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Endowment Will Support Scholarships, Fellowships at Duke's Nicholas School

The endowment can be used to support student scholarships and fellowships, classroom and field instruction, facility upgrades and other needs

DURHAM, N.C. - “ Proceeds from gifts contributed by LaDane Williamson of Ocean Isle Beach, N.C., have resulted in a $2 million endowment to support academic and research programs at the Nicholas School of the Environment and Earth Sciences at Duke University, President Richard H. Brodhead announced Friday.

The endowment, which includes $500,000 in matching funds, can be used to support student scholarships and fellowships, classroom and field instruction, facility upgrades, technology acquisition, faculty research and other needs.

In recognition of Williamson's support, the NicholasSchool plans to name its environmental health wing in her honor.

Williamson is owner of the LaDane Williamson Company, a diversified land development, golf management and real estate sales firm with operations in North Carolina, South Carolina and New York. She is a graduate of Duke and a current Duke parent.

"As someone who is privileged to live at the coast and derive an income from its responsible development, I daily see clear evidence of the value -- the necessity --of preserving coastal resources and protecting environmental health," Williamson said.

"I'm pleased to support research and teaching that helps solve the environmental challenges facing society today, fosters stewardship and trains students to be environmental leaders for the future."

Matching funds are provided by the Nicholas School Signature Venture Endowment Program, which assists friends of the school in establishing endowments that support the donor's special interests. Designed to provide maximum flexibility for both the donor and the school, these endowments may be designated for student support, faculty support or as venture capital for new programs, courses and initiatives.

"This is the kind of endowment that schools dream of having," said William H. Schlesinger, James B. Duke Professor of Biogeochemistry and dean of the NicholasSchool. "It gives the school great flexibility to address the most pressing needs of our students and faculty, and it enhances our ability to strengthen and diversify our academic and research resources in response to, and anticipation of, changing environmental priorities."

A longtime friend of Duke and the NicholasSchool, Williamson is a member of the James B. Duke Society, which recognizes individuals who have supported the university with $100,000 or more in gifts. She served on the NicholasSchool's Board of Visitors from 1996 to 2002.

The environmental health wing of the LevineScienceResearchCenter, the current home of the NicholasSchool, will be named the LaDane Williamson Environmental Health Wing, pending approval by the university's Board of Trustees. Plans are under way to build a new home on Duke's campus for the NicholasSchool. When the new building is complete, naming rights will be transferred to the environmental health module there.