When Mark Rieger shared he was leaving his role as dean of UD’s College of Agricultural and Natural Resources (CANR) after eight years, his colleagues, friends and supporters came forward to make sure his legacy and work would continue.

The Mark Rieger Undergraduate Research Fund was established in January 2021 in honor of Rieger and his service to the University. The funding will support undergraduate research in CANR, which has been a priority for Rieger throughout his tenure as dean. Since its creation, 78 of donors have contributed $78,858.23 to the fund.

“The fund in my name came as a complete surprise to me, and I was so overwhelmed that folks rallied around and put money toward such a wonderful cause I am so grateful for everyone who stepped up to make a gift to this fund, and I really can’t thank them enough,” Rieger said. “Undergraduate research and experiential learning have always been so important to me. Tuition and state appropriated funds provide so much, but these enhanced experiences are provided through philanthropy and can make all the difference for students, bringing all of their learning together for them.”

Rieger, who is now the executive vice president and provost at Florida Gulf Coast University, adds that research projects and hands-on learning experiences where students can work through a project from start to finish help students connect the “collection of facts” they gain from classroom courses. He put his drive for experiential learning into action when he worked to ensure  the Worrilow Hall renovation project was a success, adding collaborative, state-of-the-art lab space, specialized application rooms, a central equipment room and more. Now, students through the Rieger Undergraduate Research Fund will receive valuable opportunities to perform hands-on research inside this new space, offering them a unique and advanced opportunity to fulfill CANR’s mission of feeding the world while protecting the planet.

Sherman Townsend, former University Board of Trustee and advocate for agriculture at UD and throughout the state, was quick to support the fund in Rieger’s name to honor a dean he worked closely with throughout the years as well as to ensure the Rieger’s work would continue in CANR.

“I’m thrilled to support this fund to honor Mark and to support his ideas, so they continue for the next generation, ensuring Agriculture research is high on the priority list,” Townsend said. “Mark was clearly one of the best deans of CANR at UD because he had a different approach, listened to advice and was easy for anyone to talk to about the vision for the college. Many of the things he accomplished during his tenure are complete game changing opportunities within agriculture, including the renovation of Worrilow Hall and other projects.”

Townsend looks forward to when the fund will support student experiences and research that will ultimately benefit local farmers and the community as a whole.

“My hope is the fund will build the future of agriculture in the state of Delaware, continuing superb research projects while students learn about soybeans, poultry, grain and how to help UD grow and succeed in other crops as well,” Townsend said. “The undergraduate research supported by the Rieger Fund will help with farm to table success as students explore ways to grow different kinds of crops and share that knowledge with the farmers. I think that is the type of research UD should be taking leadership in in our state, creating more variety in Delaware agriculture and educating farmers about alternatives that will be beneficial to them and the community.”