Baldanza gift supports undergraduate research
A $125,000 challenge gift from Ben and Marcia
Baldanza will help underwrite undergraduate research and scholarship at the
Maxwell School. Ben Baldanza is a 1984 Maxwell School graduate, with a BA in
economics and policy studies; he is also a member of the Maxwell Advisory Board. His wife, Marcia, earned a bachelor’s degree
from Syracuse University’s School of Education in 1984.
The Baldanza Endowment for
Undergraduate Excellence will meet expenses associated with undergraduate research
and experiential learning. It will help fund Maxwell’s annual Celebration of
Undergraduate Scholarship, an event held near the end of each academic year to
share and reward undergraduate research projects. Other uses may include
undergraduate research expenses, student service learning experiences, and
awards for outstanding undergraduate student projects. (This year’s Celebration
of Undergraduate Scholarship is scheduled for Wednesday, May 2.)
The Baldanzas’ gift will be used
also to challenge all undergraduate alumni of Maxwell to give to the School
over the coming months. Their gift will match, dollar-for-dollar, all new and
increased giving by undergraduate alumni to any Maxwell program or fund they
prefer.
The Baldanzas say they created the
fund and challenge gift to “further support an institution that we both hold
dear. Syracuse University holds a special place for us. We believe our
undergraduate experiences at SU were first-rate and well prepared us for
further education, work, and life."
“Having a rich, diverse, and
educated population that can think, create, and communicate is critical to our
democracy,” they continued. “We hope our gift can further those goals, support
innovation, and inspire leadership.”
Ben Baldanza is the former
president and CEO of Spirit Airlines (2005-16). He was previously senior vice
president of marketing and planning at US Airways and, before that, managing
director and chief operating officer of Grupo Taca, an airline group based in
Latin America. He has also held management positions at Continental Airlines,
Northwest Airlines, and American Airlines. Altogether, he has more than 25
years of airline-related experience. In addition to his Maxwell degree, he
holds a master’s degree in public affairs from Princeton University.
Marcia, a member of the School of Education's Board of Visitors, is a senior consultant for
Just Ask Publications & Professional Development. Her long career in
education includes a series of principalships at various public and specialized
schools. She recently retired from the Palm Beach County, Florida, school
district, where she was an area director for school reform and accountability
and, prior to that, director of federal and state programs. Marcia holds a
doctorate in education from the University of Minnesota and master’s degree in
education from the University of North Texas.
02/09/18