Suzanne G. and Murray A. Valenstein have made a highly generous commitment to establish an endowment that will ultimately support a substantial portion of the Baltimore component of the Incentive Awards Program. In addition, the Valensteins are bequeathing a very significant amount to endow merit scholarships for undergraduates throughout the University of Maryland.

In 2002, Murray, a retired New York advertising executive and a graduate of both Baltimore City College High School and the University of Maryland, and Suzanne, an internationally recognized curator of Asian art and graduate of Baltimore’s Forest Park High School, generously decided to financially support two students in the University of Maryland Incentive Awards Program (formerly, the Baltimore Incentive Awards Program). The students, Yavona Pirali ’06, and Kelly Smith ’06, both graduates of Baltimore City public high schools, have fostered an enduring relationship with the Valensteins through the Incentive Awards Program, a program the Valensteins believed in from its inception. The students received full scholarships for their undergraduate education through the Valenstein’s generosity.

According to the Valensteins, prospective donors looking for a real return on their investments should look no further than the University of Maryland Incentive Awards Program. “We all know the value of a good investment,” says Murray Valenstein. “Through the Incentive Awards Program, you can make a lifelong contribution to someone’s success. And that investment will pay off every day for years.”

In honor of the Valensteins’ vision and generosity, the university is pleased to designate the Baltimore program as “The Suzanne G. and Murray A. Valenstein Incentive Awards Program.”