Alumni Couple Donates to Scholarships in Engineering and Aggie Athletics
Thursday, Jan. 30, 2014
Richard and Moonyeen Anderson (center) present $100,000 to USU President Stan Albrecht. Rob Behunin (left), vp for university advancement and commercialization, and Christine Hailey (right), Engineering dean, joined the couple for the presentation.
Richard and Moonyeen Anderson, both Utah State University alumni, have donated $100,000 to support engineering students and Aggie student athletes. The College of Engineering receives $50,000 that goes toward the Richard and Moonyeen Anderson Scholarship in Engineering. USU Athletics receives $50,000 for the Wayne Estes Center that is currently under construction.
“College is getting more and more expensive,” Richard said. “We want to help interested students pursue degrees in engineering because new developments and inventions are what drive our economy for the better.”
The Richard and Moonyeen Anderson Scholarship in Engineering is funded annually with proceeds from a charitable trust established to benefit the college long term. The scholarship is awarded to engineering majors who have demonstrated academic achievement, a record of community service and leadership skills and who have graduated from high school in Cache or Box Elder counties.
“The scholarships created by the Andersons helps deserving students complete degrees that contribute to the long-term success of Utah and our nation,” said Christine Hailey, dean of USU’s College of Engineering. “Richard and Moonyeen are generous people, and I am grateful for their ongoing support.”
The couple is also supporting USU Athletics by contributing to the Wayne Estes Center, a 32,000 square-foot basketball practice facility and volleyball competition venue that opens in spring 2014.
“I have always felt that athletics teaches teamwork and leadership skills,” Richard said.
After receiving a degree in social work, Moonyeen worked with unwed mothers and pre-adoption through the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Social Services program and simultaneously raised six children.
Richard’s career began in 1959 as an engineer in the corporate laboratories of Hewlett-Packard. Over the years he held numerous positions, eventually becoming the senior vice president of Hewlett-Packard company’s Microwave and Communications Group.
While working at Hewlett-Packard, Richard supported USU by securing more than $3.8 million in equipment gifts. Since his retirement he has continued to help the College of Engineering and other areas of USU. Over the years Richard has supported his alma mater through service in various positions, including the President’s Roundtable, the Utah State University Foundation Board and the College of Engineering Dean’s Advisory Board.
The Andersons’ impact has also been felt through the establishment of the Richard and Moonyeen Anderson Wireless Research and Teaching Center. The facility, opened in 2001, provides a state-of-the-art research and teaching facility for wireless communication with emphasis on industry-relevant design projects and has become a hub of wireless technology development.
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Contact: Val Potter, USU College of Engineering, 435-797-8012, val.potter@usu.edu
