{"id":93495,"date":"2023-03-09T14:51:17","date_gmt":"2023-03-09T19:51:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/?p=93495"},"modified":"2024-01-19T09:18:38","modified_gmt":"2024-01-19T14:18:38","slug":"umw-receives-transformational-30-million-gift-for-undergraduate-research-and-scholarships","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/2023\/03\/09\/umw-receives-transformational-30-million-gift-for-undergraduate-research-and-scholarships\/","title":{"rendered":"UMW Receives Transformational $30 Million Gift for Undergraduate Research and Scholarships"},"content":{"rendered":"<p style=\"font-weight: 400\">The University of Mary Washington has received a $30 million gift \u2013 the largest in the institution\u2019s 115-year history \u2013 from the estate of Irene Piscopo Rodgers. A 1959 alumna and lifetime supporter of her alma mater, Rodgers passed away on July 18, 2022, in Huntington, New York.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_93500\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-93500\" style=\"width: 300px\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"93500\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/2023\/03\/09\/umw-receives-transformational-30-million-gift-for-undergraduate-research-and-scholarships\/irene-kelly-mary-emily\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2023\/03\/Irene-Kelly-Mary-Emily.jpg\" data-orig-size=\"629,449\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"&lt;p&gt;Irene Piscopo Rodgers poses with Mary Washington students Kelly McDaniel, Mary Hopkin and Emily Ferguson in 2017. The young women represent just a few of the many students who have benefitted through the years from Rodgers&amp;#8217; generosity to her alma mater. Her final gift of $30 million &amp;#8211; the largest ever received by the University &amp;#8211; will be &amp;#8216;transformational&amp;#8217; to UMW&amp;#8217;s undergraduate research program, providing students with invaluable hands-on learning opportunities for decades to come.&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2023\/03\/Irene-Kelly-Mary-Emily-300x214.jpg\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2023\/03\/Irene-Kelly-Mary-Emily.jpg\" class=\"wp-image-93500 size-medium\" src=\"https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2023\/03\/Irene-Kelly-Mary-Emily-300x214.jpg\" alt=\"Irene Piscopo Rodgers poses with Mary Washington students Kelly McDaniel, Mary Hopkin and Emily Ferguson in 2017. The young women represent just a few of the many students who have benefitted through the years from Rodgers' generosity to her alma mater. Her final gift of $30 million - the largest ever received by the University - will be 'transformational' to UMW's undergraduate research program, providing students with invaluable hands-on learning opportunities for decades to come.\" width=\"300\" height=\"214\" srcset=\"\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2023\/03\/Irene-Kelly-Mary-Emily-300x214.jpg 300w, \/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2023\/03\/Irene-Kelly-Mary-Emily.jpg 629w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-93500\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Irene Piscopo Rodgers poses in 2017 with Mary Washington students Kelly McDaniel, Mary Hopkin and Emily Ferguson. The young women represent just a few of the many students who have benefitted through the years from Rodgers&#8217; generosity to her alma mater. Her final gift of $30 million &#8211; the largest ever received by the University &#8211; will be &#8216;transformational&#8217; to UMW&#8217;s undergraduate research program, providing students with invaluable hands-on learning opportunities for decades to come.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400\">Rodgers made a name for herself in the field of electron microscopy and helped pave the way for UMW graduates, especially women, to excel in STEM subjects of their own choosing. Mary Washington, as she often said, had \u201copened worlds\u201d for her. Now, this generous gift \u2013 along with others that Rodgers made through the years \u2013 will carry on her legacy by helping the University prepare young scholars for successful careers in science, technology, engineering and math for decades to come.<\/p>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u201cStudents who benefitted from Irene\u2019s generosity welcomed her into their lives, so she was able to observe firsthand the transformative power of her gifts,\u201d said UMW President Troy Paino. \u201cThis unprecedented donation guarantees that exceptional students will continue to have access to a UMW education that delivers the kind of high-impact learning experiences that Irene valued so much.\u201d<\/p>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400\">Rodgers\u2019 gift will grow UMW\u2019s undergraduate research program, Paino said. Students in the fields of biology, chemistry, physics, Earth and environmental sciences, computer science and math will have even more opportunities to explore their research interests throughout the academic year and at the University\u2019s Summer Science Institute, working alongside faculty mentors. Mary Washington also offers undergraduate, graduate and accelerated pathways for students aspiring to study law, medicine, engineering, conservation biology, pharmacy, accounting and business analytics through agreements with partner institutions.