The Thomas M. Ulbright, M.D., and Corinne E. Ulbright, Ph.D., Scholarship was recently established in University College. The donors are Corinne and Thomas Ulbright, along with their three children, Anne Hoffmann, James Ulbright, and John Ulbright.
"The Ulbright Scholarship is a generous gift that provides opportunities to deserving IUPUI students and sets them up for success at University College and IUPUI,” said Interim Associate Vice Chancellor for Undergraduate Education Kristy Sheeler.
Corinne Ulbright, Ph.D., was a beloved faculty member in University College and in the School of Science. Even into her retirement, she was instrumental in welcoming new students to IUPUI as a key instructor in the Summer Bridge program led through University College.
Her husband, Thomas Ulbright, M.D., was a member of the Indiana University School of Medicine from 1980 until his retirement in 2014. He and his family have long been dedicated to public education, and this dedication is shown through their continued philanthropic support of IUPUI students.
Dr. Corinne Ulbright received many accolades throughout her career as an IUPUI professor, including two Trustees Teaching Awards, as well as the Tonja C. Eagan Mentoring Award in University College. Dr. Thomas Ulbright was awarded Teacher of the Year by the residents in the Department of Pathology.
The Ulbrights have shown a passion for all IUPUI students and a particular desire to support those who have no other support system. With their gift, the Ulbrights hope to give these students the opportunity to attend and succeed in college and change their lives.
“The reason we both agreed to endow this scholarship was because we both came from advantaged situations, so we didn’t have to struggle with our education,” Dr. Thomas Ulbright said. “Corinne especially saw over the course of her career that was often not the case with students. There were some students who were seriously disadvantaged and had to work and struggle for housing, and even had to take semesters off, so this is a way we have of giving back.”
The scholarship will provide meaningful support for deserving IUPUI students in the Scholar Support Programs.
“I lost some students who were excellent students, but they just financially could not continue, which I thought was just awful,” Dr. Corinne Ulbright said. “At that time, there really wasn’t anything to do, but I think of that starfish story, where the little boy is on the beach with thousands of starfish and he’s throwing them back one by one, and the person he’s with said, ‘What difference does it make? You can’t save them all.’ I figure, it’s the same thing with the students, at least we’ll be saving one at a time with the scholarship.”
The Ulbrights are the Division of Undergraduate Education's honorees at the upcoming IUPUI Spirit of Philanthropy Awards Luncheon. This honor is given to those individuals and organizations that have demonstrated dedication and commitment to the academic and cultural well-being of IUPUI and its faculty, staff, and students through generous donations, volunteering, and other notable investments. The award luncheon will take place on Tuesday, April 12, 2022, at the Indiana Roof Ballroom.
For more information, contact the Division of Undergraduate Education Office of Communications at duecomm@iu.edu.
