New May Family Foundation Fellowship Challenge expands support for engineering graduate students
With the $1 million commitment, the May family is encouraging alumni and donors to boost funding for graduate student fellowships.
Building on the momentum of the successful Moraco Fellowship Challenge, which established 20 endowed faculty and graduate student fellowships, the May family is now stepping forward to champion the next phase: expanding graduate student support across the College of Engineering.
The May Family Foundation Fellowship Challenge is a student‑centered challenge to accelerate the creation of endowed graduate fellowships that will strengthen Virginia Tech’s research enterprise and help recruit talented graduate students.
Initiated by a $1 million commitment from the May family, this new challenge will follow the model of the Moraco Challenge set by Tony ’82, M.S. ’84 and Cathy Moraco, designed to reduce the financial threshold required to establish an endowed fellowship. The initiative allows donors to endow a fellowship with a $200,000 pledge instead of the typical $250,000 with the May Family supplying the remaining $50,000, and providing immediate-use funds to support early awards.
The May family includes electrical engineering alumnus Joe T. May ’62; his daughter Elaine Attridge '87, who served on the College of Engineering’s advisory board for six years; and his grandsons Will Banner '20, also an electrical engineering alumnus, and James Attridge ’26, a recent Virginia Tech graduate. The May family, whose multi‑generation Hokie legacy includes decades of philanthropy, has long been committed to advancing student access, experiential learning, and academic excellence.
“I struggled to earn my engineering degree, and along the way a few people gave me support that changed my life in ways they may never have realized,” said Joe May. “This fellowship challenge is about paying that forward — helping graduate students gain the support they need to pursue research and create opportunities that might otherwise not exist.”
The family's past giving includes endowed electrical engineering scholarships, establishing a multiyear pathways program to increase the number of first-generation students in Virginia, and leadership in Giving Day challenges, which mobilize thousands of Hokies annually to support areas of greatest need. Their continued generosity reflects a strong belief in the transformative impact of engineering research and the graduate students who drive discovery.
“Virginia Tech has been part of our family’s story for three generations, so supporting this fellowship challenge is about more than just giving — it’s about investing in momentum,” said Attridge. “The College of Engineering has strong leadership, a clear vision, and the potential to grow even stronger through graduate research. By supporting graduate students now, we’re helping move the college forward by ensuring that Virginia Tech can attract and support outstanding scholars at a pivotal point in their education.”
Just as the Moraco Challenge helped launch and sustain cutting-edge research, from biomedical engineering advancements to new interdisciplinary collaborations, targeted fellowship support for graduate students is poised to amplify research outcomes even further. Graduate fellows bring innovative ideas, contribute to faculty member-led exploration, and help advance solutions to problems with global impact.
“Graduate students are incredibly important to the mission of the college of engineering,” said Holly Matusovich, assistant dean for graduate and professional students in the College of Engineering. “They make meaningful contributions through research and innovation while serving as important role models and mentors to undergraduate students both inside and outside the classroom.”
She added, “Gifts from the May family challenge are critically important for us to recruit top graduate students to Virginia Tech and ensure they can thrive once they are in our community.”
By focusing exclusively on graduate student support, the challenge aims to expand the pipeline of scholars whose research and expertise elevate Virginia Tech’s global reputation. Graduate student fellows contribute directly to the university’s ability to advance its research mission, attract competitive grants, and strengthen experiential learning for undergraduates through mentorship and collaboration.
“As a first-year Ph.D. student, receiving a fellowship took a huge weight off my shoulders by allowing me to fully focus on my research and coursework,” said Olivia Roach, graduate student in the Kevin T. Crofton Department of Aerospace and Ocean Engineering. “Because of that support, I’ve had the time to really dive into my research, and I’m proud of the progress I’ve made so early on. It’s also given me the opportunity to serve as a mentor to undergraduate students, which has been especially rewarding. Fellowships like this make a real difference by giving students the opportunity to grow into confident researchers from the very beginning.”
With the May family’s gift, the College of Engineering hopes to spur alumni and friends to join this next-generation effort to empower graduate researchers. Their challenge honors the spirit of Ut Prosim (That I May Serve) — a commitment the May family has embodied for more than 60 years — and invites others to participate in shaping the future of engineering innovation at Virginia Tech.
If you’d like to learn more about the May Family Fellowship Foundation Challenge and graduate student fellowships in the College of Engineering, please contact Assistant Dean of Advancement Jeremy Weaver at jww18@vt.edu or 540-235-6708.