<\/p>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400\">The gift also supports the creation of four new Alvey Scholarships, providing full tuition, fees, and room and board for out-of-state undergraduate students for up to four years, in addition to the eight Alvey Scholarships that Rodgers already created.<\/p>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400\">To date, 93 students have earned awards through Rodgers\u2019 generosity, including 16 Alvey Scholarship recipients, funded by Rodgers. Students have also received research fellowships, scientific presentation grants for conference travel, and other scholarships established by Rodgers.<\/p>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400\">The funding will be offered to the most promising students, said UMW Provost Tim O\u2019Donnell, and ensure that Mary Washington graduates will continue to be highly prized by employers and graduate schools.<\/p>\n<div class=\"tiled-gallery type-rectangular tiled-gallery-unresized\" data-original-width=\"1100\" data-carousel-extra='{&quot;blog_id&quot;:7,&quot;permalink&quot;:&quot;https:\\\/\\\/www.umw.edu\\\/news\\\/2023\\\/03\\\/09\\\/umw-receives-transformational-30-million-gift-for-undergraduate-research-and-scholarships\\\/&quot;,&quot;likes_blog_id&quot;:230672515}' itemscope itemtype=\"http:\/\/schema.org\/ImageGallery\" > <div class=\"gallery-row\" style=\"width: 1100px; height: 210px;\" data-original-width=\"1100\" data-original-height=\"210\" > <div class=\"gallery-group images-1\" style=\"width: 308px; height: 210px;\" data-original-width=\"308\" data-original-height=\"210\" > <div class=\"tiled-gallery-item tiled-gallery-item-large\" itemprop=\"associatedMedia\" itemscope itemtype=\"http:\/\/schema.org\/ImageObject\"> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/2023\/03\/09\/umw-receives-transformational-30-million-gift-for-undergraduate-research-and-scholarships\/science-microscope\/\" border=\"0\" itemprop=\"url\"> <meta itemprop=\"width\" content=\"304\"> <meta itemprop=\"height\" content=\"206\"> <img decoding=\"async\" class=\"\" data-attachment-id=\"93506\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2023\/03\/Science-microscope.jpg\" data-orig-size=\"632,427\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"\" data-image-description=\"\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2023\/03\/Science-microscope-300x203.jpg\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2023\/03\/Science-microscope.jpg\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2023\/03\/Science-microscope.jpg?w=304&#038;h=206&#038;ssl=1\" srcset=\"\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2023\/03\/Science-microscope.jpg 632w, \/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2023\/03\/Science-microscope-300x203.jpg 300w\" width=\"304\" height=\"206\" loading=\"lazy\" data-original-width=\"304\" data-original-height=\"206\" itemprop=\"http:\/\/schema.org\/image\" title=\"\" alt=\"UMW student Boramy Meng works with the transmission electron microscope Irene Piscopo Rodgers gifted to Mary Washington in 2004. Having made a name for herself in the field of electron microscopy, Rodgers trained UMW faculty and students to use the instrument.\" style=\"width: 304px; height: 206px;\" \/> <\/a> <div class=\"tiled-gallery-caption\" itemprop=\"caption description\"> UMW student Boramy Meng works with the transmission electron microscope Irene Piscopo Rodgers gifted to Mary Washington in 2004. Having made a name for herself in the field of electron microscopy, Rodgers trained UMW faculty and students to use the instrument. <\/div> <\/div> <\/div> <!-- close group --> <div class=\"gallery-group images-1\" style=\"width: 167px; height: 210px;\" data-original-width=\"167\" data-original-height=\"210\" > <div class=\"tiled-gallery-item tiled-gallery-item-small\" itemprop=\"associatedMedia\" itemscope itemtype=\"http:\/\/schema.org\/ImageObject\"> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/2023\/03\/09\/umw-receives-transformational-30-million-gift-for-undergraduate-research-and-scholarships\/science-laptop\/\" border=\"0\" itemprop=\"url\"> <meta itemprop=\"width\" content=\"163\"> <meta itemprop=\"height\" content=\"206\"> <img decoding=\"async\" class=\"\" data-attachment-id=\"93505\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2023\/03\/Science-laptop.jpg\" data-orig-size=\"586,739\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"\" data-image-description=\"\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2023\/03\/Science-laptop-238x300.jpg\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2023\/03\/Science-laptop.jpg\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2023\/03\/Science-laptop.jpg?w=163&#038;h=206&#038;ssl=1\" srcset=\"\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2023\/03\/Science-laptop.jpg 586w, \/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2023\/03\/Science-laptop-238x300.jpg 238w\" width=\"163\" height=\"206\" loading=\"lazy\" data-original-width=\"163\" data-original-height=\"206\" itemprop=\"http:\/\/schema.org\/image\" title=\"\" alt=\"Student Kristine Dadufelza works in UMW&#039;s Jepson Science Center with the electron microscope gifted to the University by Irene Piscopo Rodgers.