Dr. Luis A. Colón and Lorraine A. Colón, MLS ‘95

Luis and Lorraine Colón established this endowment in memory of Luis’s parents, Baudilio Colón and Petra Sánchez of Cidra, Puerto Rico. Both, Baudilio and Petra came from very humble families that had scarce resources and no formal education. Although they had limited educations and financial resources themselves, Petra and Baudilio always promoted the value of an education to their seven children. Baudilio was a farmer who left farming for factory work to support his family; Petra was a seamstress who worked in a textile factory. Despite their limited educations, they clearly understood the importance of an education as a means to a better life. Through their many sacrifices and unconditional love, Petra and Baudilio inspired, encouraged, and supported their children’s educational goals, with the result that all seven earned at least a bachelor’s degree. Luis A. Colón, the oldest of the seven, attended public school and earned a B.Sc. in Chemistry from the University of Puerto Rico at Cayey. He worked in the pharmaceutical industry before entering graduate school and earning a Ph.D. in Chemistry from UMass Lowell. After postdoctoral study at Stanford University, he joined the Department of Chemistry at UB, where he moved through the ranks and became the A. Conger Goodyear Professor. He served as Chair of the Department of Chemistry and also as Associate Dean of the Graduate School at UB.

This endowment will support a Ph.D. student in chemistry at UB, particularly encouraging those who have been disadvantaged. Baudilio and Petra’s life-long passion for helping others, and their teachings for maintaining a high sense of service and responsibility for giving back, will be memorialized in this award, which will continue in perpetuity.