On Nov. 21, University of Delaware President Dennis Assanis, First Lady Eleni Assanis and community members from across the University gathered in Gore Recital Hall to announce and celebrate Patricia and Charles Robertson’s extraordinary $5 million commitment to graduate research in the School of Marine Science and Policy.

Through this gift, the Robertsons will establish the Patricia and Charles Robertson Endowment, a fund that will support up to 10 marine science graduate students each year in perpetuity. 

“It is hard to overstate the impact this new fund will have on our graduate researchers,” Assanis said. “From stipends to research fellowships to travel, equipment and other research expenses, the Robertson Endowment will meaningfully advance our graduate researchers’ efforts to address climate change and other pressing societal issues.”

This incredible investment is just the latest chapter of the Robertsons’ decades-long support for scientific discovery. Dating back to Patricia’s own experiences as a graduate researcher at UD — she received her master’s degree in biological sciences in 1972 — the Robertsons have been a driving force behind major breakthroughs in marine science and policy. Even before their latest commitment, the Robertsons had contributed nearly $7 million in support for a wide range of advanced research initiatives. As College of Earth, Ocean and Environment Dean Fabrice Veron noted, the Robertsons are “longtime friends of our School of Marine Science and Policy and incredible champions of our professors and our students.”

Assanis and members of the Board of Trustees awarded the Robertsons with the Medal of Distinction, UD’s highest honor. The medal recognizes those who have made significant cultural, humanitarian, scientific or intellectual contributions to society or in their profession.

“Pat and Charles certainly embody all of these criteria, and we are so proud to recognize them,” Assanis said.

The event’s next speaker, Matthew Oliver, spoke from personal experience about the impact of the Robertsons’ long-term support. Oliver currently holds the Patricia and Charles Robertson Distinguished Professorship of Marine Science and Policy, a position that has allowed him and his graduate students to conduct field-defining research. 

“This latest gift reflects Pat and Charles’ deep and sustained commitment to marine science and policy,” Oliver said. “Over the years, their generosity has fueled innovation in numerous ways. From supporting cutting-edge research like the Apex float in Antarctica, to pioneering shark tagging efforts in Delaware Bay … their support has directly benefited the careers of 14 graduate students, many of whom are now making waves in their fields.”

One of those former graduate students, Danielle Haulsee, was the event’s keynote speaker. While Haulsee is now the Chief Science Officer at the Hubbs-SeaWorld Research Institute, she began her UD career as a doctoral researcher in Oliver’s ORB lab, where she was the very first graduate student in the ORB lab to benefit from the Robertsons’ support. In her remarks, Haulsee reflected on her career trajectory, walking the audience through breakthroughs in acoustic telemetry, shark predictions and advances in dynamic ocean management.

Haulsee recalled a conversation she had with Patricia Robertson early in her graduate career. Over dinner, Haulsee had recounted the details of a recent sea expedition to conduct research on sand tiger sharks in the Delaware Bay. Patricia expressed her admiration for the research, noting that she wished this sort of opportunity had been available to her as a young student. In those days, women were rarely involved in hands-on field research, but she was glad that the world was changing. In her current role at the Hubbs-SeaWorld Institute, Haulsee is now working to pay it forward, creating the types of opportunity for young researchers that the Robertsons once created for her.

The purpose of this latest gift is to set an example for others to follow, Charles Robertson said.

“Every day, UD graduate students and faculty are driving vital research into the most urgent problems our planet faces,” he said. “They need our support, and I hope those who are able will take this opportunity to get involved. Stories like Danielle’s are a reminder that all our bright young researchers need is the opportunity to make a difference.”

To learn how you can get involved, please contact Robin Wray, Executive Director of Strategic Initiatives, at rwray@udel.edu or 302-831-6029.