\" style=\"width: 163px; height: 206px;\" \/> <\/a> <div class=\"tiled-gallery-caption\" itemprop=\"caption description\"> Student Kristine Dadufelza works in UMW&#8217;s Jepson Science Center with the electron microscope gifted to the University by Irene Piscopo Rodgers. <\/div> <\/div> <\/div> <!-- close group --> <div class=\"gallery-group images-1\" style=\"width: 312px; height: 210px;\" data-original-width=\"312\" data-original-height=\"210\" > <div class=\"tiled-gallery-item tiled-gallery-item-large\" itemprop=\"associatedMedia\" itemscope itemtype=\"http:\/\/schema.org\/ImageObject\"> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/2023\/03\/09\/umw-receives-transformational-30-million-gift-for-undergraduate-research-and-scholarships\/science-lab\/\" border=\"0\" itemprop=\"url\"> <meta itemprop=\"width\" content=\"308\"> <meta itemprop=\"height\" content=\"206\"> <img decoding=\"async\" class=\"\" data-attachment-id=\"93504\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2023\/03\/science-lab.jpg\" data-orig-size=\"1430,956\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"\" data-image-description=\"\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2023\/03\/science-lab-300x201.jpg\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2023\/03\/science-lab-1024x685.jpg\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2023\/03\/science-lab.jpg?w=308&#038;h=206&#038;ssl=1\" srcset=\"\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2023\/03\/science-lab.jpg 1430w, \/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2023\/03\/science-lab-300x201.jpg 300w, \/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2023\/03\/science-lab-1024x685.jpg 1024w, \/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2023\/03\/science-lab-768x513.jpg 768w\" width=\"308\" height=\"206\" loading=\"lazy\" data-original-width=\"308\" data-original-height=\"206\" itemprop=\"http:\/\/schema.org\/image\" title=\"\" alt=\"Professor of Chemistry and chair of the Department of Chemistry and Physics Janet Asper (right) works with senior chemistry major Dorothy Haas in Experimental Methods, a course that has students separating and identifying the molecules within a mixture. Through the years, Rodgers&#039; generous gifts to her alma mater have bolstered students&#039; pursuit of science.\" style=\"width: 308px; height: 206px;\" \/> <\/a> <div class=\"tiled-gallery-caption\" itemprop=\"caption description\"> Professor of Chemistry and chair of the Department of Chemistry and Physics Janet Asper (right) works with senior chemistry major Dorothy Haas in Experimental Methods, a course that has students separating and identifying the molecules within a mixture. Through the years, Rodgers&#8217; generous gifts to her alma mater have bolstered students&#8217; pursuit of science. <\/div> <\/div> <\/div> <!-- close group --> <div class=\"gallery-group images-1\" style=\"width: 313px; height: 210px;\" data-original-width=\"313\" data-original-height=\"210\" > <div class=\"tiled-gallery-item tiled-gallery-item-large\" itemprop=\"associatedMedia\" itemscope itemtype=\"http:\/\/schema.org\/ImageObject\"> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/2023\/03\/09\/umw-receives-transformational-30-million-gift-for-undergraduate-research-and-scholarships\/_28a3238\/\" border=\"0\" itemprop=\"url\"> <meta itemprop=\"width\" content=\"309\"> <meta itemprop=\"height\" content=\"206\"> <img decoding=\"async\" class=\"\" data-attachment-id=\"93510\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2023\/03\/28A3238.jpg\" data-orig-size=\"9000,6000\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;4&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;Adam Ewing&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;Canon EOS 5D Mark IV&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;1555372158&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;\\u00a9Adam Ewing 2019. No usage without written permission.&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;19&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;200&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0.0125&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;1&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"\" data-image-description=\"\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2023\/03\/28A3238-300x200.jpg\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2023\/03\/28A3238-1024x683.jpg\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2023\/03\/28A3238.jpg?w=309&#038;h=206&#038;ssl=1\" srcset=\"\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2023\/03\/28A3238.jpg 9000w, \/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2023\/03\/28A3238-300x200.jpg 300w, \/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2023\/03\/28A3238-1024x683.jpg 1024w, \/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2023\/03\/28A3238-768x512.jpg 768w\" width=\"309\" height=\"206\" loading=\"lazy\" data-original-width=\"309\" data-original-height=\"206\" itemprop=\"http:\/\/schema.org\/image\" title=\"\" alt=\"UMW\u2019s recently renovated Jepson UMW\u2019s recently renovated Jepson Science Center connects classrooms to labs and offers sophisticated instruments to enhance undergraduate research, including an electron microscope gifted to the University by Irene Piscopo Rodgers &#039;59.