The Gerda L. and Frederick T. Cundell Scholarship was established by Diana Cundell, Ph.D., associate professor of biology, in Nov. 2008, in memory of her late mother and father. The decision to establish a scholarship for future University students was a decision she knows her parents would have approved. Originally from Devon, England, Cundell’s mother, Gerda, ran a jewelry business and her father, Frederick, owned and operated the family farm and excelled at bookkeeping.
“My parents were self-taught professionals who built a wonderful life for our family,” said Cundell. Though they were never formally educated at a university, her parents believed strongly in education as a means to advance in life and achieve success. “This scholarship fund means their strong education beliefs will have a lasting legacy,” she reflected. “Now they will always be associated with the University and someone will benefit in their memory.”
The scholarship helps pre-medical studies students in need of financial support to pursue their educational and professional goals.
