens New Lawrence Community Concert Series at Riverview Gardens

Michael-Mizrahi_newsblog — Michael Mizrahi

The first of a series of concerts designed to being bring classical chamber music to non-traditional venues and populations will be performed Tuesday, Oct. 14 at Riverview Gardens Community Center, 1101 S. Oneida Street, Appleton.

The concert will feature members of Decoda, a New York City-based chamber ensemble comprised of virtuoso musicians, entrepreneurs and passionate advocates for the arts. The concert, at 5:30 p.m., is free and open to the public.

The concert is part of Lawrence University’s new “Music for All: Connecting Musicians and Community” project.” In July, Lawrence received a $16,700 Arts and Culture grant from unrestricted funds within the Community Foundation for the Fox Valley Region to launch the program.

Lawrence Conservatory of Music faculty members Michael Mizrahi, piano, and Erin Lesser, flute, are directing the program. Both are members of Decoda, which was recently named an affiliate ensemble of Carnegie Hall.

Decoda members also will spend five days at Lawrence as artists-in-residence working with faculty and students in a series of interactive performance workshops.

In addition to Riverview Gardens, Lawrence is partnering with the Fox Valley Warming Shelter, the Freedom Center Food Pantry and Jefferson Elementary School “Music for All: Connecting Musicians and Community” project.

Lawrence University Endowment Earns 16.2 Percent During 2013-14 Fiscal Year

A robust 16.2 percent return on investment helped boost Lawrence University’s endowment to an institutional-record high of $249.5 million for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2014 according to recently released audited financial statements.

Endowment_newsblog — Lawrence’s endowment helps support one of the country’s lowest student-faculty ratios.

Last year’s return was more than 4 percentage points higher than both the return for the 2012-13 fiscal year (11.9 percent) and Lawrence’s five-year average return of 12 percent. The endowment stood at $212.4 million on June 30, 2013.

“Our return on investment reflects a strong market performance and a great portfolio balance designed by our investment committee and advisors,” said Christopher Lee, vice president for finance and administration.

Lawrence’s endowment helps to fund operations critical to the university’s educational mission, including academic programs and student financial aid programs that enable Lawrence to remain affordable and accessible to all qualified admitted students. Distributions from Lawrence’s endowment supported 17 percent of the university’s operating costs in the last fiscal year.

“The cost of a high-quality education is often at odds with the affordability of that education,” said Lee. “Lawrence’s engaged learning experience requires a diverse and highly qualified faculty. Our 9:1 student-to-faculty ratio ensures that students get the attention and expertise they need to prepare for well-rounded lives and careers. This is not an inexpensive undertaking.”

The cost basis of a Lawrence education for the 2013-14 academic year was approximately $41,000 per student.

“Through the generosity of our donors, the returns on our investments, grants and other revenues, our students paid an average of $27,000, 35 percent less than actual costs,” said Lee. “We are committed to sustaining the high quality of the Lawrence experience while continuing to seek funding that reduces the burden of that cost on our students and their families.”

Last month, Lawrence announced a school-record $25 million anonymous gift to establish an endowed scholarship. As a matching gift, it will eventually add $50 million to Lawrence’s endowment and provide for the financial need of at least 50 students each year in perpetuity.

For the current academic year, Lawrence provided $33.4 million in institutional financial aid. Ninety-six percent of Lawrence students are receiving need and/or merit based financial aid for the 2014-15 academic year. Twenty-two percent of Lawrence students are currently receiving federal Pell Grants, which are awarded to undergraduates from low-income families with the highest need.

Four New Members Join Lawrence’s Board of Trustees

Leaders in corporate management, architecture, broadcasting and the arts have been elected to the Lawrence University Board of Trustees.

Laura Kohler, Ron McCoy, Terry Moran and Garth Neustadter begin three-year terms and will participate in their first board meeting Oct. 29-31.

Neustadter is the university’s first Recent Graduate Trustee, a newly established position exclusively for Lawrence alumni within 2-10 years of graduation. He will serve one non-renewable term.

“The momentum at Lawrence right now is great and this also applies to our Board of Trustees,” said Board Chair Terry Franke, a 1968 Lawrence graduate. “We are excited to welcome four new board members who have a wide range of experiences. We are extremely pleased that each agreed to give their time and talent to Lawrence. They bring perspectives that will expand the breadth and depth of our board. Two are Lawrence alumni and two have degrees from other institutions. With the unprecedented and non-traditional challenges facing higher education today, it is critical to have a board with diversity of ideas and experience.”