\" style=\"width: 309px; height: 206px;\" \/> <\/a> <div class=\"tiled-gallery-caption\" itemprop=\"caption description\"> UMW\u2019s recently renovated Jepson Science Center connects classrooms to labs and offers sophisticated instruments to enhance undergraduate research, including an electron microscope gifted to the University by Irene Piscopo Rodgers &#8217;59. <\/div> <\/div> <\/div> <!-- close group --> <\/div> <!-- close row --> <\/div>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u201cThis gift will be transformational for UMW, establishing us as one of the premier institutions in Virginia, indeed in the country, for undergraduate STEM research,\u201d O\u2019Donnell said.\u00a0\u201cThe mentored experiences the University will be able to offer will be unparalleled. I don\u2019t know of another institution, regardless of size or mission, with such a focused investment.\u201d<\/p>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400\">Rodgers earned a bachelor\u2019s degree in chemistry from what was then known as Mary Washington College of the University of Virginia, followed by a master\u2019s degree in chemistry from the University of Michigan. She worked for the American Cyanamid Company and Philips Electronic Instruments, where she met her husband, James \u201cDon\u201d Rodgers, who hired her at a time when there were few women scientists in her field.<\/p>\n<div class=\"tiled-gallery type-rectangular tiled-gallery-unresized\" data-original-width=\"1100\" data-carousel-extra='{&quot;blog_id&quot;:7,&quot;permalink&quot;:&quot;https:\\\/\\\/www.umw.edu\\\/news\\\/2023\\\/03\\\/09\\\/umw-receives-transformational-30-million-gift-for-undergraduate-research-and-scholarships\\\/&quot;,&quot;likes_blog_id&quot;:230672515}' itemscope itemtype=\"http:\/\/schema.org\/ImageGallery\" > <div class=\"gallery-row\" style=\"width: 1100px; height: 748px;\" data-original-width=\"1100\" data-original-height=\"748\" > <div class=\"gallery-group images-1\" style=\"width: 597px; height: 748px;\" data-original-width=\"597\" data-original-height=\"748\" > <div class=\"tiled-gallery-item tiled-gallery-item-large\" itemprop=\"associatedMedia\" itemscope itemtype=\"http:\/\/schema.org\/ImageObject\"> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/2023\/03\/09\/umw-receives-transformational-30-million-gift-for-undergraduate-research-and-scholarships\/screen-shot-2023-03-09-at-9-40-09-am\/\" border=\"0\" itemprop=\"url\"> <meta itemprop=\"width\" content=\"593\"> <meta itemprop=\"height\" content=\"744\"> <img decoding=\"async\" class=\"\" data-attachment-id=\"93507\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2023\/03\/Screen-Shot-2023-03-09-at-9.40.09-AM.png\" data-orig-size=\"478,600\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"\" data-image-description=\"\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2023\/03\/Screen-Shot-2023-03-09-at-9.40.09-AM-239x300.png\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2023\/03\/Screen-Shot-2023-03-09-at-9.40.09-AM.png\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2023\/03\/Screen-Shot-2023-03-09-at-9.40.09-AM.png?w=593&#038;h=744&#038;ssl=1\" srcset=\"\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2023\/03\/Screen-Shot-2023-03-09-at-9.40.09-AM.png 478w, \/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2023\/03\/Screen-Shot-2023-03-09-at-9.40.09-AM-239x300.png 239w\" width=\"593\" height=\"744\" loading=\"lazy\" data-original-width=\"593\" data-original-height=\"744\" itemprop=\"http:\/\/schema.org\/image\" title=\"\" alt=\"Irene Piscopo Rodgers is seen here in the 1959 &#039;Battlefield&#039; yearbook, during her senior year at Mary Washington. She earned a bachelor\u2019s degree in chemistry from the school, then known as Mary Washington College of the University of Virginia.\" style=\"width: 593px; height: 744px;\" \/> <\/a> <div class=\"tiled-gallery-caption\" itemprop=\"caption description\"> Irene Piscopo Rodgers is seen here in the 1959 &#8216;Battlefield&#8217; yearbook, during her senior year at Mary Washington. She earned a bachelor\u2019s degree in chemistry from the school, then known as Mary Washington College of the University of Virginia. <\/div> <\/div> <\/div> <!