Foundation Establishes New Glenn Hansen Leadership Scholarship

The College of DuPage Foundation is working to endow the new Glenn Hansen Leadership Scholarship in order to provide funding for future leaders in perpetuity.

The scholarship was created to honor Hansen, currently Professor of Photography at COD. So far, more than $20,000 has been raised, including an initial $10,000 from faculty, administrators and staff that was matched by Board of Trustees Chairman Deanne Mazzochi.

Once $25,000 is raised, the fund is considered endowed, which means the scholarship will have an open-ended timeline, said Karen Kuhn, Executive Director of the Foundation and Assistant Vice president for Development.

"The Foundation welcomes all donations for a variety of scholarships, but what makes endowed scholarships special is their lifespan," she said. "We are grateful to Chairman Mazzochi who continues to recognize the immense impact that our scholarships have on the lives of our students. Her generous donation to this scholarship will certainly generate even greater interest in our mission of helping students achieve their dreams."

With the goal of endowment in mind, the Glenn Hansen Leadership Scholarship will initially consist of two $500 scholarships, one offered in spring and one in fall. Richard Jarman, Professor of Chemistry, who spearheaded the scholarship with Jackie McGrath, Professor of English, said the scholarship is meant to help develop future leaders. Applicants must demonstrate an ability to lead, whether it's holding an elected position on campus or involvement in off-campus activities.

Hansen, who earned his bachelor's degree from Northern Illinois University and his master's degree from the Institute of Design at the Illinois Institute of Technology, has been teaching at College of DuPage since 1991. His many leadership roles include serving as president of the Faculty Senate from 2007 to 2008 and from 2012 to 2016.

"Glenn is always saying 'Step up and step out' as a means of motivating students," Jarman said. "We wanted to recognize his own example of demonstrating exceptional leadership on campus, and we are thrilled by the response to donate to this fund. We hope that others will recognize the significance of developing leaders and contribute toward the endowment of this scholarship."

For more information, call (630) 942-2315, email weeksy@cod.edu, or visit foundation.cod.edu.