Campaign News

No stranger to the University’s science curriculum, Wood (’71, ’89) earned a bachelor’s degree in biology and then a master’s in science education from SU.  The scholarship honors her favorite SU professor and mentor:  Dr. Leonard Garigliano (better known to many as Dr. G), a long-time faculty member in the Education Department.

“I was always impressed with Dr. G for several reasons,” Wood said.  “He was highly qualified, very enthusiastic about his subject, and he set high standards for students.”  She described Garigliano as being at the forefront of involving students with real experiments.

“It’s become popular now to say kids should be doing ‘inquiry-based’ science, but Dr. G stood out because even back then he encouraged prospective teachers to have students learn science by doing science,” Wood said.  “His values and beliefs about science education had a tremendous impact on me and consequently on some of my students’ accomplishments.”

A former Delmar High School teacher and the K-12 science supervisor for the state of Delaware, Wood co-founded the Alternative School for Math and Science (ASMS), a charter school in Corning, NY, four years ago.  Over the years, some of her students’ accomplishments have included winning national awards for environmental problem solving, and helping ASMS become one of three middle schools in the U.S. to be named Intel® Schools of Distinction for science excellence.

A former chief technology officer for DuPont, Miller also knows the pressing need for encouraging students with an interest in math and science.  He was appointed by President Bill Clinton to the National Science Board, which oversees the National Science Foundation (NSF).

“NSF members have always been very concerned about developing the next generation of scientists and mathematicians,” Miller said.  “They are concerned about students’ educational needs and their declining interest in pursing these fields.  Rachel and I believe the quality of education in science starts with teachers, and so it is our hope that this scholarship impacts SU students by supporting and encouraging them to pursue the teaching of science as a career.”

Designed specifically for students in the Seidel School of Education and Professional Studies, the Wood/Miller Scholarship provides aid to students who “express interest and possess aptitude for teaching math or science to the students of tomorrow.”  Recipients must demonstrate financial need and remain in good academic standing as they pursue their degree in teacher education.  The award is renewable for four years.

“The gift is special in two ways,” said Kim Nechay, director of development for University Advancement and assistant director of the SU Foundation.  “Not only are Rachel Wood and Joseph Miller making a gift back to her Alma Mater to help students who desire to enter her profession, but they are also honoring an outstanding SU professor.”

“One of the things I so respect about SU is that it has never forgotten or altered from its original vision of preparing highly qualified teachers,” Wood said.  “By establishing a scholarship of this magnitude it validates that the teaching of science and math is a noble and rewarding profession.”

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Hanna credits those experiences, and his father, for inspiring his interest in government and politics as an undergraduate, and his long time passion for serving the community.

A former chair of the Salisbury University Foundation board, Henry H. Hanna, III and his wife, Dara, are establishing a $100,000 scholarship fund at SU for legislative interns working in the Maryland General Assembly.  Named in honor of Hanna’s father, who passed away last summer, they hope the Henry H. “Buddy” Hanna Memorial Award will inspire future generations of Salisbury University students to find the same passion for politics and community affairs.

“My father would truly appreciate that these Salisbury University students are enthusiastic about getting involved in public service and making a change,” Hanna said.

“The generosity of Henry and Dara Hanna will allow more of our students to experience the excitement of interning in the Maryland General Assembly and observing first-hand how policy is made,” said Dr. Harry Basehart of SU’s Political Science Department.  “It is truly a unique and valuable experience for our students.”

“This scholarship is one of the many gifts the Hannas have shared with Salisbury University,” said SU President Janet Dudley-Eshbach.  “They have been great friends of this campus and we truly appreciate their involvement – Dara as a former faculty member and as co-chair of our 75th Anniversary Gala, and Henry as a 20-year member the SU Foundation board.  I think Buddy Hanna would be proud of the contributions his son and daughter-in-law have made to our community, especially to students, through this scholarship.”

A longtime resident of Salisbury, Buddy Hanna was born in 1921 and attended Mrs. Herald’s School on North Division Street and the Upton Street School.  After serving in Europe during World War II, he returned to the region and began his long career as a local entrepreneur and community leader.  Over the years, his numerous business ventures included a gas station, an insurance agency (now Hanna, Kremer & Tilghman), Hanna Real Estate and a bus service from Salisbury to Delmar, Crisfield and Ocean City.  Later, he started Culligan Water Systems Company, built the Surfside 8 Motel in Ocean City and purchased the Marina Deck Restaurant in Ocean City with his son, Frank.

But the real passion for Buddy Hanna, and now his son Henry, was community involvement.  A co-founder of the Salisbury Jaycees, Buddy Hanna’s political career began when he was still in his 20s with his election to the Salisbury City Council.  He served three terms in the Maryland House of Delegates, debating issues of school desegregation, growth and other topics like the state budget and sales tax which still plague politicians.

“My father and the other politicians really knew each other personally, and even though they may have had differences, there was not partisanship like there is today,” Hanna said.  Instead of a split between party lines, he remembers a distinct division between those who represented the interests of the rural Eastern Shore and the state’s more urban regions.