-- close group --> <div class=\"gallery-group images-1\" style=\"width: 503px; height: 748px;\" data-original-width=\"503\" data-original-height=\"748\" > <div class=\"tiled-gallery-item tiled-gallery-item-large\" itemprop=\"associatedMedia\" itemscope itemtype=\"http:\/\/schema.org\/ImageObject\"> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/2023\/03\/09\/umw-receives-transformational-30-million-gift-for-undergraduate-research-and-scholarships\/irene-present\/\" border=\"0\" itemprop=\"url\"> <meta itemprop=\"width\" content=\"499\"> <meta itemprop=\"height\" content=\"744\"> <img decoding=\"async\" class=\"\" data-attachment-id=\"93502\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2023\/03\/Irene-present.jpg\" data-orig-size=\"366,546\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"\" data-image-description=\"\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2023\/03\/Irene-present-201x300.jpg\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2023\/03\/Irene-present.jpg\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2023\/03\/Irene-present.jpg?w=499&#038;h=744&#038;ssl=1\" srcset=\"\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2023\/03\/Irene-present.jpg 366w, \/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2023\/03\/Irene-present-201x300.jpg 201w\" width=\"499\" height=\"744\" loading=\"lazy\" data-original-width=\"499\" data-original-height=\"744\" itemprop=\"http:\/\/schema.org\/image\" title=\"\" alt=\"After graduating from Mary Washington, Rodgers (shown here in a picture from 2013) went on to earn a master\u2019s degree in chemistry from the University of Michigan. She worked for the American Cyanamid Company and Philips Electronic Instruments, making a name for herself in the field of electron microscopy.\" style=\"width: 499px; height: 744px;\" \/> <\/a> <div class=\"tiled-gallery-caption\" itemprop=\"caption description\"> After graduating from Mary Washington, Rodgers (shown here in a picture from 2013) went on to earn a master\u2019s degree in chemistry from the University of Michigan. She worked for the American Cyanamid Company and Philips Electronic Instruments, making a name for herself in the field of electron microscopy. <\/div> <\/div> <\/div> <!-- close group --> <\/div> <!-- close row --> <\/div>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400\">Attending Mary Washington had been a game-changer for Rodgers, whose appreciation has been acknowledged through her philanthropy and donations to her alma mater for more than 40 years, beginning with a $50 gift in 1980.<\/p>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400\">In 2004, she donated a transmission electron microscope to Mary Washington and trained students and faculty to use it. A decade later, UMW presented Rodgers with an honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters for her service and contributions to the institution. She also named a microscopy lab and several Alvey Scholarships after her late parents, Justin and Helen Piscopo. This gift, in combination with gifts made during her lifetime, brings her total giving to Mary Washington to nearly $39 million.<\/p>\n<div class=\"tiled-gallery type-rectangular tiled-gallery-unresized\" data-original-width=\"1100\" data-carousel-extra='{&quot;blog_id&quot;:7,&quot;permalink&quot;:&quot;https:\\\/\\\/www.umw.edu\\\/news\\\/2023\\\/03\\\/09\\\/umw-receives-transformational-30-million-gift-for-undergraduate-research-and-scholarships\\\/&quot;,&quot;likes_blog_id&quot;:230672515}' itemscope itemtype=\"http:\/\/schema.org\/ImageGallery\" > <div class=\"gallery-row\" style=\"width: 1100px; height: 486px;\" data-original-width=\"1100\" data-original-height=\"486\" > <div class=\"gallery-group images-1\" style=\"width: 356px; height: 486px;\" data-original-width=\"356\" data-original-height=\"486\" > <div class=\"tiled-gallery-item tiled-gallery-item-large\" itemprop=\"associatedMedia\" itemscope itemtype=\"http:\/\/schema.org\/ImageObject\"> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/2023\/03\/09\/umw-receives-transformational-30-million-gift-for-undergraduate-research-and-scholarships\/honorary-doctorate\/\" border=\"0\" itemprop=\"url\"> <meta itemprop=\"width\" content=\"352\"> <meta itemprop=\"height\" content=\"482\"> <img decoding=\"async\" class=\"\" data-attachment-id=\"93497\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2023\/03\/honorary-doctorate.jpg\" data-orig-size=\"491,672\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"\" data-image-description=\"\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2023\/03\/honorary-doctorate-219x300.jpg\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2023\/03\/honorary-doctorate.jpg\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2023\/03\/honorary-doctorate.jpg?w=352&#038;h=482&#038;ssl=1\" srcset=\"\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2023\/03\/honorary-doctorate.jpg 491w, \/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2023\/03\/honorary-doctorate-219x300.jpg 219w\" width=\"352\" height=\"482\" loading=\"lazy\" data-original-width=\"352\" data-original-height=\"482\" itemprop=\"http:\/\/schema.org\/image\" title=\"\" alt=\"Rodgers received an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree during the University of Mary Washington&#039;s 2014 Commencement ceremonies. Her $30-million gift will exponentially grow UMW\u2019s undergraduate research program, said President Troy Paino.