New Scholarship Named for Honors College Dean

TAMPA, Fla. (Feb. 23, 2009) – Nearly four decades as a teacher, mentor, referee and friend at the University of South Florida has earned Honors College Dean Stuart Silverman a special place in many hearts. What started as an idea to pay tribute to him grew into the Dr. Stuart Silverman Endowed Scholarship Fund to benefit deserving students in the Honors College.

“Throughout the years, unwavering dedication to helping students has been the hallmark of Dr. Silverman’s time at USF,” said USF President Judy Genshaft. “He is the heart and soul of our Honors College and has overseen and shepherded its transformation from a successful honors program into a true Honors College, one of only 61 in the entire country.”

His labor of love, inspired a labor of love on the part of organizers of a stealth campaign that ended up raising well above the initial $25,000 necessary to establish a permanently endowed scholarship fund, without Silverman’s knowledge. Leading the charge was Honors College Development Director Judy Kane and a small core group of Honors College alumni. They managed to keep the “quiet” campaign a secret until it was revealed to him at the end of January.

Silverman was invited to a luncheon meeting under the pretext that Kane was receiving an award. He had no idea Honors alumni and friends had donated funds to endow a scholarship in his name. Now that the endowment has been made public, anyone who wishes may contribute to the fund.

“We had several very close calls and were just bananas until the day of the luncheon finally arrived,” said Kane. “Staff from the foundation and Honors College, his family, alums….everyone followed our “mum’s the word” request. My dean truly was surprised at the reveal.”

In a thank you letter, Silverman wrote, “...your generosity and thoughtfulness took my breath away… When Judy Kane made the formal announcement, I had to hold back tears of joy.”

A fixture at USF graduations for over two decades, Silverman has received some recognition in the local press for reading the names of USF Tampa graduates three times a year since 1988. He estimates he’s called out over 70,000 names.

“Dr. Silverman treasures every student and that love shows through particularly when he announces every graduate’s name with such earnestness, making them and their families proud,” said Genshaft. “The creation of the scholarship fund in his name will demonstrate, in perpetuity, the high esteem in which he is held by his many former students as well as his colleagues throughout the USF community.”

Inquiries about contributing to the Silverman Scholarship can be directed to Judy Kane, director of development for the Honors College at (813) 974-1246 or kane@honors.usf.edu. Gifts can be made online at www.honors.usf.edu (click Invest in Honors) or at www.giving.usf.edu (click Make A Gift, Tampa Campus, Honors College, and designate the Dr. Stuart Silverman Endowed Scholarship in the Honors College Fund 176016. Checks made out to the USF Foundation can be sent to Kane’s attention at The Honors College, 4202 E. Fowler Ave., SVC 1088, Tampa, FL, 33620.