A $500,000 legacy gift from Mona Elmore, a long-time member and supporter of science advancements in America, will generate unrestricted grants through the ARCS Scholar Awards for outstanding students in STEM and nursing fields at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa.
“Now her generous gift will allow us to assist more students, particularly in areas such as oceanography and astronomy, where she had keen interest,” said ARCS Honolulu Chapter President Sui-Lan Ellsworth.
The ARCS Foundation Honolulu Chapter established the George Orton Elmore and Mona Marie Elmore Scholarship endowment, through Mona’s generous donations, and has been supporting UH students since the 1970s.
“The ARCS Foundation’s generous support of UH students has made a tremendous impact in the lives of so many of our outstanding students,” said University of Hawaiʻi Vice President of Advancement and UH Foundation CEO Tim Dolan. “We are most grateful to all members of this dynamic group of philanthropists who are empowering our ambitious future STEM leaders to fulfill their potential.”
For years Elmore funded the chapter’s annual Scholar of the Year Award for the best presentation among the year’s scholar award recipients and Scientist of the Year Award for a UH faculty member who demonstrates sustained excellence in research and mentorship.
She was honored along with her late husband as Golden Hearts at the Honolulu Chapter’s 2013 Hearts of Gold Fundraiser for their vision and generosity. Elmore died in December 2018 at the age of 94.
“She is greatly missed, but we are happy that her memory lives on through this legacy,” said close friend Lois Magnussen.
