Description
It is in the spirit of Dr. Gene Murphy’s insatiable curiosity about the world that his family and friends are creating a scholarship fund for tuition to international educational programs. Gene’s work in global education gave him a platform to provide students, researchers, and other academics with the intercultural experiences he believed would create a better world. Our goal is to honor Gene’s legacy by providing young people financial access to immersive global experiences that can transform individual lives and whole communities. Gene, a lifelong educator and student of the world, received his undergraduate degree from Harvard University and his doctorate in Anthropology from Columbia University. He began his academic career as a professor of Anthropology. His professional calling crystallized during his time as an administrator of the burgeoning global program at NYU, where he wove together years in the field and classroom with his skills as a manager. Through his leadership position, Gene supported others to cultivate meaningful experiences in the world. From 2013 to 2019 he served as Associate Vice President for Rutgers Global, at Rutgers University. Gene passed away on August 7th, 2019 from advanced metastatic colo-rectal cancer. Fascination with the world and its people infused everything from Gene’s professional pursuits to his travel itineraries and reading lists. Fluent in both Spanish and Mandarin, he always sought to absorb the characteristics of different cultures through his lifelong travels. Gene traveled for his education – doing anthropological field research in China; he traveled for his career - working with local universities in Spain, Cuba, Czech Republic, & Argentina, among others to set up global educational programs; and he traveled for his own pleasure – hiking in Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam on a recent trip. We know that during this pandemic global travel has been limited, but it will be amazing to help share the educational opportunity of global travel when this current climate has passed.
Donations are applied to...
The goal is to raise $50,000 in gifts to create an endowed Scholarship Fund in memorial of Dr. Eugene T. Murphy in partnership with the Rutgers Foundation and Rutgers Global - Study Abroad, to continue it’s existence into the future. Every year, recipients will receive scholarship funds for tuition to international educational programs. For those who would like to contribute more generously or establish an annually gift, please contact the Rutgers University Foundation.
Personal Message
We, his family and friends, are grateful to you for your pledge of support.
Why are donations necessary?
Through this scholarship fund, Gene’s memory and his belief in the nature of global experiences to transform an individual or a community will live on.