For Salisbury University students interested in politics, the scholarship is a great opportunity, said SU senior Michael Hawkins, who is a legislative intern this year.  Former intern Ashley Heffernan, a junior, also sees the value – her work for legislators in Annapolis has led to a job there.

Awarded to SU juniors and seniors with a minimum 3.0 GPA, Hanna said the scholarship will especially help students from Salisbury and the Eastern Shore, who face the added expenses of travel and living arrangements in order to apply and successfully take part in legislative internships.  Six scholarships, ranging from $500 to $2,000, will be awarded.

“We are happy to make this investment that will benefit future Salisbury University students,” said Dara Hanna, who taught in SU’s Nursing Department.

A former chair of the SU Foundation board, Henry Hanna first got involved as a way to give back to the community.  He also was SU’s representative to the Community Foundation of the Eastern Shore’s Perdue-Kresge Challenge, making possible a $1.6 million endowment account with the Community Foundation. He continues to serve as chair of the University’s $30 million Capital Campaign 2012.

A graduate of Wicomico County High School, Hanna earned degrees from the University of Virginia and Southern Illinois University.  After taking his first job as a librarian and cheerleading coach at Mardela Springs High School, he went on to become a restaurant owner and a developer.  With more than 35 years of brokerage experience, Hanna is currently senior advisor for Sperry Van Ness—Miller Commercial Real Estate in Salisbury.  In addition, he is chair-elect of the SU Real Estate Foundation, for which he provides expertise and advice on real estate matters.  In the community, he is past president of Salisbury-Wicomico Economic Development, Inc. (SWED) and was a Mercantile Peninsula Bank board member for 20 years.

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Recently, Emery and his wife, Barbara, decided to use the land to help future generations of Salisbury University students.  They willed the farm, valued at more than $540,000, to the SU Foundation, asking that all proceeds be used to establish the Charles and Barbara Emery Scholarship.

“This generous planned gift is another major step toward Salisbury University’s Campaign 2012 goal of $30 million,” said Dr. Rosemary Thomas, vice president of University Advancement and  executive director of the SU Foundation.  “With scholarship fund-raising being the lion’s share of the campaign effort, the Emerys’ generosity has a significant effect in reaching this goal.  As we continue to gain momentum in our campaign, the Emery gift is a testimony of their leadership and dedication to the culture and history of Delmarva.”

“I love the Eastern Shore and the Lower Shore in particular,” Emery said.  “My wife and I feel that Salisbury University is vital to the long-range economic, social and cultural well-being of the region.  It is our hope that this support will better enable the University to perform that service to the residents of this very special area.”

“This is a special gift from a special family,” added Kim Nechay,  director of development for University Advancement and assistant director of the SU Foundation.  “Not only will this gift create a fabulous scholarship program in the future, but the impact it has on the research capacity of our current students and faculty is tremendous.  We at Salisbury University are so grateful to have friends like the Emerys.”

A member of the SU Foundation board of directors since 2002, Emery said the “Calloway Family Farm” is located on Athol Road in Mardela Springs.  The mainly wooded property is protected by a conservation easement through the Lower Shore Land Trust.

“It’s preserved against development--only two houses can be built on it,” Emery said.  “It’s unique land because it’s been in my family for so long.  I’ve always loved the land and I wanted it to go someplace special.”

Currently, the farm is being used for research by students and faculty in SU’s Department of Biology, as well as Geography and Geosciences.  “It seems like a good place for certain kinds of research,” Emery said.  “There’s a cemetery on the property and it has both tidal and non-tidal wetlands, and marsh that I thought would be of interest to students.”

According to Dr. Samuel Geleta, one of the biology professors, the cemetery is one of four locations students have examined while researching the impact of human activity on soil quality in the region.  Through soil sampling, they estimate that two to three feet of soil has washed away over the years from fields surrounding the cemetery.

In addition to sharing the land with SU students and creating a lasting legacy with the institution with this planned gift, Emery has served the campus community on committees for Public Radio Delmarva (WSCL/WSDL), the University’s Master Plan and the Middle States Accreditation.  In addition, he has been a member of the board of directors for the Edward H. Nabb Research Center for Delmarva History and Culture since 2003.

The Charles and Barbara Emery Scholarship will be the second scholarship endowed by the Emery’s.  In 2005, they founded the Stephen Michael Emery Scholarship at SU to honor the memory of their son, Stephen.  Designed for SU seniors majoring in Social Work with a GPA of 3.0 or greater, it was the department’s first endowed scholarship.

An electrical engineer for more than 40 years, Emery is the president and owner of Cable Testing Service, Inc., in Newark, DE, which provides electrical equipment testing and consulting for the power industry.  He’s also been a consultant for the Dupont Company’s Engineering Department and lectured at the University of Delaware for over 20 years.

A graduate of the University of Delaware, Emery earned a Master of Science in electrical power engineering at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, NY.  In the community, he is a member of Asbury United Methodist Church, and is also involved with Peninsula United Methodist Homes.

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