With a $3 million gift, the Barrett Foundation has established the Barrett Chair of Engineering within the College of Engineering and Mathematical Sciences (CEMS). This new endowed position will support a distinguished faculty member who is recognized for excellence in teaching and research in any field of engineering.
“This gift represents a powerful expansion of the Barretts’ philanthropic vision,” said Mandar Dewoolkar, interim dean of CEMS. “They began by investing in students through scholarships, internships, and research opportunities. Now, by endowing a faculty chair, they are ensuring that the distinguished faculty who inspire and mentor those students receive the support they need to thrive in their teaching and scholarship. It’s a powerful and lasting legacy that touches every level of our academic mission.”
The Barrett Chair follows more than three decades of philanthropy by the Barrett Foundation, led by Richard Barrett ’66 and his wife, Elaine. Their support has provided unique opportunities for undergraduate and graduate students to engage in hands-on research that matters. Mentored by faculty, students tackle some of the most pressing technological, environmental, and social challenges facing society today.
The Barrett Foundation has been one of UVM’s most dedicated philanthropic partners. As long-time donors to CEMS, they made the lead gift to UVM’s STEM facility project in 2014. In the 1990s, they established the Barrett Scholars program, an experiential learning initiative that has provided prestigious summer research awards to undergraduate engineering students who work side by side with faculty on independent projects in environmental stewardship. The holder of the new Barrett Chair will also oversee the Barrett Scholars program. The Barrett Fellows program, established in 2018 and jointly administered by CEMS and the Gund Institute for Environment, has advanced doctoral-level research in areas aligned with UVM’s long-term commitment to healthy people and planet. Together, these programs have created a nationally distinctive model of student-faculty engagement, equipping UVM engineers with the skills and mindset to address real-world challenges.
A graduate of UVM’s mechanical engineering program, Richard Barrett has credited his own undergraduate internship experience as instrumental to his career. Through the Barrett Foundation, he and Elaine have encouraged UVM students to benefit from the same kind of real-world work experience that shaped his own path.
“The Barrett Chair will not only honor Richard and the Barrett Foundation’s remarkable legacy of philanthropy, it will also ensure that UVM can attract and retain world-class engineering faculty whose teaching, research, and mentorship directly benefit our students,” said Kathleen Kelleher, Interim President and CEO of the UVM Foundation. “We are deeply grateful for their vision and generosity.”
"I chose to fund this Chair of Engineering because dedicated faculty distinguishes UVM’s College of Engineering and Mathematical Sciences,” said Barrett. “It’s through their enthusiasm and guidance that students learn to turn ideas into solutions that truly make a difference.”
Fundraising for the College of Engineering and Mathematical Sciences is a major focus for the University of Vermont Foundation, a nonprofit corporation established to secure and manage private support for the benefit of the University of Vermont and the UVM Medical Center. To inquire about making a gift to CEMS, contact Max Seeland at Maxwell.Seeland@uvm.edu. More information about the impact of donors like the Barrett Foundation and the work of the UVM Foundation can be found at www.uvmfoundation.org.
