Henry Suzzallo Society Newsletter Edition: 2019
Donors who include the 91探花 in their estate plans become members of the Henry Suzzallo Society. We are excited to celebrate our donors with our first annual newsletter, showcasing 91探花news and events and spotlighting some extraordinary members of our society and the impact they are making.
Membership in the Henry Suzzallo Society is a way for the University to thank and recognize future donors now for their commitment to make a future gift.
Scroll down to read each article, or view the entire (PDF).
Henry Suzzallo Reception 2018
The annual Henry Suzzallo Society Reception gives members an intimate look at the innovative, extraordinary work being done at our University.
The 2018 reception, at the Paul G. Allen Center for Computer Science & Engineering, featured Professor Siddhartha Srinivasa and HERB, the Home Exploring Robot Butler. Together, Srinivasa and HERB test technologies and methods that enable robots to perform complex and delicate home-care tasks for those in need.
More than 175 people attended the 2018 Henry Suzzallo Society Reception, and we’re excited to welcome all Society members to this year’s event. Donor support makes it possible for 91探花faculty and students to pursue their academic passions, help others and change the world.
Donor Spotlights
Honoring a professor’s impact
Bob Wilson鈥檚 educational path to the 91探花 came about by chance, but his decision to honor the professor who changed his life will be made possible through a well thought out planned gift.
Wilson was in his first year studying engineering at the University of Michigan and found himself unhappy with the course work. A bright student from Detroit, he had already learned most of what he was being taught while in high school, Cass Technical.
His high school girlfriend鈥檚 family had moved out to Washington State and, on a whim, he went to visit. Wilson loved the weather in Washington, although he admits he was here during the summer and might have reconsidered his opinion if he had visited in January.
He looked into and ultimately transferred to the 91探花 but, much to his frustration, engineering still didn鈥檛 seem to be the right fit for him.
To explore other options, Wilson decided to take an accounting course over the summer and immediately felt a kinship with the material. Fit or no fit however, Wilson fretted that he would lose credits if he transferred his major which would delay his graduation, a big issue for a man paying his own way through school.
After receiving an 鈥淎鈥� in the accounting course taught by Professor Julius Roller, Wilson approached him for advice on how to move forward. Being the first in his family to go to college, Wilson did not have someone close to provide guidance. He went to office hours and hoped Professor Roller would be able to steer him in the right direction.
鈥淗e basically saved me鈥� Wilson recalls, adding that with Professor Roller鈥檚 guidance and 鈥渃reative accounting鈥� work on his existing credits, they were able to devise a plan for Wilson to switch majors and graduate on time.
鈥淚f you go to register and they give you any guff, you have them call me鈥� Wilson recalls Professor Roller telling him.
Professor Roller鈥檚 interest in his education was the cornerstone of Wilson鈥檚 path into the world of accounting. He graduated on time as promised and was commissioned as an Officer in the Air Force, putting his degree to good use as an auditor.
After leaving the military, Wilson landed a job with Arthur Anderson, a CPA firm in the consulting division that led him to several states and a 4-year assignment abroad in Sweden. During the last five years of Wilson鈥檚 career he worked exclusively with General Motors Corp. He helped GM make improvements in how their parts plants operate by implementing the Toyota Production System. Over the more than 30 years he stayed with the company and became a partner, Wilson remembered the professor who helped him achieve his distinguished career.
鈥淎ccounting has been very good to me. I feel a lot of my success is due to a solid foundation in accounting at UW鈥�.
To honor Professor Roller, Wilson has made a bequest to benefit to the Julius A. Roller Professor of Accounting endowed faculty position. To help the next generation of students, an additional directive in Wilson鈥檚 bequest, supported by his wife Judy, will establish an endowed undergraduate scholarship for students studying accounting.
Keeping family history alive
Growing up in Miami, Robert Wallace thought his parents spoke their own secret language.
鈥淚 didn鈥檛 even know what my heritage was until I was in my teens鈥� Wallace describes. 鈥淚 didn鈥檛 know the culture, I didn鈥檛 speak the language.鈥�
Plagued with fears of persecution and with strong desires to blend in, his parents were tightlipped about their family history, going as far as changing their family name from Walinchus to Wallace, a change that still brings about questions from some relatives.
