Fest Fund

It has been a tradition in Angelika’s department to celebrate a faculty member’s retirement by raising funds among colleagues, alums, and friends for a cause close to the retiree’s heart. In some cases (like the Elisabeth Selkirk Outreach Fund), the retirees themselves have provided seed money for the fundraiser. Some years ago, Lisa and Angelika set up an endowed, need-based, scholarship fund for UMass undergraduates in any field . They called the fund the “Sophie O’Brian Scholarship Fund”. “Sophie O’Brian” is a fictional name created from their middle names “Sophie” and “O’Brian”. Lisa and Angelika are proud of the impressive upwards trajectory that UMass has taken in recent years and they deeply care about the accessibility of UMass to the young residents of Massachusetts. For Angelika, sharing the experience of inventing and teaching innovative undergraduate classes with graduate students has been one of the most rewarding aspects of her professional life. She therefore wants to dedicate her retirement to Sophie O’Brian. To donate to the Sophie O’Brian Scholarship Fund, please follow this link.