Alumni-driven Moraco Fellowship Challenge fuels engineering research and innovation
With only seven fellowships remaining, alumni donors are seeing how their support fuels cutting-edge research.
In the heart of Virginia Tech’s College of Engineering, a game-changing initiative in support of engineering research is taking place, driven by the generosity and vision of an alumnus and his wife.
The Moraco Fellowship Challenge, spearheaded by Tony ’82, M.S. ’84 and his wife, Cathy Moraco, has inspired a wave of support aimed at fostering academic excellence and innovation. With a $1 million pledge, the Moracos are helping to reduce the financial threshold required to establish junior faculty and graduate student endowments. This challenge is not just about financial contributions; it’s about creating a lasting impact on research that can change lives immediately. In addition to supplementing $50,000 of the minimum $250,000 required for an endowment, the funds are available for use as soon as they’re donated, making discoveries such as Associate Professor Eli Vlaisavljevich’s histotripsy research possible.
The goal of the Moraco Fellowship Challenge is clear: to ensure that Virginia Tech remains at the forefront of research discoveries by attracting and retaining top talent. By providing immediate funding and long-term support, these fellowships enable junior faculty and graduate students to pursue groundbreaking research and innovate teaching methods.
The power of community
The Moraco Fellowship Challenge stands as a testament to the power of community and the enduring spirit of Hokie Nation. The challenge started with 19 available fellowships and now only a handful remain, thanks to alumni leading the charge to support junior faculty and graduate students. Hear from the engineers who have stepped up to the challenge:
Dave '76 and Diane Lohr, retirees
How did the Moraco Challenge stand out to you?
At the highest level of thinking, the Moraco Fellowship Challenge was the perfect opportunity to leverage our philanthropy. Fifteen years ago, Diane and I established a scholarship in the Department of Chemical Engineering for first-generation students in honor of my father, Ronald B. Lohr, who was passionate about educating his children. The thank you letters we received from students who benefited were a testament to the scholarship’s impact. Now that we’re retired, we wanted to do more. Being part of the Chemical Engineering Advisory Board allowed me to understand the department’s needs, particularly the need for more faculty fellowships to retain top faculty.
What impact do you hope your fellowship will have?
Just as we named our scholarship after my dad, we decided to name our fellowship in memory of our late daughter, who we lost at age 4 to childhood cancer — the Erin Michelle Lohr Memorial Faculty Fellowship in Chemical Engineering. This fellowship aims to propagate her memory positively and support ongoing improvements in childhood cancer outcomes, an area where chemical engineers play a crucial role. We want to ensure Erin’s legacy continues to inspire and make a difference.
On top of that, we hope it works to keep the top faculty members who can in turn have great success educating chemical engineers. This fellowship will provide the resources for cutting-edge research that will make an impact in the world.
Ann Stevens '02, vice president of maritime and intelligence systems at Boeing
How did the Moraco Challenge stand out to you?
As a female engineer, I am passionate about building the talent pipeline coming into the industry behind me. To help the cause at Virginia Tech, I started giving to the Kevin T. Crofton Department of Aerospace and Ocean Engineering to support graduate student recruitment. A year after I began giving back, the Moraco Fellowship Challenge was created. The benefit of having a matching component to my annual gift — the Moracos provided $50,000 toward each endowment — made it an easy decision to join the challenge. I utilized the opportunity to create a new fellowship that could be extraordinarily impactful by establishing sustainable funding streams for graduate student recruitment and retention that could be used immediately.
Why is giving back through a fellowship important to you?
This fellowship can help cultivate a diverse and talented pipeline in ocean engineering, an industry that desperately needs more of that. In offering the financial incentive of $10,000 in the first year to help cover graduate school costs, the challenge will help attract and support top tier students throughout their academic journey. Working for Boeing in the maritime part of the business, I see the need to build the pipeline of women in engineering, specifically in the ocean engineering domain. Incentivizing graduate students through fellowships is one way to help do that.
Ian Rehmert '95, M.S. '97, Ph.D. '00, chief executive officer at Republic Finance
How did the Moraco Challenge stand out to you?
My wife, Katie, and I were particularly impressed by the Moraco Fellowship Challenge’s multiplier effect, which ensured the momentum of the impact on graduate students. Giving back is incredibly important, given the experience I had in the Grado Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering, particularly as a graduate student. The fellowships I was awarded significantly influenced my decision to pursue graduate studies instead of entering the workforce. By participating in this challenge, I hope to provide someone else with the same opportunity.
In honor of Joel Nachlas, who profoundly influenced my academic path as a professor, coach, mentor, and friend, we’ve decided to name the fellowship the Rehmert-Nachlas Graduate Fellowship.
What message would you like to share with fellow alumni?
First and foremost, I would encourage alumni to re-engage with the college and their department in any way they can. Any level or method of engagement creates a win-win. Second, determine what your situation allows and know that any gesture helps. Whether it is funding for a fellowship, attendance at an event, or a one-time gift of $10 during Giving Day, it's all about connection. If everyone does the same, it truly adds up to meaningful support for more departmental and student success stories both current and future.