\" style=\"width: 352px; height: 482px;\" \/> <\/a> <div class=\"tiled-gallery-caption\" itemprop=\"caption description\"> Rodgers received an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree during the University of Mary Washington&#8217;s 2014 Commencement ceremonies. Her $30-million gift will grow UMW\u2019s undergraduate research program, said President Troy Paino. <\/div> <\/div> <\/div> <!-- close group --> <div class=\"gallery-group images-1\" style=\"width: 744px; height: 486px;\" data-original-width=\"744\" data-original-height=\"486\" > <div class=\"tiled-gallery-item tiled-gallery-item-large\" itemprop=\"associatedMedia\" itemscope itemtype=\"http:\/\/schema.org\/ImageObject\"> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/2023\/03\/09\/umw-receives-transformational-30-million-gift-for-undergraduate-research-and-scholarships\/reunion\/\" border=\"0\" itemprop=\"url\"> <meta itemprop=\"width\" content=\"740\"> <meta itemprop=\"height\" content=\"482\"> <img decoding=\"async\" class=\"\" data-attachment-id=\"93503\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2023\/03\/Reunion.jpg\" data-orig-size=\"708,461\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"\" data-image-description=\"\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2023\/03\/Reunion-300x195.jpg\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2023\/03\/Reunion.jpg\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2023\/03\/Reunion.jpg?w=740&#038;h=482&#038;ssl=1\" srcset=\"\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2023\/03\/Reunion.jpg 708w, \/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2023\/03\/Reunion-300x195.jpg 300w\" width=\"740\" height=\"482\" loading=\"lazy\" data-original-width=\"740\" data-original-height=\"482\" itemprop=\"http:\/\/schema.org\/image\" title=\"\" alt=\"Rodgers rides the trolley with fellow members of Mary Washington&#039;s Class of 1959 at the 2017 Mary Washington Reunion. Rodgers kept in touch with her alma mater and with many of the recipients of her funding.\" style=\"width: 740px; height: 482px;\" \/> <\/a> <div class=\"tiled-gallery-caption\" itemprop=\"caption description\"> Rodgers rides the trolley with fellow members of Mary Washington&#8217;s Class of 1959 at the 2017 Mary Washington Reunion. Rodgers kept in touch with her alma mater and with many of the recipients of her funding. <\/div> <\/div> <\/div> <!-- close group --> <\/div> <!-- close row --> <\/div>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u201cThe University is so grateful to have been the beneficiary of Irene\u2019s generosity during her lifetime and now as a lasting part of her legacy. This gift was made possible through relationships built over decades by numerous members of the Mary Washington community,\u201d said UMW Vice President for Advancement Katie Turcotte. \u201cEveryone who knew Irene knows how much she loved Mary Washington and helping our students pursue opportunities to conduct research.\u201d<\/p>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400\">Rodgers often kept in close touch with her previous recipients, following their successes through graduate school and beyond.<\/p>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400\">She was a \u201cfantastic lady,\u201d said sophomore Ally Fletcher \u201925, an Alvey Scholarship recipient majoring in the biomedical sciences. \u201cI\u2019m so grateful that she gave me this opportunity.\u201d<\/p>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400\">Hannah Checkeye \u201921, who also earned an Alvey Scholarship and is now a graduate student at The George Washington University School of Medicine, said Rodgers \u201cpaved the way\u201d for her and other women in the sciences.<\/p>\n<div class=\"tiled-gallery type-rectangular tiled-gallery-unresized\" data-original-width=\"1100\" data-carousel-extra='{&quot;blog_id&quot;:7,&quot;permalink&quot;:&quot;https:\\\/\\\/www.umw.edu\\\/news\\\/2023\\\/03\\\/09\\\/umw-receives-transformational-30-million-gift-for-undergraduate-research-and-scholarships\\\/&quot;,&quot;likes_blog_id&quot;:230672515}' itemscope itemtype=\"http:\/\/schema.org\/ImageGallery\" > <div class=\"gallery-row\" style=\"width: 1100px; height: 394px;\" data-original-width=\"1100\" data-original-height=\"394\" > <div class=\"gallery-group images-1\" style=\"width: 550px; height: 394px;\" data-original-width=\"550\" data-original-height=\"394\" > <div class=\"tiled-gallery-item tiled-gallery-item-large\" itemprop=\"associatedMedia\" itemscope itemtype=\"http:\/\/schema.org\/ImageObject\"> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/2023\/03\/09\/umw-receives-transformational-30-million-gift-for-undergraduate-research-and-scholarships\/irene-gift-recipients\/\" border=\"0\" itemprop=\"url\"> <meta itemprop=\"width\" content=\"546\"> <meta itemprop=\"height\" content=\"390\"> <img decoding=\"async\" class=\"\" data-attachment-id=\"93499\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2023\/03\/Irene-gift-recipients.jpg\" data-orig-size=\"650,464\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"\" data-image-description=\"\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2023\/03\/Irene-gift-recipients-300x214.jpg\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2023\/03\/Irene-gift-recipients.jpg\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2023\/03\/Irene-gift-recipients.jpg?w=546&#038;h=390&#038;ssl=1\" srcset=\"\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2023\/03\/Irene-gift-recipients.jpg 650w, \/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2023\/03\/Irene-gift-recipients-300x214.jpg 300w\" width=\"546\" height=\"390\" loading=\"lazy\" data-original-width=\"546\" data-original-height=\"390\" itemprop=\"http:\/\/schema.org\/image\" title=\"\" alt=\"Rodgers poses in 2018 with a group of Mary Washington scholarship recipients who have benefitted from her generosity. To date, 85 students have earned awards thanks to funding provided by Rodgers.