The University of Memphis wishes to acknowledge the generous gifts of its donors, including the following:

Ring Container Technologies Inc. made a $300,000 gift to establish the Ring Companies Professorship Fund in the Herff College of Engineering. The donation is one of largest gifts in the history of the Herff College. The Ring Professorships will allow the Herff College to retain high-caliber faculty, providing a decided edge to U of M engineering students in the global marketplace. The professorships will recognize outstanding faculty in the Departments of Mechanical Engineering and Electrical and Computer Engineering for their exceptional classroom instruction and scholarly contributions to the field of engineering. Recipients will be appointed for three years.

“The generosity of Ring in providing this support for the Herff College of Engineering is truly a transformative gift,” said Dean Richard Warder. “It will enable us to make significant progress in our efforts to attract and retain the outstanding faculty whose instruction and research provide our engineering students with a competitive advantage in the global marketplace.”

Former Tiger defensive back Reggie Howard endowed a scholarship in the College of Education through his Reggie Howard Foundation. The foundation offers activities that build leadership skills and self-confidence in young people. Howard was a walk-on at the U of M and played for the NFL’s Carolina Panthers and Miami Dolphins. He is the only player to intercept a Tom Brady pass in a Super Bowl.