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Education Professor s Gift will Support Future Teachers

Author: Communications

Posted on Mar 22, 2010

Category:

A bequest from a former faculty member at the University of New Brunswick will create scholarships for students in the bachelor of education program.

The late Florence Swan donated $160,000 to support aspiring teachers from New Brunswick, with financial need, through the Florence Swan Memorial Scholarship fund.

"Education was very important to her family," said Dr. Swan's niece, Elizabeth Ferguson. "She was a caring sort of person with a great sense of humour. I imagine she was an excellent teacher."

Dr. Swan was an associate professor in home economics from 1973, when the New Brunswick Teachers' College merged with UNB, until her retirement in 1980. She held degrees from Mount Allison, Columbia University and Penn State and studied in the areas of nutrition and education.

Over the course of her career, Dr. Swan worked for the Canadian Starch Company, the federal government, the New Brunswick Department of Health, and the New Brunswick Teachers' College.

UNB President Dr. Eddy Campbell highlights the particular value of scholarships for students in the Faculty of Education.

"Students who enrol in the bachelor of education program have already completed one degree and sometimes more than one. So pursuing their goal of becoming a teacher can be a financial strain. The Florence Swan Memorial Scholarships are going to mean so much to the students who receive them."

About UNB

Established in 1785, UNB is one of the oldest public universities in North America. With more than 12,500 students from more than 100 countries, UNB has the best student-to-faculty ratio of Canada's comprehensive universities, according to Maclean's magazine. As the largest research institution in New Brunswick, UNB conducts over 75 per cent of the province's university research. The university has more than 3,500 faculty and staff, and an annual operating budget of more than $160 million. UNB's two main campuses are located in Fredericton and Saint John, N.B. 

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Natalie Montgomery, Communication Officer (506) 453-4990

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