NEWS RELEASE

Contact: Leah Jackson (jacksonl@nsula.edu )
News Bureau
Northwestern State University
Natchitoches, LA 71497
(318) 357-6466

9/02/2004

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

NATCHITOCHES- The Northwestern State University Foundation received a $60,000 donation from the Coypu Foundation that was matched with $40,000 by the Louisiana Board of Regents Support Fund. The donation will establish the John S. McIlhenney Endowed Professorship in Biological Sciences, the first in that department.

The Coypu Foundation is an organization founded by the estate of the late John S. McIlhenney that supports environmental and ecology projects. Julie Hughes Callihan, executrix of the McIlhenney estate and a Natchitoches native, coordinated the donation. Coypu is the Latin term for nutria rat.

"Mr. McIlhenney was a scientist and requested money be given to scientific endeavors, the environment, wetlands and ecological efforts," Callihan said.

A portion of the interest generated by the endowment each year will be used to fund classroom instruction, faculty research, purchase needed software and hardware and cover needed travel to professional conferences. Some of the funds will be used to build up the endowment and another portion will be used to establish a scholarship fund for biology students.

"It is my personal hope that this money will be used to encourage promising students identified in their freshman or sophomore year to pursue careers in the life sciences," said Dr. Michael Bodri, head of the department of biological sciences.

"Gifts of this sort are a valuable asset to the biology faculty because it can allow them to purchase supplies or equipment to assist in their current research endeavors or aid them in the pursuit of knowledge in research that may represent new directions for them," Bodri said. "Funds can also be used for professional development, covering expenses for such things as scientific or teaching conferences."

Further donations from the Coypu Foundation to Northwestern included a $7,922 grant for population surveys using pitfall traps in the upland forest habitat of central Louisiana and $16,911 to the Cane River National Heritage Area.

"We're always excited when we establish a professorship because it benefits not only our faculty and students, but the whole university," said Tony Gustwick, director of institutional advancement.

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