Momentous Achievements - College of Design

Eduardo Catalano Endowments

Eduardo Catalano donated $200,000 to establish the Robert P. Burns Lectures and Seminars on Structural Innovations Endowment in memory of his student and friend Professor Robert P. Burns (’57). Catalano also gave a second gift of $400,000 — the largest outright gift at the time it was given in 2007 — to establish the Eduardo Catalano Endowed Lecture/Seminar on Innovations in Contemporary Architecture. Both these endowments will enable the School of Architecture to bring in distinguished visiting lecturers that will benefit students studying architecture.

Wendy L. Olson Fellowship Enhancement Endowment for Public Service in Landscape Architecture

Given in memory of his wife, Wendy Olson (’90), an alumna of the college who was tragically killed in a car accident, Brian Dodge’s gift of $216,000 established the Wendy L. Olson Fellowship Enhancement Endowment for Public Service in Landscape Architecture. Dodge provided $200,000 for the endowment and another $16,000 so that the fellowships could be awarded for two years until the fund endowed.

Wendy Olson was a well-known landscape architect who committed a large portion of her time to benefiting her hometown of Hillsborough and to other public service projects. This was the first fund of its kind for landscape architecture and has resulted in the support of four landscape architecture graduate students and their public service projects.

O’Brien/Atkins Associates Fellowship Endowment

The firm of O’Brien/Atkins, led by two alumni, William O’Brien (’62) and John Atkins (’66) was the first firm to endow a partial graduate fellowship for the School of Architecture for $100,000. O’Brien/Atkins also provided annual support for the fellowship so that an award could be made by the department before the fund reached endowment. In addition, Atkins served as co-chair of the college’s campaign committee. In 2007, O’Brien made a personal planned gift to establish a new scholarship for the School of Architecture with a $50,000 charitable gift annuity.