Clemson University announced on Thursday, June 24 that alumna Emily Peek Wallace is giving $1.25 million to establish the Emily Peek Wallace ’72 Endowed Directorship for the School of Mathematical and Statistical Sciences.
Wallace graduated in 1972 with a degree in mathematics. The first-generation college graduate has given back to the school before, according to a press release. Her latest gift will go to retain top talent at the university.
It will be the first endowed faculty position for the School of Mathematical and Statistical Sciences in the College of Science. The gift will also be the largest for the College of Science since it was established in 2016. The funds will go toward supporting the school’s director and helping sponsor programs in the school.
“I am so honored to have met such special people within the Clemson Family, like Emily Wallace. She was and remains a pioneer at SAS (Statistical Analysis System), paved the way and created opportunity for so many, including our Clemson students,” said Cynthia Young, dean of the College of Science. “Under the leadership of the Emily Peek Wallace ’72 Director, our outstanding faculty and staff will honor her legacy with their new discoveries, innovation, and in how they are preparing the next generation of leading mathematicians, statisticians and data scientists.”
“I wanted to do something to help the faculty. Everybody has had to shift their teaching and learning methods due to COVID-19, and the faculty has additional challenges to make sure students are not getting behind and that they’re learning what they need to be learning,” Wallace said in the release. “I wanted to provide encouragement and funding to help them, add additional facilities to help students stay current.”
In 2014, Wallace created the Emily Peek Wallace ’72 Scholarship Endowment for STEM, providing financial help to underrepresented students in those academic areas. The university noted that 25 students are using the scholarship this year.
