The family of deceased West Virginia University engineering professor Nathan Ness has donated $25,000 to establish an endowed fund for the advancement of the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering in the College of Engineering and Mineral Resources.

The fund, named the Nathan Ness Scholarship Fund, will provide undergraduate scholarships for students enrolled in the department.

Donald Lyons, department chairman, said the fund will further the colleges effort to assist talented, diligent students.

“Scholarships are vastly important to recruiting top students,”Dr. Lyons said.”The department will greatly benefit from this gift, and we appreciate the Ness familys willingness to invest in the future.”

Dr. Ness was a mechanical and aerospace engineering professor from 1964 until his death this year. He taught various undergraduate and graduate courses, including fluid mechanics, aerodynamics and thermodynamics. He received outstanding teaching awards from the University and published more than 40 papers related to his research activities. Before coming to WVU , he was a research engineer at General Electric and RCA .

Nesswidow, Frances, said her husband was very much in favor of supporting the education of young people.

“Nat had a favorite quote by Isaac Newton that he kept taped to the bathroom mirror,”Mrs. Ness said.”It read,If I have been able to see further, it was only because I stood on the shoulders of giants.For Nat, this was a reminder of our indebtedness to those who preceded us and our obligation to assist those who come hereafter.”

The gift was made to the WVU Foundation in conjunction with Building Greatness Campaign: West Virginia University. The $250 million campaign is being conducted by the Foundation on behalf of the University. A five-year campaign, it concludes Dec. 31, 2003.

For more information about contributing to the Ness Scholarship Fund, contact the College of Engineering and Mineral Resources Development Office at 304-293-4821, ext. 2240.