Match Opportunity: Daniel Costa and Lou and Leslie Grate are generously matching all donations, dollar for dollar, up to $5,200.
Meaningful research opportunities for undergraduates have a tremendous impact on academic success and future careers in biomedical sciences.
The Mary Zavanelli Endowment provides full summer support for undergraduates doing independent research projects. This support allows the students to focus full time on developing their projects and their research skills—both of which can help them get jobs and enter graduate programs once they achieve their degrees.
This fund was established in honor of Mary Zavanelli, a beloved lecturer in Molecular, Cell, and Developmental Biology. She was diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) in 2013 and passed away on February 18, 2017. Mary received her Ph.D. from UC Santa Cruz in 1991, working with Professor Manny Ares on RNA splicing. In 1995, she became a lecturer on campus and taught many different courses, including highly popular courses in female physiology and the biology of AIDS. She was also an exceptional athlete and competed in numerous Ironman triathlons. Mary’s love of biology, her commitment to teaching, and her perseverance in facing ALS have been an inspiration for students and colleagues alike.
From her teaching experiences at UCSC, Mary knew that meaningful research opportunities for undergraduates are hard to find and yet can have a tremendous impact on students, helping them persist in challenging science majors and attain career success.
Your gift today to the Mary Zavanelli fund continues her wish to provide undergraduate research opportunities to students in the health sciences.
Rank | State | Gifts |
---|---|---|
1 | CA | 12 |
2 | NC | 1 |
2 | PA | 1 |