Hospitality Business Management gets first endowed chair
The Tod and Maxine McClaskey Foundation has invested $2 million to establish an endowed chair in hospitality business management in the Carson College of Business at WSU Vancouver. This is the first endowed chair at the Vancouver campus. The gift honors the late Tod McClaskey, founder of Red Lion Inn Hotels, and his wife, Maxine.
The McClaskey Foundation previously funded a faculty position for the first five years of WSU Vancouver’s hospitality business management program, part of the WSU School of Hospitality Business Management in Pullman, which ranks among the top 5 percent of such programs in the country.
“This endowment is both a reward for past successes and an investment into the future of hospitality business management in the Vancouver/Portland area. Hospitality business management Vancouver is not only here to stay, but to be the leader in hospitality in this area,” said Florian Zach, Tod and Maxine McClaskey Faculty Fellow.
The program offers the only bachelor’s degree in hospitality business management in the region, which is one of the nation’s fastest-growing tourism destinations. Students from Clark College, the Cascadia Technical Academy and other schools and colleges in the area now can continue their education in this specific field.
Tod and Maxine McClaskey established their foundation to support the communities they loved past their lifetimes. The foundation supports health and education programs in Clark County.
Sunlight Supply Amphitheater donates $250,000 to scholarships
Students who are at risk of dropping out of school because of financial pressures may be eligible for scholarship relief, thanks to the Sunlight Supply Amphitheater operated by Quincunx of Washington.
This summer, the amphitheater donated $250,000 to a scholarship fund that will support students from Clark and Multnomah counties who have financial barriers and cannot afford to pay for college.
In all, the amphitheater has donated $375,000 to scholarships. As part of the WSU Campaign launch on Dec. 2, 2010, the amphitheater donated $25,000 to endow a scholarship. In 2016, the amphitheater donated $100,000 to the fund. With the new gift, the fund will support scholarships for three students from Clark County in Washington, and two students from Multnomah County in Oregon.
When the amphitheater started operating in 2003, the business was committed to building a charity fund to benefit the local community. Education has been the focus of the charity fund from the beginning. The company also has provided more than $300,000 worth of new musical instruments for the local school systems, and countless ticket and VIP packages to local organizations for auctions at various fundraising events.
WSU Vancouver students are encouraged to apply for scholarships in fall semester for the 2018/19 academic year. Learn more at Student Financial Services.
WaferTech supports summer research, Clean Room
WaferTech LLC, a TSMC Company, has given WSU Vancouver $100,000 to fund the Undergraduate Summer Research Program for the School of Engineering and Computer Science for another five years, and support the WaferTech Clean Room suite of labs in the Engineering and Computer Science Building. This is the second gift of this size from WaferTech, which has been recognized as a Benefactor to the university.
“This gift from WaferTech will have a significant impact on many students and will enable us to further improve the overall educational experience we provide to the citizens of Southwest Washington,” said the director for the School of Engineering and Computer Science, Hakan Gurocak. “We already had undergraduate students working on research last summer as a direct result of this gift.”
Four undergraduate students worked with engineering and computer science professors in the 2017 Undergraduate Summer Research Program. It would not have been possible without WaferTech’s support. Programs like this one fulfill the need to provide workforce-ready engineering graduates to the high-tech industry in Southwest Washington.
Business Growth MAP establishes its first endowment
The Business Growth Mentor & Analysis Program has received a matching gift from anonymous donors to establish an endowment to further advance this successful program. The anonymous $12,500 gift is being matched by charter donors. The endowment will ensure the program’s growth and continued prosperity while making a difference in the lives of students and the economic development of the local business community.
Since its inception in 2011, Business Growth MAP has grown tremendously, and so has its influence. More than 1,000 students have participated in at least one project, helping almost 200 businesses in the Vancouver/Portland area. Students analyze real business problems and recommend practical solutions. The experience boosts their career prospects while helping companies increase revenue and create jobs.
Business Growth MAP’s success has brought prestige and numerous awards. Most recently, the program was one of 35 selected from 315 submissions for an award from AACSB International, a global business education network. ■
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