Hope from sadness: Loreto Godoy Memorial Fellowship (needs $5K more to become permanently endowed)

I received tonight an email from Dr. Holly Ernest, a colleague of mine who is a Professor at UC Davis and I am posting it below. The email relates to a fundraiser for a Memorial Fellowship in honor of Loreto Godoy who was a PhD student here at UC Davis in the Graduate Group in Ecology.  She tragically died this summer in a car crash that also took the life of her husband's parents.  The email relates to a fund that was established in her honor - which needs only an additional $5000 to become a permanently endowed fund at UC Davis.  Holly Ernest was her PhD Advisor and I encourage everyone to read the email below and consider donating to the fund.  Life is so incredibly tragic sometimes.  Loreto was not just a brilliant scientist, but also a wonderful person and a mother of two young girls.  But hopefully through this fellowship some good things can happen for others and her memory can live on.

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Dear Ecology community,

Our dreams for a permanently endowed Loreto Godoy Memorial Fellowship are nearly realized.

This fellowship is intended to be awarded regularly to UC Davis graduate students who exemplify Loreto's ideals. Loreto was a PhD candidate in the Ecology Graduate group, brilliant scientist, a loving mother of two little girls, Chilean, veterinarian, and all-around wonderful sunny person.

In order to help us reach our goal of endowing the fellowship and having a lasting legacy of Loreto's wonderful and generous life, my husband Bruce and I are making another gift of $1000 to help inspire others to donate (any size donation is very welcome).

With this donation and that of a new anonymous donor, the fund is now at $20,000. It needs to reach $25,000 to be permanently endowed by UC Davis for a lasting legacy to Loreto's memory.

Please consider joining us to reach this goal!

Also - please feel free to share this email so that others can get involved.

Please send checks to the following address, and write, "for Loreto Godoy Fellowship Fund" in subject line of check:

University of California, Davis
Janet Berry—University Development
UC Davis Conference Center, 2nd floor
One Shields Ave.
Davis, CA 95616-5270

Questions can be directed to Janet by email jsberry@ucdavis.edu or phone (530) 902-1624. If you prefer to pay by credit card, you may also call Janet at this number in order to provide this information.

Thank you,

Sincerely Holly Ernest
Loreto's graduate school adviser
530-754-8245
hbernest@ucdavis.edu

https://www.facebook.com/Loreto.Godoy.Scholarship

(Note by Jonathan Eisen - donations can also be made via the online site http://www.gofundme.com/loreto-godoy-scholarship).