We would like to acknowledge the support of donors whose generosity has been instrumental to the Library’s establishment and its ongoing growth and impact.
The University Library building is named in honor of Leo Kolligian, a Fresno native and former University of California Regent, and his wife, Dottie. The Kolligians advocated for a University of California campus in the Valley. Leo Kolligian and his extended family generously established a permanent endowment for the library.
In 2001, the Thondapu family of Merced spearheaded a fundraising campaign that raised over $22,000 from more than 80 individual donors to purchase books for the library.
The first floor of the Leo and Dottie Kolligian Library, one of the first buildings to be constructed on the new campus, is named for Ed and Jeanne Kashian in recognition of the leadership and support the Kashians have directed to UC Merced. They made a substantial contribution to support an endowment for the library named in honor of their lifelong friends and business partners, Leo Kolligian and his wife, Dottie.
An endowment of $250,000 from the non-profit McFadden-Willis Children Memorial Foundation established the McFadden-Willis Reading Room in the Kolligian Library. This endowment was created in memory of Melanie, Stanley, Stuart, and Michelle, the children of Merced veterinarian Dr. Christine McFadden.
Doris Gonella's gift to the library, as a tribute to her late husband Louis, created the Louis P. Gonella and Doris M. Gonella Discovery Room. Gifts from their children supported its transformation into the Gonella Discovery Room Data Lab, a vibrant, informal space where students can problem-solve, explore new technologies and work with data sources to successfully engage with coursework and complete innovative projects.
Longtime Merced County residents Clarence and Enid Olive were pleased that the San Joaquin Valley finally had its own UC campus. Seeking to provide a gift that would address immediate needs at UC Merced, they contributed $100,000 to support a library book fund.
Barbara Voltmer’s father, William Harland Boyd, was a professor at Bakersfield College and a noted historian of Kern County. Barbara donated her father’s collection of books and ephemera on Kern County history to the UC Merced Library. Fred and Barbara have also provided support for the acquisition and preservation of California Central Valley and Sierra Nevada special collections.
Arlene Kranich, grandmother of a UC Merced alumna, established a $26,250 endowment to fund the Carter Joseph Abrescy and Larry Kranich Library Award for Student Research Excellence. Each year, two undergraduate students are recognized for effective use of library and information resources, as well as an understanding of the research process and growth in research practices.
Professor Emerita Dunya Ramicova was a founding faculty member at UC Merced. An Emmy Award-winning costume designer who worked on over 150 productions of theater, opera, ballet, film, and television, she donated her designs and personal papers to the library and established an endowment to support collections.
Copyright @ The Regents of the University of California. All rights reserved.
