Foundation for Excellence

Juliana Tu '64 understands the importance of having a strong foundation. After all, she had to create one from scratch when she came to Rice from China as an undergraduate majoring in physics, which led her to completing her doctorate degree at Case Western Reserve. Now, through her estate plan gift, Juliana is celebrating her late husband's life and helping future generations of Rice students find their footing.

Juliana's generosity pays tribute to the many people who provided scholarships, helped her adapt to dormitory life, found her a tutor to strengthen her English proficiency, and even secured a bicycle so she could get around campus. "I had this cluster of people always caring for me," Juliana recalls.

Although they first met in Hong Kong, it was at Rice that she got to know her late husband, Chang-Char Tu Ph.D. '67, who earned his doctorate in the math department and went on to teach at Case Western Reserve for much of his career. Like Juliana, Chang-Char prized Rice for its supportive community and its excellence, which inspired Juliana to complete her graduate work and launch a successful career in computer science.

Having made several gifts to Rice in the past, Juliana found an ideal way to build on her family legacy with Rice by establishing a deferred gift through her will in memory of Chang-Char. "Rice gave me a very strong undergraduate foundation to build on in my subsequent education and degrees," Juliana explains. "So many people took me in and helped me along, including Mrs. Iris Goldstein, who awarded me a scholarship. Because I received scholarships, I like giving scholarships back. And because Rice brought my husband and me together, I am honoring him with a bequest to Rice."

Juliana's bequest will support the mathematics department through a Math Excellence Endowment, providing merit-based financial support to exceptional graduate students, and a Math Distinguished Lecture Series Fund, bringing top-tier speakers to campus.

"The best part of my life took place at Rice," Juliana says. Through her foresight and generosity, she is sharing the hope of that same experience with tomorrow's students.