Laura Kohler

Kohler is senior vice president-human resources for Kohler Co. and a member of the company’s board of directors. She becomes a third generation member of the Kohler family to serve as a Lawrence trustee. Her father, Herbert V. Kohler Jr., served from 1974-2002, at which time he was elected an emeriti trustee. Her grandmother, Ruth Miriam DeYoung Kohler, served from 1945-53.

Kohler oversees global talent management, compensation and benefit programs, learning, organizational development and diversity with additional responsibilities for labor relations and security for the company.

She also leads Kohler Stewardship, the company’s global corporate social responsibility program, which drives ethics, respectful workplace, engagement, sustainability, community partnerships and associate giving.

Kohler began her career with the company in 1995 as director-public affairs and was appointed vice president of communications in 1998. The following year she was named vice president of human resources and elected to the Kohler Co.’s board of directors. She was promoted to senior vice president of human resources in 2002. Prior to joining Kohler Co., she spent two years as executive director of the Kohler Foundation, Inc., for which she is still a board member.

She is engaged in numerous leadership roles outside the company. She is a member of the advisory board of the Center for Global Business Studies for the Graduate School of Business at Pennsylvania State University; serves as the board secretary, HR committee chair and an executive committee member of the John Michael Kohler Arts Center; and is chair of the Kohler Trust for Arts and Education and the Kohler Trust for Preservation.

She is a director of Friendship House, a group home for at-risk boys, serves on the Kohler School District Board of Education and is a member of the Kohler Village Strategic Plan Committee. In 2005, Kohler was named co-recipient of the Wisconsin State Superintendent’s “Friends of Education” Award.

A graduate of Duke University, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in political science, Kohler also earned a master’s degree in fine arts from Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C.

Ron McCoy

McCoy, university architect at Princeton University since 2008, has more than three decades of experience as an architect and educator. His Princeton appointment coincided with a 10-year university plan that included approximately two million square feet of new construction and renovation.

As one of the country’s leading university architects, McCoy plays a central role in implementing Princeton’s campus plan and capital program, working on issues of aesthetics and the preservation of the university’s architectural heritage. He also represents the university in dealings with the Princeton Regional Planning Board and other public regulatory authorities.

McCoy started his own architectural practice in 1985 and later taught at Drexel and Temple universities. He was a faculty member at the Southern California Institute of Architecture for 10 years (1985-95) before joining Arizona State University as a professor and director of the university’s School of Architecture and Landscape Architecture.

Under his leadership, ASU was recognized as one of the top 10 public schools of architecture in the country. McCoy served on ASU’s President’s Leadership Council on Sustainability and during his tenure, 10 new campus buildings earned Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification under U.S. Green Building Council’s rating system.

He was awarded the 2006 Arizona Architects Medal, presented by the state chapter of the American Institute of Architects and the following year was named to the AIA College of Fellows, an honor accorded less than two percent of registered architects in the United States.

McCoy, who lives in Princeton, N.J., earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Southern California and a master’s degree in architecture from Princeton.

Terry Moran ’82

One of America’s most recognizable broadcast journalists, Moran has served as ABC News’ chief foreign correspondent since the fall of 2013. Based in London, he reports frequently from Syria and Iraq.

He joined ABC News in 1997 as a reporter for “Good Morning, America” and “World News,” for which he was the network’s chief White House correspondent. He spent several years as the anchor of ABC’s “World News Sunday” before joining the network’s “Nightline” program, where he spent eight years (2005-13) as co-anchor.

While on “Nightline,” Moran reported on everything from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and Supreme Court decisions to the 2008 presidential campaigns of Barack Obama and John McCain and the American detention facility in Guantanamo Bay.

He began his journalism career as a reporter and assistant managing editor for the Legal Times and later joined CourtTV, where he covered the O.J. Simpson murder trial.

He has been recognized with the White House Correspondents Association’s Merriman Smith Award for excellence in presidential reporting on deadline (2006) and a Peabody Award for his reporting and anchoring work on the ABC News documentary “Out of Control: AIDS in Black America” (2007).

Moran, who earned a degree in English at Lawrence, was presented his alma mater’s Lucia R. Briggs Distinguished Achievement Award in 2003.

