KINGSTON, R.I. – June 30, 2007 – When Cynthia Marcille needed support as a student in the University of Rhode Island’s College of Business Administration, she found it through encouraging professors, financial assistance and academic advising.
Since earning her bachelor’s degree in 1978, Cynthia Marcille Deysher has been regularly turning the tables on her alma mater. The latest example is a five-year, $250,000 pledge to fund the Cynthia and Bryon Deysher Business Scholarship Fund. The gift is part of the University’s Making a Difference campaign.
The endowed fund will provide an annual scholarship for students enrolled in the College of Business Administration who demonstrate financial need. Recipients will be eligible for scholarship renewal, providing they maintain good academic standing and continue to qualify for financial aid.
“Cynthia has been an active member of the College of Business Advisory Board and a long-time supporter of the College,” said Mark Higgins, dean of the College of Business Administration. “Cynthia and Bryon’s generous gift will truly make a difference in furthering the educational mission of the College and will allow it to continue to attract the best students. We are very grateful for Cynthia’s unwavering commitment to the College of Business Administration.”
It’s not the first time that Deysher, a member of the College’s Hall of Fame, has come to the aid of her University. She and her siblings established a memorial scholarship in 2000 to honor their late father, Robert Marcille, who graduated from URI’s College of Engineering in 1949.
Deysher also made a leadership gift to support the private fund drive to transform the business college’s home, Ballentine Hall.
“The Ballentine Campaign was a successful campaign for a capital project, but now the University is investing in human capital,” said Deysher, the head of Deysher Advisory Services, an investment and consulting firm.
“When I was at URI, I was a beneficiary of human capital. Without the guidance, financial aid and help from excellent professors, I would not be where I am today.”
The Concord, Mass. resident is a former top executive at technology firms, including ArrowPoint, Shiva and Bytex.
She said supporting education is a core value for her and Bryon, the president and chief executive officer of Methods Machine Tools Inc., a supplier of precision machine tools for more than 48 years. A graduate of The Pennsylvania State University, Bryon is a member of its Smeal College of Business Board of Visitors. “We both believe in public higher education and we want to support young people as they pursue their education,” Deysher said.
A member of the Making a Difference Campaign Leadership Committee, Deysher said URI is moving ahead on many fronts. “Once you get people talking about their positive URI experiences, they are really excited about giving back.”
“Working with Cynthia in her capacity as a donor and URI volunteer has been an absolute pleasure,” said Michaela Mooney, URI director of major gifts. “She understands how important it is for alumni to be engaged with the University and to play roles in its continuing growth.”
The Deysher gift is part of URI’s Making a Difference Campaign, which seeks $100 million to recruit and retain outstanding faculty, enhance the student-centered campus experience, provide undergraduate scholarships and graduate fellowships, and fund cutting-edge academic and research initiatives. For more information on the campaign, click on http://www.advance.uri.edu/giving/default.htm. For information on giving to the College of Business Administration, contact Mooney at 401-874-4716.