UVM CEMS mathematics professor Kenneth I. Gross and his family have established a scholarship fund at the University of Vermont to honor the memory of Marc E. Hull, former Vermont Education Commissioner and one of Vermont's most beloved educators. In recognition of Dr. Hull's significant accomplishments and his impact on education in Vermont, Kenneth and Mary Lou Gross and their daughters Laura and Karen have established the Marc E. Hull Scholarship Fund with a $100,000 endowment. Though his untimely death in 2003 at age 61 deprived Vermont of a gifted educational leader, Marc Hull left a lasting impact on the quality of Vermont schools and advanced the ideal that every Vermont child should have access to a first-rate education. "The values and ideals of this scholarship are meant to reflect Marc Hull's belief that supporting student success is at the heart of everything we do as educators," Gross said. "Marc adhered to the principle that love of mathematics and reading at an early age are critical to a student's educational success. In mathematics, Marc understood that student success in the early grades can only be achieved if teachers themselves know and love mathematics." The new fund will provide scholarship assistance to one or more educators annually to allow their participation in the Vermont Mathematics Initiative (VMI) or other programs administered by the Department of Mathematics at the University of Vermont that expand teachers' mathematics knowledge and help transfer that knowledge to their students. "We are very grateful to Ken and Mary Lou Gross and their children for their generosity in establishing this new scholarship," said UVM President Daniel Mark Fogel. "The VMI has been exceptionally successful in enhancing teacher knowledge and raising student achievement. This scholarship fund will enable teachers to enroll in the program who otherwise might not be able to do so." Marc Hull was Vermont's Commissioner of Education when Dr. Gross established the VMI, a comprehensive master's degree program founded on strong mathematics knowledge that trains K-8 teachers to be mathematics leaders in their schools and districts. Since the program's founding in 1999, the VMI has trained over 250 teachers representing nearly 90% of the school districts in Vermont. The VMI has also become a national model. Versions of the VMI program have been introduced in other states, including Massachusetts, Nebraska and New Mexico, and the cities of Little Rock, Arkansas, and Cincinnati, Ohio, have adopted VMI for their mathematics professional development. Contributions to the Marc E. Hull Scholarship Fund may be made by contacting the Office of Development and Alumni Relations at the University of Vermont, 802-656-1010 or 888-458-8691, or via email at alumni@uvm.edu.