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Florida Polytechnic University President Devin Stephenson and his family are deepening their commitment to student success with a second $25,000 gift to the Florida Poly Foundation, transforming a scholarship they established last year into a lasting tribute to his late wife, Judy Dodd Stephenson. The new contribution doubles the family’s investment in the endowed scholarship to $50,000 and, following Judy Stephenson’s recent passing, gives the fund a meaningful new name: the Judy Dodd Stephenson Legacy Scholarship. The endowment will provide more opportunity to hard-working students facing financial barriers. For Stephenson, a veteran educator with decades of leadership experience in higher education, the scholarship represents a personal mission he and Judy shared throughout their life together. They strongly believed in education’s power to change lives and create opportunities for future generations. It is a value they instilled in their two children and one that will now live through the students who receive the new scholarship. “Education has always been the cornerstone of our family’s journey,” Stephenson said. “Judy and I always believed that no matter what success you achieve in life, your greatest contribution is the difference you make in the lives of others. This scholarship ensures her passion for uplifting people will endure by helping students build brighter futures and reach their full potential.” As Florida Poly’s first lady, Judy Stephenson represented the values that shaped her life and her family: integrity, compassion, and the conviction that education can provide a foundation for lifelong success. “We were blessed to build a beautiful life together, rooted in honesty, hard work and a commitment to excellence,” Stephenson said. “Judy's heart was always with the students. Knowing that her legacy will live on through their dreams and achievements means more to our family than I can express.” The scholarship was previously available exclusively to members of the University’s Presidential Ambassadors program. Under new expanded criteria, it will now support students with demonstrated financial need who maintain strong academic progress toward graduation. “We are incredibly grateful to Dr. Stephenson and his family,” said Stephen Weingart, Florida Poly’s chief development officer and CEO of the Florida Poly Foundation. “This additional gift, and the renaming of the scholarship to honor Judy, is a wonderful testament to her life. Her dedication to supporting students who face financial hurdles will be an enduring legacy that changes the trajectory of their careers, lives and families.” For the most recent University news, visit Florida Poly News. About Florida Polytechnic University: Florida Polytechnic University is ranked the No.1 public college in the South for five years in a row and No. 3 best value public school in the South by U.S. News and World Report. It is a top 30 public engineering program without a Ph.D. in the nation for five years in a row. Florida Poly is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges, and a member of the State University System of Florida. It is the only state university dedicated exclusively to STEM and offers ABET-accredited degrees. Florida Poly is a powerful economic engine within the state of Florida, blending applied research with industry partnerships to give students an academically rigorous education with real-world relevance. Florida Poly’s iconic Innovation, Science, and Technology Building, designed by world-renowned architect Dr. Santiago Calatrava, has won more than 20 global awards and was named one of the 16 most breathtaking buildings in the world. Connect with Florida Poly.
Florida Polytechnic University President Devin Stephenson and his family are deepening their commitment to student success with a second $25,000 gift to the Florida Poly Foundation, transforming a scholarship they established last year into a lasting tribute to his late wife, Judy Dodd Stephenson.
The new contribution doubles the family’s investment in the endowed scholarship to $50,000 and, following Judy Stephenson’s recent passing, gives the fund a meaningful new name: the Judy Dodd Stephenson Legacy Scholarship. The endowment will provide more opportunity to hard-working students facing financial barriers.
For Stephenson, a veteran educator with decades of leadership experience in higher education, the scholarship represents a personal mission he and Judy shared throughout their life together. They strongly believed in education’s power to change lives and create opportunities for future generations. It is a value they instilled in their two children and one that will now live through the students who receive the new scholarship.
“Education has always been the cornerstone of our family’s journey,” Stephenson said. “Judy and I always believed that no matter what success you achieve in life, your greatest contribution is the difference you make in the lives of others. This scholarship ensures her passion for uplifting people will endure by helping students build brighter futures and reach their full potential.”
As Florida Poly’s first lady, Judy Stephenson represented the values that shaped her life and her family: integrity, compassion, and the conviction that education can provide a foundation for lifelong success.
“We were blessed to build a beautiful life together, rooted in honesty, hard work and a commitment to excellence,” Stephenson said. “Judy's heart was always with the students. Knowing that her legacy will live on through their dreams and achievements means more to our family than I can express.”
The scholarship was previously available exclusively to members of the University’s Presidential Ambassadors program. Under new expanded criteria, it will now support students with demonstrated financial need who maintain strong academic progress toward graduation.
“We are incredibly grateful to Dr. Stephenson and his family,” said Stephen Weingart, Florida Poly’s chief development officer and CEO of the Florida Poly Foundation. “This additional gift, and the renaming of the scholarship to honor Judy, is a wonderful testament to her life. Her dedication to supporting students who face financial hurdles will be an enduring legacy that changes the trajectory of their careers, lives and families.”
For the most recent University news, visit Florida Poly News.
About Florida Polytechnic University: Florida Polytechnic University is ranked the No.1 public college in the South for five years in a row and No. 3 best value public school in the South by U.S. News and World Report. It is a top 30 public engineering program without a Ph.D. in the nation for five years in a row. Florida Poly is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges, and a member of the State University System of Florida. It is the only state university dedicated exclusively to STEM and offers ABET-accredited degrees. Florida Poly is a powerful economic engine within the state of Florida, blending applied research with industry partnerships to give students an academically rigorous education with real-world relevance. Florida Poly’s iconic Innovation, Science, and Technology Building, designed by world-renowned architect Dr. Santiago Calatrava, has won more than 20 global awards and was named one of the 16 most breathtaking buildings in the world. Connect with Florida Poly.