Dr. Michael Almeida was a scholar who enjoyed seeing his students succeed and either get jobs in the field of computer science or go on to graduate school. When he died on May 19, 2014, his wife, Dr. Eugenie Almeida, wanted to make certain the love and passion that he had for his students and his profession lived on. That’s why she established the $25,000 Michael Almeida Endowed Scholarship in Computer Science. The scholarship will be awarded to students majoring in computer science.
This will be the first scholarship at Fayetteville State University (FSU) solely for students in that field.
“Dr. Almeida was a tremendous scholar who was respected by his colleagues in the Computer Science Department and by his fellow faculty members,” said FSU Chancellor James. A. Anderson. “This endowed scholarship will not only keep his memory alive, but also will allow deserving FSU computer science students to get an education without worry of how it is going to be financed.”
“I wanted to establish the scholarship as a memorial to him and continue the work in the field of computer science to which he dedicated his life in some small way,” Dr. Eugenie Almeida said. “The student who receives the scholarship will have part of their tuition paid, thus making it easier for them to continue as a computer science major.”
Dr. Michael Almeida worked at Fayetteville State University for nine years. During his tenure, he worked for two years to get the Department of Mathematics and Computer Science accredited and was still working to maintain this accreditation when he passed. His future plans were to work on a Master of Arts Degree in Computer Science.
“He was a dedicated teacher and researcher who planned to work at FSU until he retired,” Dr. Eugenie Almeida said.
Dr. Eugenie Almeida has been employed at FSU for 14 years and is a full professor. She said she hopes this scholarship not only will honor the contributions of her husband to FSU, but she also hopes it will encourage other faculty and staff to invest in the university and its students.
“It is important for employees to contribute to FSU because it will help bring in young scholars who otherwise could not attend,” she said. “The Department of Mathematics and Computer Science is not large and could certainly grow to become a larger department, but the university would also benefit if scholars set up scholarship funds.”
FSU is a constituent institution of The University of North Carolina and the second-oldest public institution of higher education in the state. FSU offers nearly 60 degrees at the bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral levels. With more than 6,000 students, Fayetteville State University is among the most diverse institutions in the nation.
For more information, call (910) 672-1474.
