Feb. 21, 2006

Giving Back in Multiple Ways

GW Faculty Support Their School Through Endowed Gifts

BY RAINA LENNEY

Douglas Jones, professor emeritus of engineering, received three degrees from GW — a bachelor’s in mechanical engineering in 1963, a master’s degree in 1965, and a doctorate of science in 1970. As a teaching assistant and faculty member, Jones taught at GW for 47 years, retiring in 2004. His colleague, Raymond Pickholtz, professor emeritus of engineering, taught electrical engineering and computer science at GW for over 30 years and retired in 2004. But it turns out these former professors shared more than just careers in engineering.

Both were extremely dedicated to students, a quality that often extends far beyond the boundaries of the classroom. Pickholtz housed graduate students in his home when necessary, and has kept up with all of his doctoral students, even after he retired. Jones also occasionally subsidized some of his students’ expenses, and took pleasure in watching them advance through their courses of study.
“I continue to follow the progress of my doctoral students,” Jones said. “I enjoyed mentoring students the most.”

Jones and Pickholtz have something else in common — both have demonstrated their commitment to GW School of Engineering and Applied Science through the establishment of generous endowments. In 2002, Jones established the Douglas L. Jones Graduate Fellowship in Mechanical Engineering, an annual scholarship. He viewed the benefits of the fellowship as two-fold: assist a student who might otherwise not be able to attend GW, and attract the best students possible to the school, thereby raising the school’s profile nationally. The fellowship was awarded for the first time this past fall.

Last year, Pickholtz committed a sizeable gift to establish the Raymond L. Pickholtz Graduate Scholarship, supporting a student in communications engineering. His gift was matched by Timothy Tong, dean of the School of Engineering and Applied Science, and enhanced by numerous contributions from faculty, former students, and former colleagues in honor of Pickholtz’s retirement. Pickholtz hopes the scholarship will make a small dent in graduate students’ costs. “Graduate students have the ability to live on the margin,” he said, “and a little bit of money makes a big difference.”

Pickholtz and Jones have demonstrated their commitment to students through mentoring, teaching, and the creation of endowed scholarships, and hope to encourage others to do so. Jones made an additional gift to his endowment this year, and is interested in finding ways to attract other donors. Pickholtz also would like to continue the growth of his endowed fund. Why have these professors chosen to give back to GW? “GW has treated me well,” says Jones, “and this is a way of giving back to the University.”

Send feedback to: bygeorge@gwu.edu