Garth Neustadter ’10

A native of Manitowoc now living in Pasadena, Calif., Neustadter is a rising star in the field of film scoring. An Emmy Award-winning composer and multi-instrumentalist, he has written feature length scores for Warner Bros., PBS, Turner Classic Movies and China’s CCTV. His compositions have been performed in venues ranging from Lincoln Center to Los Angeles’ Nokia Theater. Most recently, his work has been selected to be performed in upcoming seasons by Grammy Award-winning violinist, Hilary Hahn, as part of the Encores Contest.

Garth-Neustadter-newsblog-trustees — Garth Neustadter ’10

Neustadter was recognized in 2011 with a Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Award for a score he wrote while still a Lawrence student for the PBS American Masters documentary “John Muir and the New World” about the life of the 19^th-century Scottish-American naturalist and environmental advocate.

His most recent film projects include compositions for the 2013 documentary “The Thingmaker,” the short film “Ballad of Poisionberry Pete” and the 2012 feature-length film “Tar.” He also wrote original music for Duracell’s national “Powering Smiles” ad campaign, which was ranked in the top three holiday ads of 2013.

A five-time “DB” winner in Downbeat magazine’s annual student music competition, Neustadter also earned first-prize honors in the 2007 Young Film Composers Competition sponsored by Turner Classic Movies. The following year, he was commissioned by TCM to write an original score for a restored version of the 1923 silent film “The White Sister.” In 2010, he was named one of the 37 national winners of the ASCAP Foundation Morton Gould Young Composers Award for his 15-minute composition written for full orchestra and choir based on the Spanish text “Oh llama de amor viva.”

In June, Lawrence recognized Neustadter with the college’s Nathan Pusey Young Alumni Achievement Award.

After earning a bachelor of music degree summa cum laude in music performance (voice and violin) from Lawrence, Neustadter earned a master’s degree in music at Yale University in 2012.

Furniture-based sculpture, Dust Bowl Era Photos Featured in New Wriston Art Center Exhibition

BA Harrington, an artist specializing in woodworking, discusses her furniture-based sculptural installation “Chest on Chest” Friday, Sept. 26 at 6 p.m. in the opening lecture in the new Wriston Art Center Galleries exhibition, which runs through Nov. 26. A reception follows Harrington’s remarks. Both events are free and open to the public.

Harrington, a former custom furniture maker, currently teaches woodworking at Indiana University of Pennsylvania. Harrington merges her traditional cabinetmaking experience with academic training as a contemporary artist. Her installation, featured in the Kohler Gallery, explores themes of gender, history, craft and family.

The Leech Gallery presents “Migrant Mother, W.P.A. Prints and the Dust Bowl Era.” The exhibition features artworks from the U.S. Works Progress Administration and the Dust Bowl era of the mid 1930s, including Dorothea Lange’s iconic photograph “Migrant Mother, Nipomo CA.”

Wisconsin-born, Chicago-based artist Nathan Vernau is featured in the Hoffmaster Gallery. His exhibition, “Scraps & Debris,” uses brilliantly colored mixed-media compositions to draw on a range of recognizable but also obscure symbols: cinder blocks, letters and envelopes, balloons, picture frames, and hearts.

Lawrence Signs Partnership Agreement with UW Colleges to Assist Transfer Students

Mark-Burstein-at-UWFox_newsblog — Lawrence President Mark Burstein announces a partnership agreement with the UW Colleges that will make things easier for students from any of the state’s 13 two-year campuses to transfer to Lawrence and earn a bachelor’s degree.

An historic partnership between the University of Wisconsin Colleges and Lawrence University will soon help students transfer more efficiently from the two-year institutions and earn a bachelor’s degree from Lawrence. The partnership agreement was formally signed Wednesday (9/24) in ceremonies at the University of Wisconsin-Fox Valley.

Lawrence President Mark Burstein, Provost and Dean of the Faculty David Burrows and Lawrence Special Assistant to the President and Professor of French and Milwaukee-Downer College and College Endowment Association Professor of Liberal Studies Eilene Hoft-March joined UW Colleges/UW-Extension Interim Chancellor Aaron Brower, UWFox CEO and Campus Dean Martin Rudd and UW Colleges Provost and Vice Chancellor Greg Lampe in the signing ceremony.

The agreement is designed to minimize barriers faced by independent transfers from UW Colleges, including UWFox, and ease the transition process so students can reach their academic and career goals.

