Brussard Endowed Scholarship in Ecology, Evolution, and Conservation Biology

To the friends and colleagues of Peter Brussard,

As you already know Professor Peter Brussard is one of the University of Nevada, Reno’s, most accomplished faculty members. He has made enormous contributions to the university and as a national leader in the field of conservation biology. Peter is retiring at the end of this semester, and we are hoping that you will join us in recognizing Peter’s accomplishments by contributing to the Brussard Endowed Scholarship in Ecology, Evolution, and Conservation Biology. Our goal is to create a scholarship that will help students pursue careers in conservation biology – one of Peter’s greatest passions. This scholarship will provide funding for deserving students studying ecology, conservation biology and related fields. Peter and several of his friends have recently pledged $8,800 to begin building the scholarship fund. They are challenging others to help them raise an additional $11,200 in gifts (for a total of $20,000) so that the scholarship can be endowed to make an annual award of $1000.

Peter’s accomplishments are too numerous to do justice to in this brief letter, so this letter will touch on just a few of them. Peter received his B.A. and Ph.D. from Stanford University. After starting his faculty career at Cornell University, he went on to serve as department chair at both Montana State University and UNR. At UNR, Peter was instrumental in transforming the Biology Department into a vibrant department that valued research as well as teaching. His transformation of the Biology Department is not surprising given that during his career he received 50 extramural research grants and wrote or edited more than 150 scientific publications. Notable among his many research accomplishments is that he started the Nevada Biodiversity Initiative and brought more than $10,000,000 of extramural funding to UNR. Besides catalyzing research in conservation biology, that funding supported a large number of graduate students who tackled conservation biology challenges, particularly those important to Nevada. During his career, Peter mentored more than 40 graduate student and postdocs, many of whom have gone on to be very successful in academia, federal agencies, and other professional arenas. Peter has served on a vast array of high profile advisory boards, editorial boards, and task forces, and given many invited talks in the U.S. and abroad. Peter’s prestigious professional service accomplishments include serving as a founding member and then president of the Society for Conservation Biology. In summary, Peter has had an extraordinary career, and we would like to help a deserving student benefit from the chance to pursue studies in the subjects that are most important to Peter.

Please join us in this worthwhile endeavor. Gifts of any denomination are greatly appreciated. Gifts of $1,000 or more can be paid over a 2 year period through a pledge agreement. It is our hope that we can exceed the $10,000 minimum to endow the fund and reach $20,000 or more in total contributions. With a $20,000 endowment, we could award an annual scholarship of $1,000 in Peter’s honor from the fund’s earnings. (The additional earnings would build the endowment so that the award size could grow over time.)

Your donation to help us honor Pete and his life’s work and to support deserving students is much appreciated. Future generations must confront global climate change, resource shortages, and a host of environmental challenges. Your generous gift will help train students to meet these challenges and to make the world a better place in the fine tradition exemplified by Peter Brussard. If you have any questions or wish to discuss this project in further detail, please contact Jack Hayes at 775-682-8799 (or jhayes@unr.edu) or Char H. Sutton, the College of Science’s Director of Development, at 775-682-8791 (or csutton@unr.edu). If you would like to contribute, please make your check out to “UNR Foundation” and indicate “Brussard Scholarship” in the memo/note field. Checks can be mailed to Char Sutton, Development Director, Ross Hall /MS 0424, College of Science, University of Nevada, Reno, NV 85557.

Thank you for your time and consideration.

Sincerely,


Friends of Peter Brussard