A longtime campus leader's gift to UC Davis earlier this month will benefit undergraduate students from the College of Letters and Science and others across the campus.

Carol Wall, former vice chancellor for Student Affairs, has donated $100,000 to UC Davis — $80,000 will go toward her named College of Letters and Science scholarship, and the remaining $20,000 will be put toward two $10,000 unnamed scholarships to help students from across the campus attend the UC Washington Center or participate in the Education Abroad Program.

Wall hopes her UC Washington Center and Education Abroad Program endowments will encourage others to contribute to help deserving undergraduate students from across the campus participate in the two programs.

"My hope is that students can now attend these programs who normally wouldn't have the resources. I directed the Education Abroad Program for 10 years, and I saw how the experience transformed students. They became citizens of the world," Wall said.

Patricia Turner, interim dean for the division of Humanities, Arts and Cultural Studies in the College of Letters and Science, agrees that Wall's gift has the potential to cast an even wider net for students wishing to attend the programs.

"I'm thrilled that Carol Wall has prioritized undergraduate student access to these very successful programs. I share her hope that other benefactors will come forward to enhance these resources," Turner said.

Wall, who was a student, then a faculty member and finally an administrator at UC Davis, spent nearly 40 years on campus. As a faculty member and as associate dean for undergraduate education in Letters and Science, she knew well the academic side of student life. She caught a glimpse of their activities outside of academics as vice chancellor for Student Affairs.

"The years I spent at Student Affairs gave me the opportunity to see students participate in wonderful programs and truly set the foundation for their futures," she said.

Wall's impact on students was clear — when she retired, friends and colleagues, family and the team at Student Affairs established the Carolyn F. Wall Endowed Scholarship in tribute to her. Wall continues to contribute toward this scholarship, which provides funds to Letters and Science undergraduates with financial need.

The College of Letters and Science, which has the largest undergraduate enrollment at UC Davis, has a specific need for scholarship funds to reach its most deserving students. According to the Undergraduate Scholarship Office at UC Davis, scholarship funds reach only about one-third of those eligible Letters and Science students eligible for scholarships. The additional funds to Wall's named scholarship help to reach more eligible Letters and Science students.

Steven Sheffrin, the dean of Social Sciences at the College of Letters and Science, affirms the impact of Wall's recent gift to the college.

"We're delighted by Carol Wall's generosity," Sheffrin said. "She was a longtime faculty member and administrator in Letters and Science, and we truly appreciate her contributions. Her gift provides the seed funding for two important scholarship efforts from which students can greatly benefit – to study abroad and to study in Washington, D.C. These enrichment opportunities can really make the difference for many students in Letters and Science."

Although Wall has been retired for a few years, her active involvement in the university continues to be an important part of her life.

"I spent my entire adult life at the university and on the campus. I have a great deal of gratitude to friends, colleagues and, in particular, students on the campus. It's a way of staying involved and contributing where I can."

For more information on the scholarships, please contact Victoria Austin, director of development for Social Sciences, College of Letters and Science. (530) 757-5783, or vsaustin@ucdavis.edu.