Wakeford establishes William H. Swallow Fellowship Award Endowment

December 5, 2008

William Swallow, professor emeritus of statistics, has touched the lives of many students during nearly three decades of teaching at NC State. To ensure that Swallow’s legacy will be remembered by future generations, one of his grateful former students, Charles Wakeford (BS ’82 Mathematics, PhD ’95 Statistics), recently established the William H. Swallow Fellowship Award Endowment.

Wakeford’s fond memories of his NC State experience, and particularly his relationship with Swallow, led him to establish the endowment which honors his former teacher and mentor while providing financial support to future PAMS students.

Paying tribute to Swallow’s longtime service as both undergraduate and graduate director, the endowment can be used to provide financial support to either undergraduate or graduate students in the Department of Statistics. The award gives preference to students who express an interest in entering a career in academia and encourages applications from underrepresented minority students.

“The Department of Statistics at North Carolina State University provided me with outstanding training and preparation for a career in industry; moreover, I was treated fairly and with respect at all times—something I will remember always,” Wakeford says. “I was especially fortunate to have Dr. Bill Swallow as my professor and thesis advisor. I set up the endowment to remind past, current and future students and faculty of the positive influence he has provided and continues to provide to all of us.”

Prior to his retirement this year, William Swallow had taught at NC State for 27 years. During that time, he was repeatedly honored for excellence in teaching and service. He received NC State’s Outstanding Teacher Award in 1988 and was named Alumni Distinguished Undergraduate Professor in 1999. In 2007, he received the UNC System’s most prestigious award for teaching, the Award for Excellence in Teaching.

A resident of Raleigh, Charles Wakeford has had a very successful career in the pharmaceutical industry. He currently serves as senior director of biometrics at Gilead Sciences Inc. in Durham.

In thanking Wakeford for establishing the endowment, PAMS Dean Dan Solomon stressed the importance of this type of funding to continued success of the College.

“Students infuse our academic community with energy, curiosity and personality,” Solomon said. “The ability to offer financial support allows us to recruit the best students from North Carolina and beyond into that community and mold them into the next generation of science leaders for the state, the nation and the world.”

To contribute to this or any other endowment in PAMS, or for more information on establishing an endowment of your own, please contact the Office of College Advancement at pams_dev@ncsu.edu or 919-515-3462.