Former students of LaVerne Rudell surprised their beloved professor with an endowed fund in her name during Nebraska Wesleyan University’s sixth annual Business Summit, held March 7.
Rudell, professor emerita of business administration, taught at Nebraska Wesleyan for 30 years from 1966 to 1996.
Earlier this year, former students began an effort to raise funds to establish the Dr. LaVerne C. Rudell Endowment. NWU President Fred Ohles surprised Rudell at the Business Summit luncheon with news that her former students have already contributed more than $30,000 in gifts and pledges to the fund.
She was the classiest, most knowledgeable and caring instructor that I had the privilege to learn from at NWU,” said 1976 graduate Michael Hershberger. “She had the ability to always make her students feel special, as though each was the only student in class. She genuinely desired that you not only learn from your educational experience, but also retain that knowledge for a lifetime.”
“When I met Dr. Rudell in 1987 I was a young lady with no plan,” said 1990 graduate Liz (Julian) Shults. “She quickly led by example and changed the direction of my life."