Alumnus establishes occupational safety scholarship
Released: April 25, 2008
A Whitewater resident is turning personal tragedy into educational opportunity for University of Wisconsin-Whitewater students interested in the occupational safety field.
Jeff McDonald, a UW-Whitewater alumnus and member of the College of Arts and Communication Dean’s Advisory Committee, has established the Richard D. McDonald Memorial Scholarship in honor of his late father, Richard, whose life was tragically lost in an accident on his Watertown dairy farm. McDonald’s father was a nationally recognized registered Holstein breeder, active as a 4H leader and involved in many community activities.
“People sometimes take occupational safety for granted,” said McDonald. “Occupational safety has greatly improved over the years, but as long as preventable injuries or deaths occur, there is more work to be done.”
McDonald, who received his bachelor’s degree in 1983 and MBA in 1986 from UW-Whitewater, has established the scholarship and is offering it to support the training of individuals studying for their bachelor’s degree in occupational safety within the department of occupational and environmental safety and health in the College of Education.
“Mr. McDonald’s generosity will provide funding for a student aspiring to become a safety professional,” said Professor and chair of the occupational and environmental safety and health department Alvaro Taviera. “This donation will ultimately save injuries, suffering and possibly the lives of workers in the state of Wisconsin.”
The scholarship is an endowed annual scholarship in the amount of $1,000. McDonald’s vision is to assist students whose careers will help establish safe working conditions and environments, as well as prevent injury and the loss of life from agricultural and industrial accidents.
“I have gotten to know the individuals in the occupational safety department and am very impressed with their credentials and experience,” said McDonald. “With this scholarship, I want to help them further their work while raising awareness about the importance of occupational safety.”
For more information about the Richard D. McDonald Memorial Scholarship, contact Director of Advancement for the College of Education Randall G. Upton at 262-472-1389.
- Katie Rankin,rankinkd12@uww.edu
