A recent gift to the University of Mississippi from Pat and Ralph Doering will help attract top talent to teach and research within the School of Business Administration.
The Fort Lauderdale, Florida, couple’s $50,000 gift will establish the Doering Family Endowment for the School of Business.
Though the Doerings attended other universities, they are members of UM’s Family Leadership Council, having joined when their son, Henry, enrolled at Ole Miss two years ago. Henry Doering is a sophomore business major and history minor who hopes to have a career in real estate. He also is an active member of Phi Delta Theta fraternity.
“Dean Ken Cyree has made it clear that building an endowment, a war chest, if you will, to give him more opportunity to attract and retain the best faculty for the business school is one his top priorities and initiatives. This resonated with our family,” said Ralph Doering, a real estate investor based in Fort Lauderdale.
“We understand that in the sports world, business world and academic world, the competition to attract and retain top talent is fierce. If Ole Miss wants to attract top talent for the business school, it needs to have the resources to make it happen, and that means money,” he continued. “Think of this faculty support endowment as NIL for academics.”
Cyree said the Doerings’ gift will transform the lives of hundreds of students every semester.
“Having a stellar faculty is crucial to providing the incredible educational opportunities we offer our students,” the dean said. “The formal part of education is performed by the faculty, and the extent to which we can attract and retain world-class faculty greatly determines our future as a university.”
In addition to supporting academics, the Doerings have also made gifts to Ole Miss Athletics.
“Ole Miss is hot right now. Whether it is the baseball championship, the 10-2 football team heading to the Peach Bowl, the climbing academic profile or the record-breaking student enrollment numbers, it is easy to see that Ole Miss is hot and firing on all cylinders,” Doering said. “There is no better time than now to make an investment in the University of Mississippi.
“Our family is going to keep supporting this endowment on an ongoing basis, and we hope others will see the value in contributing to Dean Cyree’s faculty support initiative.”
The Doering Family Endowment for the School of Business is open to support from businesses and individuals. Gifts can be made by sending a check to the University of Mississippi Foundation, with the fund’s name noted on the memo line, to 406 University Ave., Oxford, MS 38655 or by giving online at https://give.olemiss.edu.
For more information about supporting the School of Business Administration, contact Angela Brown, senior director of development, at browna@olemiss.edu or 662-915-3181.
For information on joining UM’s Family Leadership Council, contact Brett Barefoot, executive director for central development, at bmbarefo@olemiss.edu or 662-915-2711.