Yellowjacket alumni underscore the importance of endowing programs in Athletics.
As the University of Rochester advances For Ever Better: The Campaign for the University of Rochester, endowments play a vital role in shaping the future of the Department of Athletics and Recreation. With financial pressures intensifying across higher education, permanent funding has become essential to sustaining the student and athlete experience. This is especially true at the Division III level, where students compete for the love of their sport and a commitment to academic excellence.
Endowed funds provide stable, predictable support that allows the University’s 23 varsity programs not only to compete today, but to thrive for generations. These funds strengthen the student experience, support coaching and leadership, and uphold the traditions that define Rochester’s competitive spirit. While annual gifts help meet immediate and urgent needs, endowments secure the foundation that makes enduring excellence possible.
“Endowed funds are the anchor of our future—they broaden access, sharpen competitiveness, and keep athletics a source of pride and opportunity for our entire community,” says George VanderZwaag, executive director for the University’s Department of Athletics and Recreation. “Increasing endowment support is about protecting what makes both the student and the athletic experience exceptional.”
Jane Possee, associate director in the department and former coach of three women’s sports—lacrosse, basketball, and field hockey—adds: “When we offer a sport, we need to be sure we can fully support it—and endowments are essential to making that possible. Strong endowments help us maintain high standards for every team and ensure equity across women’s and men’s programs.”
“Creating an endowment—or contributing to an existing one—is another deeply meaningful way to honor someone’s legacy in perpetuity,” says Terry Gurnett ’77, associate director of Athletics. “We currently have about 30 endowed funds in Athletics, each providing critical support for our programs and coaches. These funds, established in the names of former coaches, teammates, families, individuals, and teams, serve as lasting tributes that make a real and enduring impact.”
In their own words
Jane Possee’s former players celebrated their coach’s 50th year at URochester during Meliora Weekend 2025. Left to right: Meg Dougherty ’84, Chris Mitchell ’86, Pam Church ’85 (at the podium), Julie Vogel ’84, and Theresa Tuthill ’84, ’87 (MS), ’91 (PhD)
“Sports have always mattered to me because they taught me discipline, confidence, and resilience—qualities that shaped my life far beyond the field. This is why I support the Jane Possee Endowment for Women’s Athletics. My ’84 journals say it best: ‘Thank God for the girls and lacrosse. Lax saved me today. I’m proud of what I’ve become here, and athletics is a big part of that.’ Those experiences shaped me as a professional, a daughter, and a mother. When people ask where my strength comes from, the answer is simple: athletics.”—Julie Vogel ’84
Ladi Iya, women’s volleyball head coach
“For women’s programs like volleyball—without a men’s counterpart and competing nationally in the UAA—endowments make all the difference. They ensure we can travel, train, recruit, and provide the full academic-athletic balance our students deserve, regardless of economic or political shifts. Volleyball competes at the highest level and long-term endowment support allows us not only the resources to adequately be able to compete more effectively, but to continue creating equitable opportunities for future generations.”—Ladi Iya, head coach, women’s volleyball
Meliora Weekend 2025’s 50th anniversary celebration of women’s volleyball. Left to right: Martha Priedeman Skiles ’86, Pauline Lucero ’85, Romy Toussaint ’85, Karen Pavlicin ’87, Gretchen Lowe ’84, Kim Kimbrough ’84, and Jenny Swift ’84.
“I hope every young woman who finds her way to the Palestra can carry into life after college what volleyball gave me: the feeling of being part of a team and the magic when everything comes together on the court; the discovery of strength you didn’t know you had; the trust that if you falter, a teammate will lift you up. I hope that the losses will fade, but the memories, the jokes, the stories, the laughter, will be indelible. And years later, when you catch up with a teammate, that you will discover the bonds are strong and lasting. This is why I support the volleyball endowment.”—Jenny Swift ’84
Following the Yellowjacket football team’s homecoming victory over St. John Fisher during Meliora Weekend 2025, a number of URochester alumni who played for Coach Pat Stark (1969–1983) gathered at a “Tribute To The Coach” in the Stark Meeting Room at Fauver Stadium. Some are pictured here*.
“Pat Stark was a highly respected coach who significantly elevated the UR football program. Clean, hard, disciplined play was the hallmark of his squads. If you played for Coach Stark, you were forever on ‘his team.’ He would do anything he could to help any of us succeed, long past our time on the field. The bond he created among his players has transcended his coaching years and continues to this day. Contributing to the ‘Pat Stark Endowment for Football’ at the UR is one small way we continue to honor and remember the man he was.”—Phil Chrys ’75
“I called Coach Stark both my ‘mentor’ and my ‘tormentor.’ He taught me and the rest of his players a lot of lessons and imparted a lot of wisdom. He always told us ‘be prepared,’ and he underscored how important it was to be professional. He showed us the importance of loyalty, too. Coach changed my life and made it better. He was also a father figure to me. I often wonder what my life would have been like if he hadn’t been such a big part of it. All of this is why I support football at Rochester.” —John Minora ’81
* Front row: Brian Miga ’71 and Bill Monroe ’78 (standing), Frank Perillo ’73, Bill Hammond ’73, and Dave Cidale ’71 (kneeling). Second row: Nick Colucci ’81, Jim Wesp ’74, Jim Dunnigan ’73, Phil Chrys ’75, Dave McNelis ’74, Jim Juraska ’73, Erick Bond ’77, and Mike Recny ’79. Back row: Frank Nagy ’81, Joe Novek ’73, Gary Borek ’75, Paul Caputo ’73, Len Champion ’73, Jerry Atwell ’76, and Leo Fusilli ’80.
A historic coaching endowment
In December 2025, in a historic milestone for the University, Trustee Tyler Zachem ’88 and Karen Zachem established the first-ever endowment supporting a coaching position. Made during the For Ever Better campaign, the gift will create the Michael & Connie Neer Family Head Men’s Basketball Coach Fund, marking significant progress toward the Department of Athletics and Recreation’s 2030 campaign goal. Their generosity honors Zachem’s former coach and provides permanent support for the head men’s basketball coaching position—ensuring long-term stability and excellence in the program. Read the gift announcement.
For Ever Better
Philanthropy and engagement are critical to the future success of the University. Learn how you can support For Ever Better: The Campaign for the University of Rochester. To make a difference for Athletics, contact Terry Gurnett, Associate Athletics Director.