Under terms of the agreement, Lawrence will provide specialized advising, registration, financial information and orientation opportunities for UW Colleges transfer students. Academic credits will still be transferred on a case-by-case basis. All UW College transfer students will be eligible for a merit-based scholarship up to $20,000 per year.

Aaron-Brower_newsblog — Aaron Brower. (Photo by Bryce Richter/UW-Madison)

“Through small classes and engaging hands-on learning experiences, UW Colleges students from our campuses around the state are well prepared to succeed when they transfer to four-year institutions, including private schools such as Lawrence University,” said Aaron Brower, interim chancellor of UW Colleges and UW-Extension. “This partnership serves our students, both institutions and our state well as we all strive to increase the number of Wisconsin residents earning high quality bachelor’s degrees.”

Chuck Erickson, associate director of admissions at Lawrence, will serve as a transfer advisor and hold office hours every other week at UWFox during the academic year to meet with students interested in transferring.

“This agreement is another step in our effort to increase access to
a rigorous Lawrence education and help make it affordable
to more residents of Wisconsin.”
— President Mark Burstein

“Some of our very best students have transferred to Lawrence, but there have been struggles with that process that detract from students’ focus on their studies,” said Rudd. “Lawrence and UWFox want our students to succeed at the highest level wherever they may go once they leave us, and we feel that this partnership presents guidelines as to how we can do that.”

Lawrence currently has 10 students who have transferred from UW Colleges among its 1,500-member student body, including eight from UWFox. The majority of the transfers enroll at Lawrence after one year at one of the UW Colleges campuses. With the partnership agreement in place, Lawrence hopes to increase that number of transfer to between 10 and 15 per year.

“We are very excited to formalize our relationship with the UW Colleges and specifically UWFox,” said Burstein. “This agreement is another step in our effort to increase access to a rigorous Lawrence education and help make it affordable to more residents of Wisconsin.”

In addition to Menasha, UW Colleges have two-year campuses in Baraboo, Fond du Lac, Janesville, Manitowoc, Marinette, Marshfield, Rice Lake, Richland Center, Sheboygan, Waukesha, Wausau and West Bend.

Lawrence Receives Record $25 Million Gift for Scholarship Endowment

A lives changer.

That’s how Lawrence University President Mark Burstein sees a $25 million anonymous gift the college has received to support student scholarships.

The $25 million gift is the largest in Lawrence history and will be used to establish an endowed scholarship to help meet the financial need for future Lawrence students. It is a dollar-for-dollar matching gift that will result in a new $50 million in additional endowment to support scholarships.

“A gift this size will truly change lives. We are humbled by the donor’s generosity,” said Burstein. “This gift and subsequent matching support will further enhance Lawrence’s role as a catalyst for social mobility.

“The magnitude of a $25 million gift is really immeasurable, but we know it will impact generations of students from across the country and around the world,” Burstein added. “The students who benefit from this gift will go on to make a difference in their home communities. That will be the ultimate dividend of this gift.”

“Few moments happen in the more than 160-year history of an institution like Lawrence that are truly transformative. This is one of them,” said Terry Franke, a 1968 Lawrence graduate and current chair of the college’s Board of Trustees. “A boost of $50 million in our endowment guarantees that Lawrence remains affordable for generations to come. I’m sure it will excite our alumni as much as it does me.”

Based on the average financial aid package for the 2014-15 academic year, the endowment draw from this gift will allow Lawrence to offer financial aid awards that meet the full institutionally demonstrated financial need of at least 50 students each year in perpetuity.

“The magnitude of a $25 million gift is really immeasurable, but we know it will
impact generations of students from across the country and around the world.”
— President Mark Burstein

Since becoming Lawrence’s 16th president in July 2013, Burstein has made affordability a central institutional priority.

“We fully realize college costs can be a financial burden, which is why we are so focused on scholarship support,” said Burstein. “With this gift, along with an institutional commitment to contain expenses and manage tuition growth, we aim to help students from all backgrounds attend Lawrence and reap the benefits of a challenging and rigorous education.”

The importance of a college degree in improving a person’s social mobility was underscored in a 2008 Brookings Institution report, “Getting Ahead or Losing Ground: Economic Mobility in America.”

