As they metamorphose into full-fledged professionals, entomology graduate students pass through key stages of development. They have to contribute to their field of study by completing an independent research project. And they need to attend a major conference or two to present and network with fellow entomologists. For some, they must master certain required skills — identifying wild bees, for example — through intensive workshops.

Thanks to the John M. and Nancy J. Falter Graduate Student Endowment Fund, more financial support is now available to help graduate students in entomology pursue these vital experiences. The fund was established through a planned gift and now generates around $16,000 of spendable income each year to support students.

Many people are familiar with making a one-time donation — often in the moment — to an organization they value. A planned gift, on the other hand, involves setting up a donation that will be made to an organization upon one’s death. People who establish such “future gifts” to UW typically have a strong affinity for the university, and the Falters are a good example. John Falter BS’52, MS’59, PhD’64, who studied insect pests of cereal crops, received all three of his entomology degrees from CALS. Nancy Falter received her bachelor’s degree in 1956 from the School of Medicine and Public Health.

“John and Nancy had fond memories of their time at UW,” says entomology professor and chair Russ Groves, who knew of the Falters through his graduate school advisor at North Carolina State University. “That certainly factored into their gift.”

After John died in 2004, Nancy worked with the University of Wisconsin Foundation to establish an endowment that would provide ongoing, stable support for the entomology department. When she passed away in 2021, the financial gift was transferred to the foundation. It can take time for estates to be finalized and for new endowments to accrue sufficient spendable income — but now, four years later, the first student support is ready to be distributed from the Falter fund, a process Groves asked graduate students to lead.

“Our Entomology Graduate Student Association already has a good process in place to award [other funds],” Groves explains. The EGSA is the official association for 35 or so graduate students in the entomology community; it was established to represent their needs to the department.

“We appreciate that Russ asked us to be in charge of the Falter fund,” says EGSA president Victoria Salerno MS’24, a Ph.D. student in environmental sciences whose research focuses on pollinators. “We are taking a thoughtful process, really considering the appropriate use of these funds and making sure it aligns with the Falters’ wishes.”

The EGSA will establish a committee to assess applications and select awardees to receive Falter funding. Awards will be given to support various needs, including helping students attend the national and regional conferences of the Entomological Society of America.

“This is such an important conference for grad students,” Salerno says. “There’s so much networking, and it’s a great chance to build collaborations. When I went, I made a connection with a social scientist who ended up helping me with the qualitative parts of my research.”

Funds could also help students attend the Bee Course, a 10-day workshop held in Portal, Arizona. And some types of experiments, such as genetic sequencing, are more expensive than others: Students can request funds to ensure they obtain the number of samples needed to get robust research results.

Salerno is excited to see the future impacts that will come from the Falters’ gift. “Getting this up and running is the main goal of my EGSA presidency,” she says.

Your Legacy Can Live on at CALS

Just like the Falters, you can establish your charitable legacy with a planned gift to CALS. This future gift can be incorporated into your financial, tax, and estate planning in a way that maximizes benefits for you and the college.

Contact Brooke Mulvaney at the UW Foundation at brooke.mulvaney@supportuw.org/608-308-5330, or visit planmygift.supportuw.org.