Department of Mathematics receives $7 million endowment for student scholarships

KALAMAZOO, Mich.—A transformative gift of $7 million from the late Dr. David P. Burns, M.A.’72, Ph.D.’79, is set to fuel Western Michigan University's Department of Mathematics with new possibilities and pave the way for students to pursue their passions in the field.  

The David P. Burns Endowment, which constitutes the single largest donation in the history of the Department of Mathematics, will be used to support scholarships for undergraduate and graduate mathematics students.

"We are incredibly grateful for this generous endowment, which will have a transformative impact on our department and students pursuing mathematics degrees," says Dr. Melinda Koelling, chair of the Department of Mathematics. "We are grateful for the donor's generosity, and look forward to using this gift to support our students.”

Burns, who bequeathed his entire estate upon his death to Western, attended the University in the 1970s, pursuing first a master’s and then a Ph.D. in mathematics, focused on graph theory. Burns was the sole doctoral student of professor emeritus Dr. Shashi Kapoor.  

Professor emeritus Dr. Gary Chartrand recalls Burns as “a good guy—very friendly and modest.” After earning his Ph.D., Burns taught at Ferris State University for 40 years, retiring as a full professor. 

When Burns was not in the classroom he enjoyed collecting, repairing and riding vintage bicycles, and reading books on U.S. history, especially about Abraham Lincoln and the Civil War period. 

“With this endowment, the only parameters are that it must be used for mathematics student scholarships, so now the Department of Mathematics has the exciting and challenging task of figuring out the best ways to use this endowment to serve students,” says Koelling. 

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