Tippett gift creates Tunstall Scholarship for adult students

Deborah Tunstall Tippett ’73, ’81 MS, ’91 PhD has established the Ann Satterwhite Tunstall Scholarship Fund with a planned gift to UNC Greensboro. The fund honors the memory of her mother and will support adult students seeking undergraduate degrees in the Department of Human Development and Family Studies.

With this major bequest, Dr. Tippett hopes to ease the path for future adult students at UNCG, helping them to pursue and fulfill their own dreams: “My hope is that future recipients will be able to use this scholarship to complete their education and know that the example they set for their children will stay with them the rest of their lives,” she says. 

Ann Satterwhite Tunstall worked for many years in higher education but was not able to realize her dream of completing her undergraduate degree due to the demands of jobs and family life. Married at age 18, she supported her husband throughout his tour in the U.S. Air Force and later during his studies at Campbell College (now Campbell University) and UNC Chapel Hill. She was employed as a secretary at those schools and cared for their four children. Ann also took part-time classes as an adult student at Campbell, UNC-CH, and UNCG, modeling a passion for lifelong learning for her children. After moving to Durham, N.C., in 1967, she worked for 27 years as the administrative assistant in Duke University’s Department of Mathematics, eventually retiring from that position.

While Tippett sees this gift as an opportunity to pay tribute to her mother’s joy of learning, she also wishes to celebrate her own career in higher education, as well as the fine education she received at UNCG. She earned three degrees from UNCG and will always be grateful to the many faculty members who supported and encouraged her, she says, both as an undergraduate and graduate student. The early leadership experiences she had at UNCG prepared her well for a successful career.

Tippett taught home economics for 13 years in public schools and for three years served as an adjunct faculty member at UNCG. She was a professor in the Department of Human and Environmental Sciences at Meredith College for 32 years, serving as head of the department from 1995 to 2017. The many accolades she has received include the Excellence in Teaching Award at Meredith College and the Distinguished Service Award from the American Association of Family and Consumer Sciences.

“Dr. Tippett’s generous gift supports UNCG’s Light the Way campaign by providing access to an excellent education for adult students who need help overcoming the challenges job and family responsibilities present,” says Vice Chancellor of University Advancement Beth Fischer. “She is making it possible for others to realize her mother’s dream, and we are grateful to her for creating this scholarship for an important – and deserving – sector of UNCG’s student population.”

This planned gift is part of UNCG’s Light the Way: The Campaign for Earned Achievement. The comprehensive fundraising campaign seeks to raise $200 million to increase access, elevate academic excellence, and enhance the tremendous impact of UNCG’s programs. Visit lighttheway.uncg.edu for additional information.

Courtesy photo of Ann Satterwhite Tunstall at work at Campbell College (now Campbell University).