CHARLOTTE, N.C.  – May 5, 2011 – A $2,000,000 bequest, the largest single donation to the College of Education at UNC Charlotte, was announced on May 3 by Chancellor Philip L. Dubois at a celebration of the College of Education’s 40^th anniversary.

The gift was made from the estate of Mr. Nicholas Goudes, Charlotte entrepreneur and philanthropist, to the Alma and Sharon Goudes Education Scholarship Fund.  The bequest joins a previous $1,000,000 gift from Mr. Goudes to generate generous scholarships for UNC Charlotte students who are preparing for careers as teachers of mathematics or English.  Since 1998, 76 students have been named Goudes Scholars at UNC Charlotte.

Nicholas Goudes, who died on April 5, 2010, was a native of Sparta, Greece, and came to the United States in 1947, where he pursued a successful career in the hospitality industry.  With his wife Alma, he founded the Sharon View Country Club and served for 40 years as the club’s proprietor. 

“Mr. Goudes chose to support future teachers out of a great love and respect for the teaching profession,” said College of Education Dean Mary Lynne Calhoun,  “and out of a clear understanding of how education can open doors of opportunity.”  Once when speaking to College of Education honor students, Mr. Goudes said, “I always say when a teacher enters the room, you should stand up!”

Two additional major gifts were announced at the 40^th anniversary celebration.  The Honorable Irwin Belk has made the lead gift to establish the $1,000,000 endowment which has created the Carol Grotnes Belk Distinguished Professorship in Urban Education.   This new professorship will focus on the Ph.D. in Curriculum & Instruction and will provide leadership for the college’s commitment to successful teaching and learning in urban settings. 

The Cato Teaching Discovery Mural, established through a $300,000 gift from the Cato Corporation and its CEO, UNC Charlotte alumnus John Cato, will be an architectural mural in sculpted brick, to be installed next year outside the College of Education building.  The mural will feature images of the power of teaching and will include elements of North Carolina’s history and heritage, making it a destination of discovery for groups of school children and other visitors.  Donors who make a gift of $1,000 or more may identify an outstanding teacher whose name will be inscribed on the mural. The college will collect stories of those teachers’ transformational impact.  Funds generated through the Cato Teaching Discovery Mural will establish an endowment to benefit the work of the college and its students.

“Each day, future teachers will walk by the Cato Teaching Discovery Mural,” Calhoun said, “and will be inspired by the memories and stories of great teachers.”

“UNC Charlotte has a historic commitment to the preparation of outstanding educators,” Dubois said.  “Over the last four decades, the College of Education has increased the scope and size of its mission. It produces the second highest number of teachers of any UNC school and its graduates populate schools all over North Carolina. I look forward to what the next 40 years will bring.”

The Looking Forward Campaign will continue through June 2013.

About the College of Education

Established in the 1970-1971 academic year as the College of Human Development and Learning,  the College of Education is celebrating its 40^th anniversary through  the Looking Forward campaign to honor educators and the education professions, to celebrate its history, and to grow in its outreach and impact. Today the College of Education is home to more than 3,000 students who are preparing for careers in education through baccalaureate, master’s, and doctoral programs, and is the second largest professional education program in North Carolina. More than 6,600 alumni work in North Carolina’s public schools.

For more information:

http://lookingforward.uncc.edu/

http://education.uncc.edu/

Media contact: John D. Bland, 704.687.5822, jdbland@uncc.edu.