With a second gift of $1.5 million, Elaine and Rhett Atkinson of Sedona, Arizona, expanded their support of University of Mississippi faculty in the fields of biology, chemistry and biochemistry, computer science, mathematics or physics and astronomy.
The Atkinson Family Endowment for STEM Teaching will provide salary supplements, teaching support, research and creative activity support and more.
“Scholarships are great, but without excellent professors to teach the scholarship recipients, what’s the point? Great teachers inspire students to learn, and this is the real key to education. At Ole Miss I had a lot of excellent, caring teachers who encouraged learning and inspired me to do my best,” said Dr. Atkinson, who earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees in mathematics from Ole Miss in 1970 and 1972 and graduated from the UM School of Medicine in 1979.
Chancellor Glenn Boyce thanked the Atkinsons for recognizing the critical importance of faculty support.
“We are extremely grateful to Elaine and Rhett Atkinson for their investment in the people who make academic excellence possible — top-tier faculty who prepare and mentor our students to lead rewarding lives,” he said. “Through their generosity, the Atkinsons are supporting dedicated teachers who will shape future leaders and our university’s national academic reputation.”
This generous new gift is eligible for $500,000 in matching funds, resulting in a total endowment of $2 million. This new endowment builds on one the Atkinsons created in 2019, with a gift of $1.5 million, the Doctors Andrew Stefani and Eldon Miller Memorial Chair for STEM Teaching and Research Endowment to honor two of Rhett Atkinson’s favorite professors.
“I’ve been very impressed with the quality of the professors the university has chosen to be the recipients of the Stefani-Miller Chair,” the donor said. “Both professors Daniel Mattern and now Jason Ritchie are outstanding examples of what great teachers can do for their students and the university.”
The Atkinsons’ new gift provides income to the College of Liberal Arts and the School of Engineering to support the recruitment and retention of a top-tier scholar who demonstrates outstanding teaching in STEM and is also a productive researcher.
Liberal Arts Dean Lee Cohen said the Atkinson gift, which creates an award based on merit, will have a powerful impact.
“This type of support remains one of our most urgent priorities, especially given the intense competition across higher education for world-class faculty,” Cohen said. “We are deeply grateful for this generous gift, which will complement the transformational impact of the new Jim and Thomas Duff Center for Science and Technology Innovation. Together, these investments will significantly enhance the exceptional education we offer our students.”
Engineering Dean Viola L. Acoff said the gift will secure a talented professor.
“The establishing of the Atkinson Family Endowment for STEM Teaching will assist the School of Engineering in ensuring that top-quality teaching, research and service will be available for future generations of our students. The Atkinsons’ generosity will allow us to recruit and retain exceptionally highly qualified faculty. I am exceedingly grateful to them for their vision for the University of Mississippi and the School of Engineering,” she said.
Atkinson shared the inspiration behind his new gift.
“My wife and I have been truly blessed and part of that blessing is due to the quality education I received at the University of Mississippi. I also want to set an example to my children and grandchildren on the importance of giving and sharing success,” he said.
Atkinson also complimented the university on the new Jim and Thomas Duff Center for Science and Technology Innovation, a 204,000-square-foot STEM learning building that opened in August.
“What an inspiring gift by the Duff brothers! Their leadership is what philanthropy is all about. This spectacular facility should attract students and faculty from all over, and I’m excited to think that our Atkinson Chair may be able to teach in such an incredible learning environment,” he said.
The retired anesthesiologist said STEM is where career opportunities can be found.
“This field is what powers the world going forward, and if you’re in it, you may be part of something very special, advancing mankind forward. I have STEM friends who have done this, and it is really enlightening and gratifying.
“I found STEM interesting and challenging,” he continued. “Its basis is math, and I loved that thanks to Ole Miss math professors and specifically Eldon Miller, the namesake of the Stefani-Miller Chair which we previously funded.”
The Atkinsons celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary in 2024. For more about their background, click here to read the article about their original gift, establishing the Stefani-Miller endowment.
To make a gift to the Atkinson Family Endowment for STEM Teaching, send a check with the fund’s name noted on the memo line to the University of Mississippi Foundation, 406 University Ave., Oxford, MS 38655, or online here.
To learn more about providing faculty support, contact Nikki Neely Davis, assistant vice chancellor for development, at nlneely@olemiss.edu or 662-915-6678.
By Tina H. Hahn/UM Development