First Trustees' Scholarship Breaks New Ground

Trustees' Scholarships are one-year, named scholarships created through attainably sized donations - an opportunity for everyday people to create a legacy at UC Merced and for students to receive merit-based financial support in their university experience. The first Trustees' Scholarship, created by a gift from Ritch and Joan Eich, will allow one student to be selected as Eich Scholar, receive scholarship assistance for one year of his or her schooling and carry the Eich Scholar designation throughout his or her career.

As with most other UC Merced scholarships, students will be notified if they are eligible for Trustees' Scholarships when they apply for admission; separate applications will not be necessary. Scholarship opportunities will be plentiful, even in the first year. Chancellor Carol Tomlinson-Keasey has identified scholarships as one of the most important areas for donors to consider when they are planning to give to the university, anticipating that the previously under-served San Joaquin Valley students served by UC Merced will have a particularly great need for scholarship monies.

Ritch Eich has devoted his career to higher learning - at Pomona College, The University of Michigan and Stanford University, to be specific. He currently works in marketing and communications for California Lutheran University. But institutional loyalty elsewhere didn't stop him and Joan from seeing the importance of UC Merced and becoming the first to create a Trustees' Scholarship here.

There's no institution that merits philanthropic support more right now than UC Merced, Ritch says. We're proud to be associated with the campus and the Trustees' Scholarships. Most importantly, we hope many more donors from all walks of life will take this opportunity to support students.

Ritch Eich is a Trustee and the Eichs are both Chancellor's Associates at UC Merced, indications of their continuing support and involvement with the new campus. Ritch has made a successful career in public relations and marketing for university and other healthcare institutions. He and Joan reside in Thousand Oaks, California.