January 19, 1995: Vol26n13: $1.6 million gift funds Distinguished Honors Scholarships

By ARTHUR PAGE 
and JED NITZBERG
The University at Buffalo has received a cash gift of $1.6 million
from an anonymous donor specifically to provide 20 students in each of
the freshman classes entering the university in Fall 1995 and Fall
1996 with scholarships to cover tuition and all expenses for each of
their four undergraduate years at UB.
	It is the largest cash gift ever received by UB or any other
college or university in the SUNY system in which the funds are
immediately available for use.
	The students will be designated Distinguished Honors
Scholars. The gift will allow them to complete an undergraduate degree
at virtually no cost to themselves and without the need to borrow
funds.
	The university simultaneously is launching a new initiative to
actively recruit students from among the brightest high-school seniors
in the country, students of the caliber of National Merit scholars.
	President William R. Greiner said "UB is honored and delighted
to receive such a magnanimous gift in support of excellence among our
undergraduate students. The new scholarships will make UB all the more
attractive to the best and most competitive students across the nation
and help make a significant difference in their lives."
	Greiner said the scholarships fit well with the major emphasis
that UB is giving undergraduate education.
	"We are a very good university; we are nationally recognized
for the high quality of our graduate and professional programs; we are
often cited as a leader in innovative public-service initiatives. And
we think that all of those elements together make for a rich,
exciting, varied environment for undergraduate education - exactly the
kind of setting in which the most talented students thrive."
	The recruitment of the most highly qualified students as
Distinguished Honors Scholars will further strengthen the university
as a whole, according to Greiner.
	"Outstanding students challenge their teachers to provide
outstanding instruction. They challenge their fellow students to
achieve even more, and they become leaders among our alumni and
community friends. When you think of it that way, this generous gift
doesn't just promote one-time investments in bright students - it also
supports lasting excellence in all facets of UB's endeavors."
	Provost Aaron N. Bloch, who announced the gift at a press
conference Jan. 4, said the scholarships initially will be
administered through the University Honors Program. "Our honors
program already competes academically with the best honors programs in
the country," he added. "This very generous gift will enable it to
compete financially as well."
	Nicolas D. Goodman, vice provost for undergraduate education,
said, "The Distinguished Honors Scholars will contribute to academic
excellence at UB. Their enrollment, in turn, will help the university
attract other highly qualified students." Their selection, he added,
will take into account both merit and financial need. A special effort
will be made to recruit students with significant financial
need. Goodman said the scholarships will cover tuition, fees, books,
personal expenses and travel between school and home.
	In addition to the scholarship, the Distinguished Honors
Scholars will receive the benefits provided to other students in the
University Honors Program. Faculty members serve as mentors for the
program's students, who participate in special courses. About
one-fifth of the students in the University Honors Program
successfully pursue two or more majors, often in widely divergent
fields, and many assume important leadership positions on campus.
	Kevin Durkin, assistant vice president for student services
and director of admissions, said the UB Admissions Office is planning
a comprehensive outreach program to promote the Distinguished Honors
Scholarships. UB faculty and staff, as well as distinguished alumni of
the university, will participate in the recruitment effort, personally
contacting prospective students.