Highlighted Donors
Kim Goodwin
Nathalie Goodwin Memorial Endowed Presidential Scholarship
“Throughout my career, my sister was my #1 supporter… I could think
of nothing better than to establish a scholarship in her name.
In a way this gift carries her wonderful spirit forward.”
Kim Goodwin, Chief Investment Officer—Equities at State
Street Research & Management, has earned a considerable measure
of success. With graduate degrees in Business and Public
Administration, both from UT-Austin, Goodwin was well prepared
for her chosen career.
Goodwin tells the story of her time at the McCombs School and of
being the beneficiary of the generosity of others:
I completed an MBA and a Masters in Public Administration back
in 1987. I was concerned that financial constraints would force
me to choose between the two programs even though I had a strong
interest in both business administration and the government
regulatory side. During my first year of the joint-degree
program I met with (then Associate) Dean Robert Witt who advised
me that UT planned to make fellowships available to talented
minority students. These early fellowships were funded by
Endowed Presidential Scholarship donors. This made a distinct
impression on me and I remember later telling one of my fellow
recipients that we should consider creating an endowed
scholarship in the future. As my own personal experience
demonstrates, these gifts make a significant difference to
talented individuals who may not be able to afford the cost of
advanced degree programs.
Even then, Goodwin was mindful of the impact scholarships can
have on the academic experience of students. Later, with the
detailed understanding of school operations gained through her
service on the McCombs School Advisory Council, Goodwin learned
more about the role of scholarships in attracting and retaining
top students. But her call to action came in the form of
tragedy, with the untimely death of her beloved sister.
Goodwin speaks eloquently and poignantly about her sister. In
her words, she makes no secret of the tremendous impact Nathalie
had on her life. In fact, she credits her sister, who died
unexpectedly at age 38, with being her “number one supporter,”
and it is little surprise that Nathalie’s life provides the
impetus for creating this memorial scholarship.
Kim shares her thoughts about her sister and the scholarship
that carries her name:
She had uncanny people skills and the measure of her
contribution on this earth is that she was such a good friend to
so many. She also had this habit of helping strangers -- in a
time where many people are afraid to connect meaningfully with
others or even to say hello. I could think of nothing better
than to establish a scholarship in her name. In a way this gift
carries her wonderful spirit forward.
To confirm this, my mother and I just received an extraordinary
thank you letter from our first recipient. She is a
business/premed major, and has a sibling enrolled at UT this
year. Born in Taiwan, she is from a single parent family, which
makes education a financial challenge, yet she has done well at
UT and is in the premed honor society. Helping a talented young
person become successful makes setting up the endowment
worthwhile. And I am confident that this honors my sister
because she made this gift possible in so many ways.
The Nathalie Goodwin Memorial Endowed Presidential Scholarship
will support full-time undergraduate students in Business, with
preference given to students with demonstrated financial need
and to female students when the female undergraduate enrollment
in the Business School is less than 50% of the total School
enrollment. Thanks to the generosity of the Goodwin family,
Nathalie’s uncompromising spirit will live on in the future
success of Goodwin Scholars.
Steve James
Stephan A. and Shereda James Endowed Faculty Excellence Fund
“The McCombs School of Business has a tradition of growth,
excellence and quality that is consistent with the best schools
in the US.”
When Steve James graduated from UT-Austin’s College of Business
in 1968, he briefly considered graduate studies, but chose
instead to begin working immediately. In the course of his
career with Accenture (formerly Andersen Consulting), James
worked as a corporate recruiter, interviewing and selecting
students at UT and other schools for positions at his firm. In
this capacity, he was able to witness firsthand the impact of an
excellent education on students. From his own academic
experience at UT-Austin, he knew how important an exceptional
faculty is to the learning process, and he quickly saw that
students at schools with the best faculty had a decided
advantage over other, less-well-prepared students.
James moved out of state in 1986 to pursue his career with
Accenture and for the next ten years had relatively little
direct contact with his alma mater. He became reengaged through
Accenture’s alumni giving campaigns, and was a champion for
alumni support, raising awareness of UT within the firm. In
1997, James became more actively engaged with the school when he
joined the Advisory Council of the Business School. He learned
more about the School’s vision for the future and the strong
leadership prepared to lead the school into the 21st century.
With this insider’s perspective, James was ready to begin
thinking about other ways to make a difference in the life of
the School.
Steve and his wife Shereda, with some idea of how they wanted to
help the McCombs School, contacted Sandy Dorman, Director of
Individual Giving and Endowments, to refine their ideas. With
help from Dorman, the James’ made a commitment to establish the
Stephan A. and Shereda James Endowed Faculty Excellence Fund, an
endowment dedicated to supporting faculty. To ensure maximum
benefit, the James family placed few restrictions on its use,
trusting the school leadership to utilize their gift to
materially improve the school by advancing the excellence of its
faculty.
“I have found over the years of working with top universities
like the University of Pennsylvania (Wharton), Harvard,
University of Chicago, and Northwestern (Kellogg) that one of
the key success factors is the faculty. Their research, teaching
skills, and relationships with the corporate community are key
to their success, and to the success of their schools. We felt
that providing endowments to support faculty projects, research
and continuing education would be important to the individual
and the long term success of the programs of the University. For
us at this time, this is the best avenue to make a contribution
to the continuing greatness of the McCombs School.”
The McCombs School thanks Steve and Shereda James for
recognizing the importance of faculty support and for helping
the McCombs School become recognized as the best public school
in the U.S. In making their gift, they join faculty, staff,
students, alumni and fellow friends of the school, all working
together to build a foundation to deliver lasting excellence in
business education.
Beau Ross
Kathryn
and Beau Ross Graduate Fellowship
“If students are positively impacted by the program overall,
then I feel that I have done my best to pass along to others the
opportunity that I was given.”
As President of PremierHR International, Beau Ross has ample
opportunity to use the business skills he developed and honed in
the McCombs MBA program. In fact, he credits the program with
playing an important role in his development not only as a
businessman but also as a human being. “In hindsight, the
program was a glorious challenge of intellect and personal
development encouraged by outstanding professors and insightful
fellow business students,” Ross remembers.
Inspired by the opportunity he was given to attend the Graduate
School of Business (now the McCombs School), Ross wanted to give
something back, in hopes that future students will share
something of his experience. With assistance from the Office of
Resource Development, Ross and his wife established the Kathryn
and Beau Ross Graduate Fellowship, open to full-time graduate
students concentrating in consulting and MSIS. Ross states
simply, “Many students benefit from their experiences at the
McCombs School and I want to support the continuation of that
opportunity.”
To reward excellence and provide opportunity for all, the Ross
Fellowship gives preference to merit-based selections but also
allows for consideration of financial need. Since the fellowship
was established in 1999, it has already benefited three
students, and will continue to support students every year to
come.
When asked about the potential impact of his gift, Ross
reflects: “Who knows how it will be used by a particular
student? In the end, I can only imagine that my contribution
will give some student an opportunity otherwise missed. If this
student is positively impacted by the program overall, then I
feel that I have done my best to pass along the opportunity that
I was given.”
