Our Crowdfunding Groups
We are working to open the College of Natural Sciences to more students through a new scholarship endowment named for Professor of Chemistry David Laude. Professor Laude is a pioneer in the university's efforts to improve student retention and success, and has been instrumental in raising the overall graduation rates in the College of Natural Sciences by 18% in just six years. In his time at UT, Professor Laude has also created the Freshman Research Initiative, the Biology Scholars Program, the University Leadership Network, and the Texas Interdisciplinary Plan (TIP), which together have served thousands of students. He is nationally recognized as a champion for undergraduates, and we want to honor his enduring commitment to our students with this named scholarship. The talented students who receive the Laude Scholarship will be recruited to TIP Scholars. TIP provides opportunities for students to enhance their learning and build their resumes and professional networks through study abroad, research, internships and other experiential learning opportunities. Since it began in 2002, this program has successfully supported more than 5,800 students in the college, all of whom graduated from small, rural high schools, come from families with low incomes, are the first in their families to attend college, and/or are members of an underrepresented minority group.
Your gift to the Laude Scholarship will not only provide financial support to exceptional students in the college, but will also ensure that they have the academic and social support they need to succeed at UT and beyond. From peer mentorship to collaborative study sessions to community service projects, TIP offers students countless opportunities to learn and grow, and develop meaningful connections along the way.
"Becoming a TIP Scholar has been one of the best decisions I've ever made in college. Coming from a place I knew everyone to a place I knew absolutely no one was intimidating, but after a semester in TIP, I could walk around campus pointing out people I knew. These are the people I could text at 2:00 am about a frustrating chemistry problem I didn't understand and get an answer back. I also had access to professors that truly cared about me and were willing to go out of their way to have lunch groups and unscheduled office hours with their students. When people ask me what TIP is, I say it's not just a scholar program with reserved classes, but an academic family." -Leah V.
"As a senior, I can look back at my freshman year and say that it went incredibly smooth because of the smaller setting within a large college that TIP provided me. The small classes gave me the chance to really interact with other students and start to develop relationships with professors. This environment is like a home away from home because TIP truly is a close-knit family." - Maurine S.