\" style=\"width: 546px; height: 390px;\" \/> <\/a> <div class=\"tiled-gallery-caption\" itemprop=\"caption description\"> Rodgers poses in 2018 with a group of Mary Washington scholarship recipients who benefitted from her generosity. To date, 85 students have earned awards thanks to funding she provided. <\/div> <\/div> <\/div> <!-- close group --> <div class=\"gallery-group images-1\" style=\"width: 550px; height: 394px;\" data-original-width=\"550\" data-original-height=\"394\" > <div class=\"tiled-gallery-item tiled-gallery-item-large\" itemprop=\"associatedMedia\" itemscope itemtype=\"http:\/\/schema.org\/ImageObject\"> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/2023\/03\/09\/umw-receives-transformational-30-million-gift-for-undergraduate-research-and-scholarships\/umw-2018-luncheon-irene-piscopo-rodgers-_59_-matt-tovar-_19\/\" border=\"0\" itemprop=\"url\"> <meta itemprop=\"width\" content=\"546\"> <meta itemprop=\"height\" content=\"390\"> <img decoding=\"async\" class=\"\" data-attachment-id=\"93513\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2023\/03\/UMW-2018-Luncheon-Irene-Piscopo-Rodgers-_59_-Matt-Tovar-_19.jpg\" data-orig-size=\"2100,1500\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;6.3&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;NIKON D800E&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;1523099274&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;98&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;3200&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0.00625&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;1&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"\" data-image-description=\"\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2023\/03\/UMW-2018-Luncheon-Irene-Piscopo-Rodgers-_59_-Matt-Tovar-_19-300x214.jpg\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2023\/03\/UMW-2018-Luncheon-Irene-Piscopo-Rodgers-_59_-Matt-Tovar-_19-1024x731.jpg\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2023\/03\/UMW-2018-Luncheon-Irene-Piscopo-Rodgers-_59_-Matt-Tovar-_19.jpg?w=546&#038;h=390&#038;ssl=1\" srcset=\"\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2023\/03\/UMW-2018-Luncheon-Irene-Piscopo-Rodgers-_59_-Matt-Tovar-_19.jpg 2100w, \/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2023\/03\/UMW-2018-Luncheon-Irene-Piscopo-Rodgers-_59_-Matt-Tovar-_19-300x214.jpg 300w, \/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2023\/03\/UMW-2018-Luncheon-Irene-Piscopo-Rodgers-_59_-Matt-Tovar-_19-1024x731.jpg 1024w, \/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2023\/03\/UMW-2018-Luncheon-Irene-Piscopo-Rodgers-_59_-Matt-Tovar-_19-768x549.jpg 768w, \/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2023\/03\/UMW-2018-Luncheon-Irene-Piscopo-Rodgers-_59_-Matt-Tovar-_19-1536x1097.jpg 1536w, \/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2023\/03\/UMW-2018-Luncheon-Irene-Piscopo-Rodgers-_59_-Matt-Tovar-_19-2048x1463.jpg 2048w\" width=\"546\" height=\"390\" loading=\"lazy\" data-original-width=\"546\" data-original-height=\"390\" itemprop=\"http:\/\/schema.org\/image\" title=\"\" alt=\"Rodgers chats in 2018 with Matt Tovar, who earned a bachelor&#039;s degree in biochemistry from Mary Washington in 2019 and received the Irene Piscopo Rodgers and James D. Rodgers Student Research Fellowship. He is now a project lead at The George Washington University Cancer Center.\" style=\"width: 546px; height: 390px;\" \/> <\/a> <div class=\"tiled-gallery-caption\" itemprop=\"caption description\"> Rodgers chats in 2018 with Matt Tovar, who earned a bachelor&#8217;s degree in biochemistry from Mary Washington in 2019 and received the Irene Piscopo Rodgers and James D. Rodgers Student Research Fellowship. He is now a project lead at The George Washington University Cancer Center. <\/div> <\/div> <\/div> <!-- close group --> <\/div> <!-- close row --> <\/div>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u201cIrene made it possible for me to go to Mary Washington and complete my pre-medical education,\u201d Checkeye said. \u201cShe changed the lives of so many students.\u201d<\/p>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400\"><em>Learn more about the <\/em><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/admissions\/first-year-admission\/\"><em>UMW Admissions<\/em><\/a><\/strong><em> process and the <\/em><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/admissions\/first-year-admission\/firstyear-scholarships\/washington-and-alvey\/\"><em>Full-Ride Scholarships<\/em><\/a><\/strong><em> that are available to UMW students.