Giving to the Turner Fellowship Program
The beauty of the Turner program is that the combined State and University investment in our Fellows assures them the opportunity to attain graduate degrees in over sixty degree programs from one of the highest ranking, internationally recognized research universities. The funding provided by the SUNY office of Diversity Equity and Inclusion along with the commitment of Stony Brook University funds by the Office of the President not only provides financial assistance but sets in place mentoring and other supports to assure the success of our diverse graduate students. The result of this support is that today, the Turner Fellowship program stands at over 415 alumni and nearly 100 current fellows.
As a historian and community activist Burghardt recognized that financial support was continuously in jeopardy, and that the struggle for continued and expanded support from Albany would need strong advocates. He considered that direct financial assistance from broader communities was required in addition to pressure on the appropriate legislative and executive branches of government. Toward that goal he and his wife Joyce Moore Turner made a personal donation to create the Turner Support Fund, as well as the W. Burghardt and Joyce Turner Endowed Fellowship Fund to serve as seed money towards the provision of funds beyond those provided by the State and the University. It was their hope that as the funds grew Stony Brook could not only continue to support a critical mass of graduate students supported by the State, but provide additional resources for special initiatives to increase the number of minority postdoctoral fellows and doctoral scholars at Stony Brook.
You are invited to join in this effort join our to face this challenge and ensure the continued success of the Turner Fellowship program by making a donation. You may be able to double your gift through matching gift programs in which many employers participate, including a spouse’s employer.