J.D. and Elsie Abrams, longtime supporters of the University of Colorado at Boulder, have committed $1.5 million to establish a multicultural student center and an additional $800,000 to enhance the J.D. Abrams Engineering Scholarship Fund.
The J.D. Abrams Multicultural Student Center will be part of the new Center for Community at CU-Boulder. The community center will include a new dining hall, programs and student services that will enrich the student experience.
An area in the new facility, made possible by this lead gift from the Abrams, will house American Indian, African-American, Latino and Asian Advocacy Centers. The Abrams hope that each cultural center, especially the common lounge, will be an area for students to mingle and share their unique cultural heritages.
"Growing up, I traveled with my father, an electrical engineer who worked on Indian reservations," said J.D. Abrams. "Through the experience, I made lifelong friends who made me appreciate the richness of different cultures and traditions. I want to make a similar experience possible for others."
According to Ron Stump, vice chancellor for student affairs, the gift is an expression of the Abrams' philosophy that personal connections can bridge the gaps between different ethnic groups. "They want students from different backgrounds to appreciate each others' uniqueness. In turn, they believe this will lead to inclusion versus factions," Stump said.
Prior gifts from the Abrams include the Abrams Native American Support Fund and the J.D. Abrams Engineering Scholarship Fund that helps aspiring engineers from federally recognized Indian tribes. To date, 35 American Indian students have benefited from the scholarships. Abrams, a 1949 civil engineering graduate from CU-Boulder, has a lifelong association with American Indians.
Abrams founded J.D. Abrams LP, a full-service civil engineering firm, in 1966. The company, noted for bridge building, is based in Austin, Texas, and has received numerous awards for its partnering spirit and leadership on complex construction projects.
Robert Davis, dean of the College of Engineering and Applied Science, said, "Besides building structural bridges, J.D. also builds bridges of cooperation. Having a benefactor like J.D. whose business success has been achieved through a 'partnering' philosophy will have a positive influence on the next generation of civil engineers."
The Abrams' scholarship fund will continue to support engineering undergraduates as well as graduate fellowships. The new J.D. Abrams Multicultural Student Center broadens the Abrams' impact to include students of diversity pursuing other studies.
Counting this commitment and others in prior years, the Abrams' support for CU-Boulder is in excess of $3 million.
Philanthropy and an appreciation for cultural diversity are Abrams family values. Daughter Julie Koch, M.D., a pediatrician living in North Carolina, has established a scholarship for pre-med students from federally recognized Indian tribes.
Elsie Abrams, of Hispanic heritage, has a special commitment to the new multicultural center that will promote successful and positive university experiences for students of diverse heritages. A businesswoman herself, Elsie founded a company that specializes in transporting commodities nationwide and in Canada. As Elsie's business grows, she talks often of philanthropy and the difference individuals can make in the lives of young people.
Chancellor G.P. "Bud" Peterson said, "The Abrams have stepped forward at just the right time to enable us to provide a facility rich in a broader spectrum of student services. Their values and their philanthropy have set an example for others and we are very grateful for that."
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