Businesswoman Anita Zucker starts scholarship at new Charleston engineering school BY: JESSICA HOLDMAN - MAY 22, 2024 1:27 PM CHARLESTON — Prominent South Carolina businesswoman and philanthropist Anita Zucker donated $2 million to start a scholarship program at the College of Charleston’s new engineering school.
“The Zuckers’ latest gift for engineering scholarships will help the college provide a pipeline of talent to our region’s growing high-tech, manufacturing and life sciences industries,” President Andrew Hsu said in a statement.
The college’s governing board unanimously approved the new School of Engineering, Computing, and Mathematics in April, hoping to boost enrollment in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) fields at the liberal arts college.
The college first started offering an engineering major in 2020, with engineers from nearby Boeing, Bosch, and Mercedes-Benz manufacturing plants helping design the curriculum. It enrolled 36 students in its first semester.
Zucker made the scholarship donation to help attract more students, giving preference to female and minority applicants who are underrepresented in the field.
“My late husband, Jerry Zucker, was gifted at math and science. These skills made him the incredible person he was and built our businesses,” Zucker said in a statement. “Couple that with liberal arts, including the importance of communication and writing proficiency, and it completes the person.”
Zucker has long been a supporter of the school, serving on the President’s Strategic Initiatives Committee, the School of Business Board of Governors and the Yaschik/Arnold Jewish Studies Program Advisory Board.
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