Endowments Make A Lasting Impact

Six current endowed faculty and staff members participated in the 2019 SDSU Foundation Council of Trustees meeting in April.
Left to right: Dr. Sharrel Pinto, Dr. Lloyd Metzger, Dr. Vikram Mistry, Dr. John Killefer, Dr. Quiquan Qiao and Dr. Komal Raina

As a student, David A. Thompson worked at the SDSU dairy plant, eventually becoming its student manager. Today, the Distinguished Alumnus and former president of Abbott Laboratories Diagnostic Division credits the education and research experience he gained with launching his 31-year career.

“I owe a lot of the success in my career to the education I received at SDSU. My experience at the SDSU dairy plant truly gave me a leg up,” explained Thompson, who helped Abbott develop the first licensed test to detect HIV in blood. “SDSU is one of the few universities in the country that offers a comprehensive dairy science program that gives students hands-on experience through its dairy plant and dairy farm.”

To ensure continued exceptional education and research opportunities for dairy science students, Thompson and his wife, Marilyn, created a $2 million endowment named the David A. Thompson Endowed Department Head and Professor.

An investiture ceremony held in April celebrated the newest endowed position at SDSU, established by a $2 million gift from David A. and Marilyn Thompson. Left to right: President Barry Dunn, College of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences Dean

“I’m privileged and excited to be able to give back and help the department to continue to improve by attracting the best people to run the department,” said Thompson, who also made a generous gift to help build the SDSU Davis Dairy Plant. “I’m especially pleased that Dr. (Vikram) Mistry is the first to receive this honor as he has made many important, positive changes to the department and is a great influence on his students.”

Mistry has served the dairy and food science department since 1986, becoming head of the department in 2002. The endowment will provide ongoing support of the department’s faculty, facilities, research, education and outreach.

The perpetual-funding nature of endowed funds allow donors to make a lasting impact, explains Dr. Dennis Hedge, provost and vice president for academic affairs.

“Endowments are a tremendous legacy,” said Hedge. “Think about it, not only do they impact our academic and research work today, endowments live on into the future. Is there anything more powerful than something that will live on throughout time?”

Designed to support the interests of the endowment’s namesake, the fund’s impact is infinite. “In our quest for academic and research excellence, endowments allow us to do things we otherwise would not be able to do,” Hedge said. “They provide the fuel for innovation that advances research ideas and academic programming.”

Endowed funds, Hedge explains, position the university to capitalize on opportunities as they emerge. Endowments can allow the university to supplement salaries to recruit high-caliber faculty, provide funds to maintain leading-edge research or launch innovative academic programs. “Endowments open doors for SDSU. They advance the mission of the university,” he said. “They position us for greater success.”

In addition to capital, endowments are considered a prestigious honor.

“When one has the honor of sitting in an endowed chair or professorship, it is truly a significant milestone in one’s career,” Hedge said. “Endowments send a message to faculty, students and other stakeholders.”

– Lura Roti, for the SDSU Foundation