Former Chancellor Thibodeau Gives Back to UW-River Falls

Aug. 17, 2012—Gary Thibodeau, UW-River Falls Chancellor from 1985-2000, and his wife, Emogene, have made a $100,000 gift to the UW-River Falls Foundation. Part of the gift, some $75,000 will be used towards the $2,000,000 required private contribution to the construction of the Falcon Center. The remaining $25,000 will be put towards the Gary A. and Emogene J. Thibodeau Scholarship. 

The Falcon Center, currently in the design phase and slated for construction beginning in 2014, is a multi-purpose health and human performance building that will include classrooms, laboratories, recreational spaces, and new athletic facilities, including a new intercollegiate athletics arena. The Falcon Center project will also update existing facilities including the Robert P. Knowles Physical Education and Recreation Center and the W.H. Hunt Arena. 

"The Falcon Center is destined to become a focal point for campus life and activities for decades to come," said Chancellor Thibodeau. "Emogene and I are pleased to be involved in the continuing campus effort to take this facility from a grand vision to a bricks and mortar reality. We remain committed to seeing this project through to completion and know that our support of the capital campaign will help make that possible." 

The Gary A. and Emogene J. Thibodeau Scholarship is presented annually to one upper-class student majoring in biology. Recipients must maintain a 3.0 cumulative grade point average and demonstrate financial need. 

"Scholarship support is an ongoing and critically important part of helping students succeed academically and is a priority focus of the capital campaign," said Chancellor Thibodeau. "We initiated our scholarship in 1985 and this year continue to support its growth with a designated campaign gift." 

"All of us at UW-River Falls are grateful for the remarkably thoughtful and generous gift from Chancellor Gary and Emogene Thibodeau," said current UW-River Falls Chancellor Dean Van Galen.  "We are indebted to Chancellor Thibodeau for his outstanding leadership of the university, and both Gary and Emogene are widely respected for the contributions they made to UWRF.  This gift will have a significant impact on the university's future, and only enriches their legacy at UW-River Falls." 

For more information, call Chris Mueller, UW-River Falls executive director of University Advancement and president of the UW-River Falls Foundation, at 715-425-3505 or email chris.mueller@uwrf.edu.