Loretta Clarke and Jeff Clarke

$500K alumni gift establishes two UTSA professorships

(Sept. 30, 2003)--A $500,000 gift to UTSA from Jeff Clarke and Loretta Clarke will establish two professorships, one in the College of Engineering and another in the College of Education and Human Development.

The donation, the largest from UTSA alumni, endows the Robert E. Clarke Jr. Distinguished Professorship in Electrical Engineering and the Loretta J. Lowak Clarke Distinguished Professorship in Health and Kinesiology.

"This gift by the Clarkes represents a significant step forward for UTSA and its students," said Ricardo Romo, president of UTSA. "The university community is extremely appreciative of their desire to help future generations of UTSA students obtain access to excellence."

"This endowment will help our electrical engineering department recruit a nationally recognized professor to provide leadership in academic excellence and help further the UTSA mission to become a top-tier research university," said Zorica Pantic-Tanner, UTSA College of Engineering dean. "Jeff Clarke's success and achievements serve as a testament to the excellence of our programs, and we are thrilled with his generous donation."

Jeff Clarke, a member of the UTSA College of Engineering Advisory Council, serves as senior vice president and general manager of the Dell Product Group. He is responsible for the worldwide development, marketing, quality and delivery of more than $32 billion in computer products.

Loretta Clarke, a member of the UTSA Alumni Association board, received her bachelor of science degree in physical education in 1987, and her master's degree in education in 1990 while teaching at Esparza Elementary School in San Antonio. In 2000, she earned a doctoral degree in curriculum and instruction with a specialization in early childhood education from UT Austin.