The University of Colorado Boulder has announced a $10 million gift from Ann Smead and her husband, Michael Byram, to bolster a scholars program and establish faculty chairs and fellowships within the Aerospace program at the university's College of Engineering and Applied Science.

In 2006, Smead and Byram created the Smead Fellows Program to support the aerospace engineering studies of two new doctoral students annually. The program provides students with the academic freedom to explore their primary research interests while being mentored by world-class faculty and advisors. Smead Scholars also receive professional development opportunities in leadership, project management, grant writing, and ethics, and are able to attend workshops, seminars, and lectures around the world during their graduate studies.

In addition to supporting graduate students within the aerospace department, the gift will establish the Smead Endowed Chair of Space Technology, a position to be held by a National Academy of Engineering faculty member; the Michael M. Byram Distinguished Visiting Professorship; and two Smead Faculty Fellowships for promising mid-career faculty. The A. Richard Seebass Endowed Chair, established by Ann's first husband, H.J. "Joe" Smead before he died in 2003, is held by Distinguished Professor Dan Scheeres.

Joe Smead was the oldest son of a single mother who took in laundry to make ends meet. He earned a WWII Navy sponsored scholarship to attend CU, graduating in twenty-six months with an electrical engineering degree. After fulfilling his Navy commitment, Smead earned a master's degree from the University of Washington and a doctoral degree from Purdue University. After a successful career in industry, he became the president of Kaiser Aerospace & Electronics Corp. in 1974, before purchasing the company, which he led until 1999. In recognition of the Smeads, the university will rename the aerospace program the Ann and H.J. Smead Department of Aerospace Engineering Sciences.

"You can't have a great department without great people," said Ann Smead. "CU's aerospace team is one of the most energetic, inspiring groups we have seen. The more you are around them their intellect, curiosity, and drive to learn and solve problems is just infectious."