鈥淭hey didn鈥檛 want me to have any burdens,鈥� Wallace explains 鈥渢here was an embarrassment about growing up second generation Eastern European.鈥�
One of the few personal insights to his culture was a family trip to Lithuania in spring of 1989 to participate in the Baltic Way movement, also known as the Hands Across the Baltic, where millions of people joined hands to form a human chain to represent support for independence.
Wallace鈥檚 experience with the proud and generous people of the Baltic region had a profound effect on his understanding of his Lithuanian heritage and the hardships his grandparents endured before immigrating to America.
His personal desire to keep the Lithuanian culture and language alive drove Wallace to seek out the 91探花, one of only two universities in the United States that teaches all three Baltic languages 鈥� Lithuanian, Latvian and Estonian.
In memory of his parents and to honor his own lineage, Wallace set up a bequest in his will to create two endowments, one to support the faculty that teach the language, history and culture of Baltic countries, and the other to provide programmatic support in Baltic studies to create exchange opportunities for faculty and students.
Both endowments will ensure the culture Wallace has strived to learn about will be embraced by students for years to come. When asked how he thinks his parents would feel about giving back to a University program in Baltic studies, Wallace said 鈥淚 think they would be very proud.鈥�
Part of the giving-back culture
Nancy and Ben Remak鈥檚 pride for the 91探花 is evident with just a quick glance around their home. Pictures of 91探花memories and milestones adorn every wall in the house, from the entry way all the way to what they refer to as 鈥淭he Husky Room鈥�.
From floor to ceiling, 鈥淭he Husky Room鈥� lives up to its name as a monument to all things Husky. Pictures of the Remak鈥檚 time at various 91探花events line one wall. Jackets, coats and sweaters have their own clothing rack right in the middle of the room.
There are 91探花mementos from friends, pendants and game balls, even newspaper clippings of University events dating back to the 1970鈥檚. One visit with the Remak鈥檚 and one could never doubt their passion for UW.
It should be no surprise then that the Remak鈥檚 passion for the University has manifested itself in their giving as well.
Nancy鈥檚 first gift to the 91探花 was in 1978, and she has built upon that one time gift with her husband, Ben.
Both Nancy and Ben had parents who were generous in giving back to others.
鈥淗e insisted in doing it鈥� Nancy recalls of her father, adding that he particularly liked helping children through the Boys and Girls Club and Easter Seals.
Ben鈥檚 dad did not want presents or a party for his 80th birthday. He told his son he wanted a scholarship set up, specifically to help those connected to South Africa, where he had fond memories of being helped himself.
鈥淪o that got everything started鈥� Nancy says with a smile and indeed, that first scholarship set up for Ben鈥檚 father spurred them on in their path of giving, so much so that now the Remak鈥檚 have 5 different scholarships and fellowships and have included the University in their will.
While both express enthusiasm in seeing what their gifts are accomplishing, Nancy, especially, emphasizes that putting 91探花in their wills is paramount to their estate plans as well.
鈥淲e want to make sure when we are gone, it (giving back to the University) continues鈥�.
鈥淭he 91探花has a giving back culture鈥� Nancy explains, followed by Ben鈥檚 insistence 鈥渨hy wouldn鈥檛 you (give), it鈥檚 fun!鈥�
Student Impact
Healthcare champion
Celia Bora has a calling to help others, even as she works tirelessly to complete the 91探花 doctorate in nursing program.
Growing up in rural New York, Bora decided to follow in her grandmother鈥檚 footsteps and study nursing at a university in Vermont. While in school, she worked providing care to those in the community who were homebound. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 when I really started seeing the social determinants of health,鈥� she says.
Driven to 鈥渉elp those disenfranchised with health care,鈥� Bora decided to further her education. She chose the UW鈥檚 program because it offered a geriatric focus not found in other university nursing programs. 鈥淓ven on the East Coast,鈥� Bora notes, 鈥渢he 91探花has an excellent reputation.鈥�
After arriving in Seattle, Bora found a nursing job to support herself while in school. Juggling her work schedule with the demands of the 91探花program, she felt she wasn鈥檛 always able to make education her main priority. Bora was awarded the Lorraine Troop Endowed Scholarship in Nursing for the 2018鈥�19 academic year. The scholarship relieved financial pressure, Bora says, by allowing her to 鈥渢ake a step back and really focus on school.鈥�
After graduation this spring, Bora doesn鈥檛 plan on slowing down. 鈥淚 have two big goals: to open a rural geriatric practice and to influence [health-care] policy,鈥� she says. 鈥淚 want to provide care that the health-care system tends to leave behind.鈥