According to the report’s authors, when children born into the bottom fifth of the United States of the income distribution earn a college degree, their chances of making it to the top fifth of income earners nearly quadruple, and their chances of escaping the bottom income quintile increase by more than 50 percent. While half of all people from high-income families have a bachelor’s degree by age 25, only 1 in 10 people from low-income families do.

The record-setting gift comes on the heels of other positive financial news for Lawrence. The college is coming off its best year ever for gifts to its annual giving program — the Lawrence Fund — with an institutional record $3.7 million raised during the 2013-14 fiscal year.

The Lawrence Fund provides nearly 10 percent of the college’s annual operating budget. It helps bridge the gap between what students pay in tuition and actual operating costs and in conjunction with endowment earnings, helps reduce each student’s tuition by more than $10,000 per year.

In July, Lawrence announced a $2.5 million gift to expand its current teacher education program to include elementary teacher education certification beginning in the fall of 2015.

Earlier this year, Lawrence received a $2.1 million grant from the U.S. Department of Education’s Title III SIP program for a comprehensive program designed to increase the graduation rate of at-risk students.

“Collectively these gifts and grants have fueled considerable institutional momentum that will help our students have a positive, productive experience while they’re here and prepare them to succeed in a rapidly changing world,” Burstein said.

• Lawrence’s previous largest gift was $16 million in 2006 for the Warch Campus Center.

• For the 2014-15 academic year, Lawrence provided $33.4 million in institutional financial aid.

• Ninety-six percent of Lawrence students are receiving need and/or merit based financial aid for the 2014-15 academic year.

• The average need-based student financial aid package for the current school year is $35,600.

• For the current school year, 21 percent of Lawrence students are receiving federal Pell Grants, which are given to undergraduates from low-income families with the highest need.

• As for June 30, 2014, Lawrence’s endowment was nearly $250 million and experienced a 16.2 percent investment return over the fiscal year.

About Lawrence University
Founded in 1847, Lawrence University uniquely integrates a college of liberal arts and sciences with a nationally recognized conservatory of music, both devoted exclusively to undergraduate education. It was selected for inclusion in the Fiske Guide to Colleges 2015 and the book “Colleges That Change Lives: 40 Schools That Will Change the Way You Think About College.” Individualized learning, the development of multiple interests and community engagement are central to the Lawrence experience. Lawrence draws its 1,500 students from nearly every state and more than 50 countries.

Corinne Wocelka 1931-2014: Long-Time Librarian Helped Modernize Seeley G. Mudd

Corinne Wocelka, who spent more than three decades assisting students and faculty members alike in the Seeley G. Mudd library, died suddenly Sunday, Sept. 14 after attending the Green Bay Packers game at Lambeau Field. She was 82.

Corinne-Wocelka_newsblog — Corinne Wocelka

As associate professor and director of technical services in the library, Wocelka enjoyed a 33-year career amid the stacks, beginning in 1976 as a circulation assistant. She spent eight years as an acquisitions librarian and the following 24 years as director of technical services, overseeing the acquisition and processing of all new materials added to the library’s collections.

She led the creation of Lawrence’s on-line catalogue system that helped revolutionize the way we access information, played a leading role in modernizing the management of periodicals and was a driving force behind the creation of the Lincoln Reading Room.

In addition to her excellent work in the library, Wocelka was an active participant on faculty committees, especially the Honors Committee, which benefited greatly from her high standards and attention to detail.

She retired from Lawrence in 2010 and was awarded an honorary master of arts degree at that year’s June commencement.

A native of La Crosse, Wocelka studied in the Mudd library before she began working there, taking advantage of the library’s resources while completing her bachelor’s degree in language and literature at UW-Green Bay. She later earned a master’s degree in library science from UW-Oshkosh.

A celebration of Wocelka’s life will be held Saturday afternoon Sept. 27 (time TBD) at Touchmark, where she lived in retirement, 2601 Touchmark Dr., Appleton. A complete obituary will appear in the Sunday, Sept. 21 edition of The Post-Crescent.

About Lawrence University
Founded in 1847, Lawrence University uniquely integrates a college of liberal arts and sciences with a nationally recognized conservatory of music, both devoted exclusively to undergraduate education. It was selected for inclusion in the Fiske Guide to Colleges 2015 and the book “Colleges That Change Lives: 40 Schools That Will Change the Way You Think About College.” Individualized learning, the development of multiple interests and community engagement are central to the Lawrence experience. Lawrence draws its 1,500 students from nearly every state and more than 50 countries.

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