When the McCrays journeyed to Hawaii last fall for Professor Richard McCray's surprise 65th birthday celebration, they hinted that the family gift was going to be significant. It was. The gift they gave him established the Richard A. McCray Scholarship Fund with the CU Foundation for the benefit of undergraduate scholarships at the University of Colorado at Boulder.
"This scholarship honors Professor McCray for his lifelong commitment to science research and education, and for his sense of wonder," said McCray's wife Sandra. Sandra, daughters Julia and Carla, brother John, and sister Marcia established the endowment to fund this scholarship.
Initially, the gift will provide a $2,000 scholarship to an undergraduate student from any discipline on campus. Thereafter, the scholarship total will be $2,000 or the income from the fund each year, whichever is greater.
The donors are particularly interested in supporting students who may wish to pursue a career in science education. It is expected that the fund will be built to approximately $100,000 over the next several years.
McCray is a professor in the department of astrophysical and planetary sciences and has taught at CU-Boulder for more than 30 years. He is a George Gamow Distinguished Professor of Astrophysics and was elected to the National Academy of Sciences.
He is the recipient of many awards including a Guggenheim Fellowship and the Dannie S. Heinemann Prize for Astrophysics. In 2002, he was awarded the National Science Foundation's Director's Award for Distinguished Teaching Scholars, one of only six such awards made annually in the United States.
"Dick has been a driving force on campus both as a scholar of the highest
order and as a spokesperson for the importance of science education at all levels," said Todd Gleason, dean of the CU-Boulder College of Arts and Sciences. "This scholarship is a wonderful testament to his career accomplishments. Dick and Sandra are blessed to have such a supportive family."
Selection criteria for the award include academic excellence, a minimum cumulative grade-point average of 3.5 or the equivalent and demonstrated leadership ability. Financial need may also be a consideration.
The McCray Scholarship will be administered through the CU-Boulder College of Arts and Sciences and the University of Colorado Foundation, which is an independent, privately governed nonprofit organization that raises and manages private support for the benefit of CU. Additional contributions to the McCray Scholarship may be made by contacting the CU Foundation's Boulder office at (303) 735-3755.