Marilyn Mieszkuc Memorial Scholarship Endowment
The Mieszkuc Scholarship is targeted to women in transition - academic, financial, personal or professional. It is not limited to students of Women's Studies or to any of UHCL's four schools.
Marilyn Mieszkuc Memorial Professorship in Women's Studies
Marilyn Mieszkuc loved helping people. In addition to serving as an attorney, Marilyn took an active role in making the community a better place. Organizations like the Bay Area Turning Point and the Bay Area SPCA benefited from her commitment to volunteerism. An advocate of education, Marilyn’s involvement with the University of Houston-Clear Lake (UHCL) included serving on its Development and Advisory Council. She also served in a variety of professional organizations including the Association of Business and Professional Women, Association of Women Attorneys and Community Associations Institute. Her reach extended throughout and beyond the Clear Lake community.
In an effort to honor his wife’s commitment to education, Ben Mieszkuc created an endowed professorship in Women’s Studies at UHCL. The Marilyn Mieszkuc Memorial Professorship in Women’s Studies Endowment – the first privately funded professorship of its kind at UHCL – was signed February 24, 2003.
The annual distributed income from the endowment will support a faculty member in the Women’s Studies Program who can broaden course offerings, spearhead new research, and increase community outreach. The annual distribution from the endowment may be spent by the selected faculty member on, but not limited to, research, professional development, travel, library materials, office/clerical support, salary enhancement or other activities deemed to enrich and enhance the UHCL Women’s Studies Program.
The professorship will be awarded annually to a member of the Women’s Studies Faculty at UHCL to pursue a course of research or other scholarly activity related to the discipline. The award’s recipient shall be determined by a committee of four members, including the Convener of Women’s Studies, who shall chair the committee. The Marilyn Mieszkuc Memorial Professor shall have access to up to 50% of the funds available for the year, and shall use these funds to defray the costs associated with the proposed research or scholarly project (including but not limited to course releases or other research support, travel, etc.). During the final semester of incumbency, the holder of the Marilyn Mieszkuc Memorial Professorship in Women’s Studies shall offer a presentation based on that work at a colloquium, exhibit or other public event hosted by the Women’s Studies Faculty for the UHCL community at large.
The balance of the year’s disbursement shall be collectively administered by the Women’s Studies Faculty for the development of the Program through such activities as colloquia, a lecture and/or film series, scholarships, and an Annual Reception honoring outstanding Women’s Studies students, Women’s Studies scholarship recipients, and the incumbent and newly appointed Marilyn Mieszkuc Professors.
