Givers from Within

Dr. Rich Metters

Since 2011, Dr. Richard “Rich” Metters has worked to foster a spirit of camaraderie among faculty and staff in the Department of Information Systems and Operations Management at Mays Business School, which has risen to be one of the nation’s top programs for its research.

As head of the department, Metters plans to keep that spirit alive not only through his leadership, but also by establishing a source of funding for future workplace celebrations through a bequest in his estate. “I believe that work shouldn’t be a drudgery; it should be a joy!” Metters said. “Our accomplished faculty and incredible staff deserve to be celebrated and doing so creates an environment for excellence.”

Despite the importance of workplace spirit, Metters noted that event funding is often the first item to go when budgets are tight. His planned gift will ensure that his department’s efforts will continue to be recognized through workplace gatherings that celebrate hard work. 

Dr. Leslie Easterwood ’90 ’95

Aggieland’s recognition of the late Lt. Col. Roy Tisdale ’92 has taken many forms, but the common denominator is Dr. Leslie Easterwood ’90 ’95, an equine veterinarian and clinical assistant professor in the College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences.

Wanting to honor her lifelong friend following his passing in 2012, Easterwood worked with Tisdale’s family members and friends to name a student lounge in the Buzbee Leadership Learning Center on the Quad after him. She then spearheaded the creation of a memorial Sul Ross Scholarship in his name to support members of the Corps of Cadets. Knowing that Tisdale would not want sole recognition, however, she expanded her commitment through a planned gift of life insurance to honor all Aggies who have lost their lives serving our country since 9/11.

“We made the decision to use this date because we felt that these Aggies were Roy’s contemporaries,” she said. To date, there are 37 fallen Aggies that Easterwood’s planned gift will honor in the form of Sul Ross Scholarships.

Charlotte and Walter Buchanan

For Charlotte and Walter Buchanan, an avid quilter and a distinguished engineering technology professor respectively, Texas A&M is more than a university; it’s home. Wanting to create a permanent impact in the College of Engineering, where Walter has worked for 14 years, the couple will establish an engineering chair for the Hagler Institute for Advanced Study through a bequest in their estate.

The Hagler Institute provides an outstanding environment for research and scholarship at Texas A&M by recruiting world-class faculty fellows to study and lecture on campus. The chair will help attract top scholars from around the world to work directly with Texas A&M engineering instructors and students. “These professors bring a breadth of knowledge to students and challenge them to grow through new opportunities and experiences,” Charlotte said. “Having top-notch faculty is something we find very important to support.” 

Charles Gilreath

For many years, the KAMU broadcasting station and Sterling C. Evans Library have been vital resources for students and faculty at Texas A&M University. Hoping that future generations of Aggies will continue to benefit from them, Charles Gilreath, former associate professor and interim dean of university libraries, created a bequest in his estate to provide unrestricted funding for both.

Gilreath attributes his time at the university libraries to his successful career and feels KAMU adds to the quality of life in the community. The station is Gilreath’s main source for information and entertainment. “I enjoy the content they produce,” he said. “It’s high quality and worthy of support.

“I want to provide KAMU and Evans Library with resources that allow their administrators to help students and the community,” he added. “The university is changing rapidly, so providing unrestricted funds will give administrators the flexibility they need to put the money to its best use.”