Scholarship memorializes beloved
mathematics
professor Eberth Alarcón
RELEASED: Jan. 2, 2008
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Eberth Alarcón |
EAU CLAIRE — A beloved mathematics professor at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire has been memorialized with an endowed scholarship established through the UW-Eau Claire Foundation.
The Eberth Alarcón Memorial Scholarship, established by his wife, Dr. Asha Sen, a UW-Eau Claire associate professor of English, has been endowed thanks to numerous gifts given in honor of Alarcón. The $500 annual scholarship will be awarded for the first time in the 2008-09 academic year to an outstanding incoming Latino/Latina freshman interested in a major in mathematics. Financial need will be a primary consideration for the award.
The scholarship honors Alarcón, an associate professor of mathematics who died of acute leukemia in September 2006. Alarcón came from a low-income Latino family in Chicago and was often a mentor and advocate for multicultural students, Sen said.
"His love of life and his passion for social justice made him a well-loved member of the university community," Sen said."The Eberth Alarcón Memorial Scholarship is a way of perpetuating his legacy by giving talented students from disadvantaged backgrounds an opportunity to explore their passion for mathematics and for life on this campus where professor Alarcón was and continues to be such a beloved figure."
The scholarship is intended to encourage more Latino/Latina students to study mathematics, said Dr. Marc Goulet, chair of the mathematics department.
"Eberth had a love for mathematics and a deep respect for diversity," Goulet said. "Latina and Latino Americans are significantly underrepresented in mathematics. Eberth's scholarship will serve to encourage such students to consider pursuing this wonderful and practical discipline. Eberth was a fantastic colleague, and this scholarship honors his memory in a beautiful way."
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