PULLMAN, Wash. – In a gesture of support and admiration for John Gardner, who recently announced he is stepping down as vice president for Advancement and CEO of the WSU Foundation, more than $50,000 has been collectively pledged by volunteers, staff, and foundation leaders to create an endowment fund in the name of Gardner and his wife Julie.
The endowment fund was announced during the WSU Foundation’s Trustee Meeting in Vancouver, WA on May 19. Gardner and his wife, Julie said they were moved by the impromptu gesture, intended to recognize Gardner’s long service to the university.
“We are humbled by the warmth and generosity of our peers and friends who established an endowed scholarship in our name,” Gardner said.
The Gardners chose to designate the new John and Julie Gardner Food for Health Fellowship to support one or more graduate medical students conducting human nutrition research at WSU’s Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine, particularly where those studies involve joint research in crop and soil sciences related to improving crop plants for food. The Floyd College will soon be establishing a new ‘Center for Human Nutrition’ for cross-disciplinary research to improve utilization of healthy foods.
“We are particularly interested the intersection of crops that promote health and we believe WSU’s land grant research strength in plant-based foods can contribution to better health in the future,” said Gardner. “This is a natural fit to contribute to strengthening the interdisciplinary bridge between agriculture and medicine to help prevent the preventable among chronic health problems tied to malnutrition locally and around the world.”
Gifts to support the John and Julie Gardner Food for Health Fellowship may be made online.
Media contacts:
- Gil Picciotto, associate vice president, University Development, 206-219-2410, gpicciotto@wsu.edu
- Trevor Durham, associate vice president, University Development, 509-335-2093, tdurham@wsu.edu