Tri-Cities receivesgift of $100,000

RICHLAND – CH2M HILL has presented WSU Tri-Cities with an additional gift of $100,000 to help wrap up final funding of the campus’s freshman scholarship program.
 
The donation was announced at Tuesday’s Freshman Scholarship Luncheon, where 31 of the community’s scholarship supporters were recognized. About 60 of the 102 full-time freshmen were able to attend.
 
“We are overwhelmed with the generosity of CH2M Hill and the other community members who stepped up to make our first freshman class a success,” said Vicky Carwein, WSU Tri-Cities Chancellor. “CH2M HILL truly is a partner in the pursuit of higher education.”
 
Today’s gift from CH2M Hill is in addition to last May’s donation of $60,000 for freshman scholarships.  CH2M HILL now has sponsored 26 members of the first freshman class.  The special scholarship provides $3,000 during the freshman year and an additional $3,000 in the senior year for students who maintain full-time status and complete their bachelor degrees at WSU Tri-Cities.
 
“We are relying on WSU Tri-Cities to provide access to the world-class education this community needs, growing and retaining our workforce, and being a partner in economic development,” said John Fulton, CH2M HILL President and Chief Executive Officer and a WSU alum. “This community’s enthusiasm for the first freshman class makes it easy to share the Cougar spirit.”
 
Tuesday’s gift from CH2M HILL brings the firm’s total contribution to the WSU Tri-Cities campus to more than $2.1 million.
 
CH2M HILL Hanford Group is the Department of Energy’s closure contractor for the River Protection Project, providing planning, project delivery, and nuclear safety expertise to accelerate clean up and close Hanford’s 177 large underground waste tanks.
 
WSU Tri-Cities originally anticipated admitting 35 freshmen into the four-year program that started in August 2007. Due to the overwhelming response, the state legislature approved funding for 50 freshmen. More than 100 freshmen enrolled, kicking off a new era of four-year degrees, daytime classes, active student life, and growing academic programs.
 
Major supporters of the WSU Tri-Cities Freshman Scholarship Program include CH2M Hill, Hanford Group, Inc., Energy Solutions, Garlick Enterprises, Battelle, Energy Northwest, Northwest Technical Resources, Inc., Tri-City Development Council, Windermere Real Estate, Columbia Center Rotary Club, Lee and Betty Adams, Advanced Technologies & Laboratories International, Inc., Cadwell Industries, Central Pre-Mix Concrete Co., Community First Bank, ConAgra Foods/Lamb Weston, Dr. Randall and Marta Farrar, Fluor, Francois and Debbie Forgette, HAPO Community Credit Union, Horrigan Foundation, Inc., Ray and Marilyn Robinson, Tri-City Herald, Tri-City Regional Chamber of Commerce, URS – Washington Division, Yakima Federal Savings & Loan, AREVA NP, Inc., U.S. Bank, Bud Knore – State Farm Insurance, Brad and Jennifer Fisher, Richland Rotary Club, and Bechtel National, Inc.