Ƶ Emeritus Professor of Marketing Donates $2 Million to University
Ƶ has received an estate gift pledge of more than $2 million from College of Business emeritus professor Eric Shaw ’72, ’73, Ph.D. This generous gift will benefit various athletics, business, arts and letters, and other university programs, and makes Shaw the largest Ƶ faculty or staff donor in the university’s history, after former assistant professor Dick Schmidt ’71.
“Dr. Eric Shaw has actively mentored and inspired students at Ƶ for more than 40 years,” said Chris Delisio, vice president for institutional advancement and chief executive officer of the Ƶ Foundation. “In making this gift, he continues his legacy of caring and inspiration by supporting the excellence of Ƶ’s students in perpetuity through his planned endowments. We are incredibly grateful for his kind generosity.”
To reward and recognize meritorious Ƶ student-athletes, as well as other students who demonstrate academic excellence in various fields of research, business, and other areas throughout the university, the gift will fund the creation of the following awards and endowments:
- Eric H. Shaw Student Athlete Excellence in Academic Performance Award
- Eric H. Shaw – Ƶ Wave Excellence in Innovation Award
- Eric H. Shaw 3MT® Championship Award Endowment Fund
- Hersker, Shaw, Gosser Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi Scholarship Award
- Eric H. Shaw OURI Symposium Excellence Award
- Eric H. Shaw Concerto and Aria Excellence in Performance Award
- Eric H. Shaw Veterans Florida Entrepreneurial Excellence Award
- Eric H. Shaw Ph.D. in Business Dissertation Award
“My 50 years at Ƶ, first as an undergraduate student and now as emeritus professor, make me feel like I’ve grown up with the university,” said Shaw. “I am forever grateful to Ƶ for providing me an excellent education, providing terrific mentors and talented colleagues to work with, exceptional students with bright eager minds to share knowledge, and offering me so many opportunities for personal and professional growth. It is a privilege and my great pleasure to give back by making a small contribution to this great university in its ‘race to excellence.’”
An alumnus of Ƶ, Shaw received his B.B.A. in 1972 and M.B.A. in 1973, and then was invited to join the Ƶ faculty as an instructor of marketing. Shaw earned his Ph.D. at Temple University and has taught on the faculties of Rutgers University and the University of Miami. After returning to Ƶ in 1982, he served as associate dean of the College of Business, acting director of the School of Industry Studies and as the chairman of the marketing department for 15 years. Shaw also served five years as the faculty athletics representative to the NCAA. He is a past president of the faculty senate, and a former board member of the Ƶ Alumni Association, as well as the Ƶ Foundation Board and Ƶ’s Board of Trustees.
-Ƶ-
Tags: business | research | alumni | philanthropy | student affairs | foundation | science | arts and letters | military | students