Beth Sonnenschein Ĵý61, Ĵý62N establishes a $1 million endowed research fund in mathematics
Beth Sonnenschein Ĵý61, Ĵý62N establishes a $1 million endowed research fund in mathematics
Gift recognizes the coupleĴýs commitment to research excellence and honors her late husband, University Trustee Emeritus Hugo Sonnenschein Ĵý61, Ĵý17 (Honorary)
Rachel Mossi, Leah Schraudenbach, Hugo Sonnenschein, Beth Sonnenschein, and Amy Venetianer
Elizabeth ĴýBethĴý Sonnenschein Ĵý61, Ĵý62N has established the Hugo Freund Sonnenschein and Elizabeth Gunn Sonnenschein Research Endowment in Mathematics within the University of RochesterĴýs School of Arts & Sciences. Her generous $1 million gift honors her late husband, University Trustee Emeritus Hugo Sonnenschein Ĵý61, Ĵý17 (Honorary), an acclaimed economic theorist and academic leader, and recognizes the coupleĴýs shared commitment to research excellence.
Specifically, the new Sonnenschein Research Endowment in Mathematics will equip faculty and students with resources to integrate ideas from diverse disciplinesĴýincluding physics, economics, engineering, and DNA biologyĴýto drive solutions to challenges best addressed through mathematics collaboration.
ĴýWe are tremendously grateful to Beth for this gift and to Hugo for his scholarly impact and dedication to Rochester,Ĵý says Duje Tadin, interim dean of the School of Arts & Sciences. ĴýBecause of BethĴýs vision and support, future generations can carry on HugoĴýs legacy and apply mathematical concepts to advance transdisciplinary innovation.Ĵý
ĴýThis gift is a way to honor my appreciation for the role Rochester played in our formative years, and HugoĴýs years as a board member and volunteer,Ĵý says Sonnenschein. ĴýHe loved math, Rochester, and the institution of higher educationĴýhe dedicated his life to all of this and more.Ĵý
Hugo Sonnenschein
Sonnenschein adds that Hugo majored in mathematics at Rochester, and, during his senior year, he found a reference in an economics journal that inspired him and became the basis for his lifelong work: the idea that important economic concepts could be modeled and hence better understood, using mathematics. For him, she underscores, it all started at Rochester.
Paul Funkenbusch, chair of the mathematics department, underscores that mathematics is foundational to many disciplines, often driving discoveries in engineering and the sciences and moving us toward solutions to such global issues as sustainable energy, cryptography, public health, and economic systems. ĴýBecause of this gift, the department will always have dedicated resources to help faculty and students pursue high-reward projects, giving them the freedom to study difficult questions and problems that span these areas and beyond.Ĵý
Hugo and Beth met during their first year at the University and married one year after graduation. Their three daughters, Rachel Mossi, Leah Schraudenbach, and Amy Venetianer were mathematics majors in college and, like their parents, have applied lessons learned from math into their careers and daily lives.
About Hugo Sonnenschein
Hugo was a teacher, scholar, and one of the nationĴýs most distinguished academic leaders, equally at home crunching mathematical models, leading a classroom discussion, and guiding the nationĴýs leading universities. He served as president of the University of Chicago, provost at Princeton University, and dean at the University of Pennsylvania, elevating these distinguished institutions to new levels of academic and scholarly achievement. Hugo was also a member of the National Academy of Sciences and the American Philosophical Society and a fellow of the American Academy of Arts & Sciences and a distinguished fellow of the American Economic Association. In recognition of these achievements as well as his roles at the University as a dedicated volunteer leader, trusted advisor, and loyal supporter, Rochester awarded him an honorary Doctor of Philosophy degree in 2017.
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Ĵý Kristine Kappel Thompson, February 2025