Written by Rachel Farrell | Posted December 2024
When 1839 Society members Mark Nelson (COM’88) and Ruth Gallagher Nelson started working with Boston University on their gift, “our intention was to better the world,” says Ruth. For the Nelsons, the question was: Where could their giving make the most difference?
They found the perfect opportunity in the Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program (UROP), a program that connects undergraduate students to faculty-mentored research projects. The Nelsons made a three-year pledge to fund research through UROP, and the first recipient of their gift—Emma Longo (COM’24)—used the funds to study climate disinformation in the media. Longo went on to present her research at the prestigious AEJMC Conference in Washington, DC, and is now attending graduate school for communications research.
Here, the Nelsons explain what giving back has meant to BU students—and to them.
Mark, how would you describe your BU experience?
Mark: I loved going to the College of Communication. It was a small college, and I made friends there that I’m still in touch with today. My communications theory and mass communications classes prepared me for my internships in broadcast journalism and advertising internships and later for my career. I also had great academic advising, faculty advising, and peer advising. One of my professors, Dr. Marilyn Root, even came to our wedding, and Ruth and I are still in touch with her today.
As a student, you also developed a love for research. Explain.
Mark: Through my courses, I learned how important research is to the communications field and there’s an art and science to communications that’s grounded in research. My senior thesis was on emotional responses to advertising, and I loved discovering the breadth and depth of materials out there. I had boxes and boxes of research articles on the topic. UROP didn’t exist when I was a student, but I think I would have learned as much, if not more, if I had done my research through that program.
How did you both learn about UROP?
Ruth: We learned about UROP during BU’s Friends & Family Weekend, when we were visiting our niece, who was then a freshman at BU. We walked into the Undergraduate Research Symposium and were so impressed by the quality and variety of the research, and the charm and intensity of the students. But Mark noticed there wasn’t a single student from the College of Communication in the room.
Mark: I said, “Why isn’t COM represented?” I knew from my own experience that there was a huge opportunity for research; investigative journalism, documentaries, and films all require research. We reached out to the dean of COM [Mariette DiChristina] to see whether there were opportunities to change that. Through those conversations, we decided to make a three-year pledge to UROP.
Ruth: We wanted to support UROP because it gives students, regardless of their financial background, the opportunity to do research. At first, we didn’t know whether that kind of gift would be accessible for us. It turns out it’s relatively affordable to give students a life-changing experience. We worked out something with BU that works with our budget, lifestyle, and schedule, and we feel really good about it
After you made your pledge, you had an opportunity to meet the first recipient of it, Emma Longo (COM’24). What was that like?
Mark: Two years after that Friends & Family Weekend, we went back to the UROP Research Symposium to see Emma present her research on disinformation in the media. We walked up as she was in the middle of sharing her research with someone else. I was just blown away by how eloquently she talked about it and how passionate she was for the cause. She really saw the topic as being something that was important to get out there. It was a full circle moment that was so rewarding. We were really proud to be a part of that.
Ruth: It was so meaningful to see what Emma did with our gift. It was so worth it.
Mark: She ever wrote us a handwritten thank-you letter. She’s a rock star.
Why did you initially decide to include BU in your estate planning?
Mark: My experience at BU was so transformative. Because of that, giving back to the University is something we’ve always wanted to do.
Ruth: The other thing that was meaningful to me is how money raised for BU is really going to students, whether to fund financial aid packages or programs like study abroad. That allows more diverse students to attend BU and feel supported while they’re on campus.
Mark: To Ruth’s point, we’ve been really impressed with how BU provides resources that enables students from all means to go to the University. We knew that our gift would allow a student to do something they wouldn’t otherwise be able to do.