Schools
University of Arizona Libraries Gets $2.3 Million Gift
The gift comes from the family of archaeologist Kate Willcock who died in January. The gift will fund two endowments – both library-related.
TUCSON, AZ – For more than 20 years, Katheryne "Kate" Willcock has supported undergraduate and graduate student research at the University of Arizona. Though she died in January, her generosity will continue.
The University of Arizona Libraries announced on Tuesday that they had received a $2.3 million gift from her estate to establish two endowments, One will support graduate assistantships for students in the school's Library and Information Science Program and the other creats the Katheryne B. Willcock Dean of University of Arizona Libraries Chair.
Willcock, an archaeologist who focused on the Southwestern United States and the Virgin Island, has long funded positions and programs at the university including the Katheryne B. Willcock Director of Special Collections Endowment and the other a Graduate Assistantship program meant to invest in the next generation of librarians, archivists and information professionals.
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One of the people helped is Yvonne Mery who has worked at the libraries since 2007 and was a recipient of one a Willcock assistantship. (Get Tucson Patch's daily newsletter and real-time news alerts. Or, find your local Patch here and subscribe).
"I was able to really concentrate on my education because of my graduate assistantship," said Mery, whose work focuses on developing tutorials to improve students' research skills and teaching graduate courses in the iSchool.
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"The program gave me a wealth of practical experience and information that took me from shadowing instruction and reference librarians as they taught courses to teaching the courses myself."
University president Robert Robbins says that Willcock "had the foresight to recognize our libraries' potential, and the generosity to ensure that it was realized.
"This gift from her estate will provide University Libraries with the capacity to reshape the concept of the campus library to meet whatever needs the future brings. Her impact will be felt by students for generations."
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Photo via the University of Arizona.
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