Robert H. Smith School of Business - University of Maryland, College Park

Ernst & Young Foundation Presents $37,000 Gift to Smith School

Dean Howard Frank accepts a gift check from Bill Cole 71, Gary Dando 64, and Jim Flick 62three of the many Smith alumni affiliated with Ernst & Young. All three alumni are members of the Deans Advisory Council.

The Ernst & Young Foundation presented a matching gifts check for $37,073 to Dean Howard Frank on May 5, 2005 to the Robert H. Smith School of Business on behalf of University of Maryland alumni partners, retirees and staff. Of the total amount, $28,323 is designated for the Ernst & Young Education Excellence Fund, $7,500 to the Dando Scholarship Fund and $1,250 to the Lamone Fund.

When combined with individual alumni contributions, the check from the Ernst & Young Foundation brings the organizations total gifts to the Smith School over the past year to $71,446.

Ernst & Young's support has enabled the Smith School to distribute more than $30,000 in scholarships to students each year since 2002. As the costs of higher education continue to increase, scholarships are vital to help ensure that every deserving student can come to the Smith School regardless of financial need, said Dean Howard Frank.

The check was presented by William Cole 71, a partner in Ernst & Young and member of the Deans Advisory Council, in a ceremony at the University Inn and Conference Center.

Ernst & Young has been an important corporate partner to the Smith School. It is traditionally one of the top campus recruiters among undergraduate students; this year alone the company hired 12 Smith School graduates and gave internships to 18 undergraduate students; it is a multi-year sponsor of the Deans Undergraduate Awards Banquet and is the 15-year corporate sponsor of the Alumni Chapter Golf Tournament.

Alumni at Ernst & Young maintain close ties to the Smith School, serving as judges for various case competitions, speaking to many student groups, and serving on the Deans Advisory Council and the Smith Schools Board of Visitors.

Many Smith School alumni have gone on to successful careers with Ernst & Young, and their involvement with the school has been invaluable, said Joanne Ferchland-Parella, assistant dean of external relations. We are deeply appreciative of the role Ernst & Young plays in the Smith Schools continuing advancement efforts.