GSU President Becker, wife give $500k for scholarships, athletics, arts

Mark Becker and Laura Voisinet, courtesy of Georgia State University.

Mark Becker and Laura Voisinet, courtesy of Georgia State University.

Georgia State University announced a $500,000 gift from President Mark Becker and his wife, Laura Voisinet, for student scholarships, athletics and the Rialto Center for the Arts.

Part of the gift will go toward the Mark Becker and Laura Voisinet Opportunity Scholarship.

"We are building on our previous commitment because we have seen how philanthropy makes a difference for our students and faculty," Becker said in a statement.

The gift, which will come in installments, contributes to the university’s $300-million fundraising campaign, scheduled to end in 2019. So far, $260 million has been raised.

The couple previously gave $40,000 that initiated the Panther Retention Grant program, which has provided more than $7 million to students in danger of dropping out due to financial issues.

“I was a scholarship recipient, and I could not have earned my degree without that support,” Voisinet said. “Scholarships are likewise critically important to many Georgia State students completing their degrees, so we are delighted to endow scholarships that will help students achieve their dreams for generations to come.”

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