Media contact: Yvonne Taunton
The University of Alabama at Birmingham’s School of Engineering has honored its founding dean, Joseph Appleton, Ph.D., with an endowment scholarship that exceeds $75,000.
Established through a $25,000 gift from the UAB President’s Office after his passing on Jan. 17 at age 91, the Joseph Appleton Endowed Scholarship in Engineering quickly grew as more people contributed to Appleton’s legacy.
“Because UAB is such a young university, one of its strengths over the past several decades has been the close, personal connections with the university founders,” said Timothy M. Wick, Ph.D., interim dean of the School of Engineering. “It is their vision we continue to build upon.”
The scholarship award quickly doubled after donations from other alumni, staff and Appleton’s family. “The number of people who have contributed to this scholarship shows that Dr. Appleton is much more than a name in our history,” said Robert Blakely, director of Development for the School of Engineering. “These gifts ensure that Dr. Appleton’s legacy will be one that continues to benefit UAB engineering students for generations to come.”
Read more on Appleton’s impact on UAB’s School of Engineering here.