Meet Our Donors

The son of Charlie Twine Sr., who used correspondence courses to enhance his business skills and build his resume, has established a scholarship that will help Old Dominion University’s distance learning students thrive.

A Gift Engineered for Impact

Bruce Conway always knew he wanted to be an engineer. Now, he’s started a scholarship fund to help other students pursue their dreams.

Lifelong Career Leads to Scholarship Supporting Next Generation of Graphic Designers

Debbie Miller began her career as a graphic designer at ODU and worked for the university until her retirement. Now, she is supporting the next generation of ODU graphic designers through the endowed scholarship that she and her husband, Gary Chiaverotti, created, the “Deborah L. Miller Graphic Design Scholar.”

Norfolk Firefighter Honors His Wife’s Legacy by Endowing the Sharon K. Mills Graduate Teaching Scholarship in Special Education

Sharon Mills earned her Master of Science in Education from Old Dominion University in 1975, the first in her family to pursue a college degree. Sharon had long felt that education was her calling.

A Lifetime Librarian’s Gift of Helping Students

Nationally recognized law librarian Sally Wambold’s legacy gift will extend her life’s work by helping prepare future librarians working in Archives & Special Collections.

Lifelong Love of Reading Leads to Legacy Left at ODU

Discover how you can use your estate plan to leave a gift to Old Dominion University and help brighten our students’ future, just like alumna Vickie Eckert did.

Memorial Scholarship Honors a Faithful Monarch

A leader during her time at ODU, Flo Blankenship was also a dedicated Virginia Beach educator, high school librarian and active member of her community. To honor her life of service and commitment to education, Flo’s family established a scholarship in her name.

A Scholarship to Prepare Future Students for Successful Careers

ODU prepared William Edelstein for a long, prosperous career. Through his estate, he created a scholarship to help ODU students achieve the same.

Celebrating the Life of a Classmate and Lifelong Friend

For most students, the thought of going away to college is both exciting and uncertain. From making new friends to finding their way in a strange place, it is always an adventure. For Lorraine Schneider, it was no different.

A Woman Who Made a Difference

After graduating from Vassar College as a theater major on a work-study scholarship, Edie Reynolds, a New Jersey native, received a Navy commission at age 20.

What an Amazing Journey

Michele Mulich's work as an IT professional has taken her all across the country. But ODU was never far from her mind. See how her experience here, a phone call and a significant event led her to make ODU a part of her legacy.

A Life Built Around Family, God and Country

Joseph (Joe) Petro grew up in Fairbank, Pennsylvania, in a family of nine, where his father and uncles worked in the coal mines. After school, Joe helped his mother by picking berries and running errands. As he got older, Joe sold newspapers and animal skins, taking on most any task to earn money for the family. For fun, he took up boxing, competing in Pennsylvania and West Virginia, and joined the Boy Scouts.

A Shared Commitment—Family, Students, Camp Greenbrier and ODU

Alumni Bob and Maria Hood have dedicated their lives to educating young people—in schools, at their family's summer camp and by supporting ODU. Recently, they found a smart way to amplify their impact using a retirement account. “We hope others learn how easy this was,” Maria says.

Major Monarch

Diana McBrien laughs as she recalls seeing Harry for the first time. She and her family were living in Navy housing in Virginia Beach when Harry and his family moved into the house across the street.

Navy Vet and Computer Engineering Senior Benefits From Scholarship

Bonnie Lee Miley is the recent recipient of the SoldierStrong scholarship, which is awarded to a female veteran at Old Dominion University with a high GPA in a STEM discipline.

Teacher’s Impact Is a Lasting Gift

Del Karlsen ’74 was a favorite of his students throughout his 30-year career, and loved following students’ educational journeys, seeing them achieve advanced degrees and launch successful careers.

A Trailblazer in the Nursing Profession

Helen was a wonderful supporter of our college, especially the School of Nursing, by establishing their scholarships, as well as coming to our major events. She had a passion for living and for sharing with others through her philanthropy, textbooks, teaching and project development.

ODU Grads Make a Gift to Help Future Education Students

A native of Norfolk, Jay Kossman graduated from Maury High School and headed to Old Dominion to study political science. About the same time, Jay's future wife, Joyce, graduated from Granby High and was drawn to Old Dominion due to its proximity to home, the cost and her desire to teach.