<\/em><\/p>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400\"><em>For information on creating a named Washington Scholarship or Alvey Scholarship, please contact the\u00a0Office of University Advancement at\u00a0<\/em><strong><a href=\"mailto:umwgift@umw.edu\"><em>advance@umw.edu\u00a0<\/em><\/a><\/strong><em>or 540-654-1024.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The University of Mary Washington has received a $30 million gift \u2013 the largest in the institution\u2019s 115-year history \u2013 from the estate of Irene Piscopo Rodgers. A 1959 alumna and lifetime supporter of her alma mater, Rodgers passed away on July 18, 2022, in Huntington, New York. Rodgers made a name for herself in [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1236,"featured_media":93496,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"umw_cb_additional_links":[[]],"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_advisory_expires_time":"","_advisory_meta_include":false,"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[704],"tags":[15150,15148,15029,15151],"topics":[5144],"class_list":{"0":"post-93495","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-top-stories","8":"tag-irene-piscopo-rodgers","9":"tag-office-of-university-advancement","10":"tag-stem","11":"tag-women-in-science","12":"topic-news","13":"entry"},"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v26.9 (Yoast SEO v26.9) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>UMW Receives Transformational $30 Million Gift for Undergraduate Research and Scholarships - News<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/2023\/03\/09\/umw-receives-transformational-30-million-gift-for-undergraduate-research-and-scholarships\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"UMW Receives Transformational $30 Million Gift for Undergraduate Research and Scholarships\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"The University of Mary Washington has received a $30 million gift \u2013 the largest in the institution\u2019s 115-year history \u2013 from the estate of Irene Piscopo Rodgers. A 1959 alumna and lifetime supporter of her alma mater, Rodgers passed away on July 18, 2022, in Huntington, New York. Rodgers made a name for herself in [&hellip;]\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/2023\/03\/09\/umw-receives-transformational-30-million-gift-for-undergraduate-research-and-scholarships\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"News\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/UniversityofMaryWashington\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2023-03-09T19:51:17+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2024-01-19T14:18:38+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2023\/03\/NewRelease_Irene1-1024x413-1.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1024\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"413\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Jill Laiacona\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@UMaryWash\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@UMaryWash\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Jill Laiacona\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"5 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/2023\/03\/09\/umw-receives-transformational-30-million-gift-for-undergraduate-research-and-scholarships\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/2023\/03\/09\/umw-receives-transformational-30-million-gift-for-undergraduate-research-and-scholarships\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Jill Laiacona\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/#\/schema\/person\/81cd90fbc8c9a45401477e39ce19ef4b\"},\"headline\":\"UMW Receives Transformational $30 Million Gift for Undergraduate Research and Scholarships\",\"datePublished\":\"2023-03-09T19:51:17+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2024-01-19T14:18:38+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/2023\/03\/09\/umw-receives-transformational-30-million-gift-for-undergraduate-research-and-scholarships\/\"},\"wordCount\":934,\"commentCount\":1,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/2023\/03\/09\/umw-receives-transformational-30-million-gift-for-undergraduate-research-and-scholarships\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2023\/03\/NewRelease_Irene1-1024x413-1.jpg\",\"keywords\":[\"Irene Piscopo Rodgers\",\"Office of University Advancement\",\"STEM\",\"women in science\"],\"articleSection\":[\"Top Stories\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/2023\/03\/09\/umw-receives-transformational-30-million-gift-for-undergraduate-research-and-scholarships\/#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/2023\/03\/09\/umw-receives-transformational-30-million-gift-for-undergraduate-research-and-scholarships\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/2023\/03\/09\/umw-receives-transformational-30-million-gift-for-undergraduate-research-and-scholarships\/\",\"name\":\"UMW Receives Transformational $30 Million Gift for Undergraduate Research and Scholarships - 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