(From left to right) Kate Tiedemann, Ellen Cotton, Stephanie Goforth, Judy Genshaft, Sophia Wisniewska and Judy Mitchell.
The Kate Tiedemann College of Business received exciting news on Thursday when it was announced that businesswomen Ellen Cotton and her partner Kate Tiedemann donated an additional $1 million. Tiedemann had previously donated $10 million, the largest gift in the school’s history.
The donation will be in the form of an endowed scholarship to help students focus on their studies without having to worry about finances.
The announcement came during the ‘topping out’ ceremony that marked the midpoint of the building’s construction which included a signing of the building’s final beam.
USF system president Judy Genshaft attended the event to thank Tiedemann and Cotton for their contributions to USF St. Petersburg.
Cotton will also have an atrium named after her in recognition of the donation, strengthening the pair’s connection with the campus and its students.
USFSP’s Regional Chancellor Sophia Wisniewska told the Tampa Bay Times,
“Often, students will reduce their course load or even skip a semester because they may not have the funds to continue in a progression that would allow them to graduate in four, five, six years. This kind of scholarship gives them the leg up that they need to continue on a path to graduation.”