Joan Nusbaum: Leaves a Legacy of Love to Family and Community

Joan Nusbaum was as multifaceted as the loves in her life: her family at the center, surrounded by friends, art and music, combined with interests in medicine and education and sprinkled with a sense of adventure. Over her lifetime, Joan became a philanthropist who believed in giving back to her community.

I Can Do That!

After graduating from ODU in 1972, Debbie Miller began her career as a graphic artist at Tidewater Community College. A Monarch at heart, Debbie joined the ODU staff in 1978 as Graphic Design Supervisor for the media center, now the Center for Learning and Teaching.

All for the Love of the Game

“Tennis has been a defining part of my life,” said Ken Hunter ’81. “It led to shared friendships and life lessons, and it all started when my mother gave me her old Jack Kramer tennis racket.”

Carl Helwig an American Scholar

Carl Helwig’s goal was to become, in his words, an “American scholar.” That was an impressive aspiration for a boy born in Marosujvar, Romania, who immigrated to the United States at age 6 with his parents and sister in 1924.

Karen Gershman ’84

When Richmond native Karen Gershman ’84 began working with her attorney on creating her estate plan, she knew she wanted to include Children’s Hospital of The King’s Daughters as well as some other charities that were close to her heart.

Lovingly Giving Back

An only child, Dowrick grew up on Virginia’s Northern Neck. She lived on the family farm where she learned a wide range of skills. She feared nothing—learned to fire rifles and won awards at local Thanksgiving turkey shoots.

Kendra and Glenn Croshaw

Kendra and Glenn Croshaw have committed their lives to impacting the lives of others: Kendra, before her retirement in 2006, as director of government relations and public policy for Children’s Hospital of The King’s Daughters; and Glenn, currently as a Circuit Court judge in Virginia Beach and formerly as a member of the House of Delegates for the Commonwealth of Virginia.

Sue Cotton Smith Endowed Scholarship into Engineering Old Dominion University

Believing that ODU is her family, Sue Cotton Smith, office manager in the Civil Engineering Department, felt compelled to establish a scholarship. A 30-year employee at ODU, Smith has seen the importance of reaching out to others in times of need.

George L. ’67 and Linda L. Consolvo

"Linda and I believe that it is important for those of us who have had the good fortune to benefit from our education to support the institutions that laid the foundation for that success. However, it is not simply a sense of duty that drives us but also the joy of sharing and the knowledge that other lives will be enhanced by the gift of education so well provided at Old Dominion University."

Because They Have Experienced The Power of Education

Ed ’74 and Linda ’71 Bradley spent their careers as juvenile probation officers (JPO). At that time, the innovative Norfolk Juvenile Court was exposing adolescents to family and group counseling, athletic, cultural, and outdoor adventures.

A Twist of Good Fortune

Joseph Fleischmann was born in Nuremberg, Germany, on Oct. 17, 1925. At the time of his birth, the picturesque city was known for its medieval architecture and the Kaiserburg Castle, one of its most famous landmarks.

At 100, Alumnus Reflects on Fond Memories and Growth of Alma Mater

Last week, an enthusiastic class of graduates finished their studies at Old Dominion University, leaving with memories of their time in classes and making social connections. Linwood "Tick" Thumm is proof that these memories can last a lifetime.

Future Scholars Will Be Luckey

Mike and Denise Luckey have known each other since the eighth grade. They remained friends throughout high school, but it wasn't until they went to different colleges - Denise to Virginia Tech and Mike to Old Dominion University, that they realized there might be more between them than merely friendship. It was a letter that Denise wrote to Mike that changed everything for the young couple. "I framed the letter and it hangs in our bedroom," said Mike. "We wouldn't be together today if Denise hadn't written to me."

The Power of Distance Learning

Shannon Hair and his mother were abandoned by his father when he was just a toddler. It was his mother's attitude that they could make it out of public housing by sheer determination and hard work. Shannon said, "My life could have ended up very differently. I should have been a statistic."

Harry B. Adreon Continues His Wife's Legacy Through a Scholarship

Harry Adreon grew up at the corner of Gates and Colley avenues in Norfolk. With his father working at H.B. Gilpin Company, a wholesale pharmaceutical company, it wasn't surprising that, as a student at Maury High School, Harry was attracted to young Beatrice "Bea" Rice, who planned to become a pharmacist.

Investing in the Lives of ODU Students

Steve Hardt has always been good with numbers. In fact, when growing up in Portsmouth, he excelled in math—perhaps because his mother was a teacher and taught him to work hard and study even harder.

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