Thanks to the generosity of nearly 150 donors, the School of Social Work recently raised a historic $92,407 in gifts as part of the GiveUNC campaign, Carolina’s annual university-wide day of giving. This year, the School focused its campaign on raising awareness for the Maeda and David Galinsky Scholarship Fund. The scholarship was created to support the School’s Ph.D. students in their studies and research.
The Galinsky family and members of the School’s Board of Advisors were among the fund’s biggest donors, contributing a combined $75,000. The scholarship honors the memory of the late Maeda Galinsky, a distinguished and passionate scholar, researcher, teacher and mentor, who served for more than 50 years on the School of Social Work faculty, and her husband David, a beloved and long-serving professor in UNC’s Department of Psychology.
A pioneering researcher on work with groups and intervention research, Maeda Galinsky inspired generations of social workers in North Carolina and beyond. Known as the “Grand Dame of the School of Social Work,” Galinsky retired in 2015, though she continued to collaborate on research projects, actively participate in the University community and remain a huge presence in the lives of students and of her colleagues until her death on Sept. 9, 2019, at the age of 84.
That so many chose to contribute to the Galinsky fund speaks volumes about the influence of the late social work professor, praised Dean Gary Bowen.
“Maeda was my close colleague and a friend for 35 years,” he said. “For all who knew her, she was an incredible role model and source of support. She inspired us, she encouraged us, and she led us to become the best versions of ourselves. What a tremendous gift! I will always appreciate the positive impact that she had in my life, as well as on this School of Social Work.”
Prior to her death, Galinsky and her family established the scholarship to provide crucial financial support to the School’s outstanding doctoral students.
For more information on the Maeda and David Galinsky Scholarship Fund, contact Mary Beth Hernandez, associate dean for advancement.
