On Friday, April 22, 2022 – Earth Day – Ferrum College announced the endowment of the Carolyn L. Thomas Memorial Fund, which will provide critical support to the College’s natural science programs. Established in memory of Faculty Emerita of Environmental Science Carolyn Lee Thomas, who passed away in January 2020, the fund will primarily support experiential learning projects for students in environmental science, agriculture, and biology.
A beloved member of the Ferrum College community, Thomas taught environmental science at the College for more than 41 years. In addition to her work on campus, Thomas loved the learning that occurred outside the classroom. She and her husband, Faculty Emeritus of Biology and Agriculture Bob Pohlad, traveled to all 50 states as well as to numerous locations around the world. In 2003, they traveled with three Ferrum College students to Malawi, Africa to set up water quality equipment and train Malawian scientists how to operate it. More recently, the couple toured the Galapagos Islands in 2017, and took groups of Ferrum College students for Experiential-term adventures to the Virgin Islands and Ireland.
Ferrum College Professor of Environmental Science Delia Heck said Earth Day 2022 was a fitting day to announce the newly endowed fund. “The theme for this year’s Earth Day is ‘Invest in Our Planet.’ That is exactly what Carolyn did with her entire career and with her very life. It is what scholarships from this fund will do – invest in our planet through the lives of Ferrum College recipients,” said Heck, who taught alongside Thomas and was a long-time friend. “Carolyn’s former students, friends, colleagues and family members are providing opportunities for students to engage in experiential learning that will have benefits for years to come. Carolyn would be so excited to see how we have committed ourselves to passing on the torch of scientific education.”
Wilson Paine, vice president of Institutional Advancement & External Relations, noted that the endowment of the Carolyn L. Thomas Memorial Fund was cause for celebration on many fronts. “Not only were we able to raise over $25,000 to create this endowment, but we did so with the support of roughly 150 donors. The vast number of individuals who supported this effort signifies the impact Carolyn had on so many during her time at Ferrum College,” he said. “My sincere gratitude goes out to Bob and Carolyn’s family who were instrumental in this momentous achievement that will honor Carolyn’s life and commitment to our students and the environment.”
“Our family is deeply appreciative and overwhelmed by the generosity of everyone’s gifts to honor my soulmate Carolyn’s memory with this endowed fund. Generated funds used for student experiential learning are exactly what she would want,” said Pohlad. “Carolyn was dedicated to helping her family, students, colleagues, friends, and the broader scientific community know how to make the environment better. She worked tirelessly over the years through her water quality studies and teaching not only to educate us on what should and could be done, but also exemplified that behavior in her daily life. Her legacy will live on through the use of this fund.”
Additional gifts to the Carolyn L. Thomas Memorial Fund may be made by visiting https://www.ferrum.edu/giving/give-to-ferrum-college/ and selecting the Carolyn Thomas Memorial Fund designation.
