Leaving a Legacy of Learning: A Testament to the Impact of a UMGC Education

In March 2026, University of Maryland Global Campus (UMGC) welcomed 12 new members into the Ehrensberger Legacy Society, a group of donors whose planned gifts support learners facing financial barriers to completing their degrees.

The Society is named for UMGC's first president, William Raymond "Ray" Ehrensberger, PhD. Known as the "Flying Dean," Ehrensberger was an innovator who championed educational access beyond traditional campus boundaries, shaping the university's global reach and expanding access to higher education for adult and military learners around the world.

That mission continues today through contributions that provide critical financial relief for students balancing school, work, and family responsibilities.

UMGC alumna and new inductee Piia H. Brown '17 said she and her husband, Troy S. Brown, Esq., chose to make a planned gift in recognition of what her education made possible.

"I appreciate earning my degree," she said. "But more so, I appreciate the lesson it has taught me about what it means to be a part of something larger, to model behavior that my parents taught me, and again, because of the opportunity it allows me to be a blessing to others."

Addressing the newest Society members, UMGC President Gregory W. Fowler, PhD, said, "The support you provide doesn't just pay for tuition. It helps buy time-time that a working parent can spend studying instead of taking on a second job. It reduces anxiety. It signals to students that someone believes in them, maybe before they fully believe in themselves. That matters more than any of us can fully measure."