PITT'S SCHOOL OF INFORMATION SCIENCES RECEIVES GIFT TO SUPPORT UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS

PITTSBURGH, April 23 -- University of Pittsburgh graduates Jennifer and Eric Spiegel have pledged $12,500 to Pitt's School of Information Sciences (SIS) to support undergraduate students in the fields of information science and communications.

The Jennifer and Eric Spiegel Book Endowment Fund establishes two annual awards of $250 each. One will be given to a full-time undergraduate student in the Information Science Program at SIS, the other to a full-time undergraduate communications major in the Communications Department at the College and Arts and Sciences. Annual winners will be selected from qualified students who submit an essay that focuses on communications and technology.

Eventually the Spiegels hope to increase the endowment to $20,000 and provide assistance to four students each year.

"It always is gratifying when alumni make such generous commitments to the University as the Spiegels have," said Carol Carter, vice chancellor for Institutional Advancement at Pitt. "I am especially pleased with the creativity that Jennifer and Eric have used in establishing their endowment. We are fortunate to have such thoughtful young graduates make such a unique gift to their undergraduate programs. I'm confident that their generosity will inspire many others to do the same."

The first recipient in the area of Information Sciences is Rajeev Nath, a senior who also is current president of PRISM (Pitt's Representation of Information Science Majors.)

"This award encourages excellence in Information Science and also provides much-needed support for students to enable them to buy books for their classes," said SIS Dean Toni Carbo. "We greatly appreciate the generosity of the Spiegels in making this new award possible."

According to the Spiegels, they wanted to establish an endowment that would benefit those aspiring to Information Science or Communications majors, the same majors that propelled them both to successful careers.

"An endowment is literally the gift that keeps on giving that will help academically talented students for many years," they said. "We are hoping our action might inspire other younger graduates to take advantage of the University's flexibility and to build their own personalized endowment programs to help make a difference for students in financial need."

Jennifer Spiegel is a 1988 graduate of the College of Arts and Sciences; Eric Spiegel earned his bachelor of science degree in Information Science from Pitt that same year. Now residents of Maryland, Jennifer originally is from Mt. Lebanon and Eric's hometown is McKeesport.

The School of Information Sciences at the University of Pittsburgh educates information professionals for a wide range of specializations in the information field. The School's focus is on the integration of people, knowledge and technology for decision making, problem solving and learning. SIS offers six degree programs and three certificate programs in the areas of information science, library and information science and telecommunications. The internationally-renowned faculty is dedicated to excellence in teaching and research.

Pitt's College of Arts and Sciences (CAS) is the largest unit within the University, with more than 9,000 students and 500 full-time faculty. It offers a liberal arts education within the setting of a comprehensive research university. CAS students choose from approximately 50 majors and 19 certificate programs, and pursue a broad range of academic subjects and learning experiences.

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