Dr. Jane Ann Root Endowed Bridge Scholarship

The Dr. Jane Ann Root Endowed Bridge Scholarship was established in 2016 by Jane Ann Root to affirm her devotion for and trust in The University of Akron and its ability to help young people prepare for outstanding futures. Graduating with a Bachelor of Arts from UA in 1963, Root was an outstanding and active student. During her campus experience, she and her twin sister, Joan Greenberg, joined Phi Mu Sorority, Who’s Who, and A-Key. Root was president of Phi Mu, secretary and treasurer of Pi Epsilon Delta, and president and house manager for University Theater. She also was a member of the Student Center Program Board, Student Council, Radio Workshop, and an award-winning University Theatre actress. As freshmen, the twin sisters dressed as Tweedledee and Tweedledum and won first place in the 1960 May Day clown contest.

Root believes her experiences at The University of Akron provided an outstanding foundation for her further studies (she earned a master’s degree in 1966 and a PhD in 1989) and helped prepare her for a lifetime of leadership roles. In fact, her entire career was spent in leadership positions with non-profit organizations. Prior to her recent retirement, Root was director of leadership development at the International Honor Society for Nursing. She also has been an active community volunteer with the Episcopal Church and local animal rescue organizations; in public broadcasting; with numerous boards at the local, state, and national level; and served as a non-profit governance consultant.

While at UA, Root was freshman counselor, an experience that inspired her creation of this scholarship. Through The Dr. Jane Ann Root Endowed Bridge Scholarship, Root seeks to provide financial assistance to deserving and dedicated undergraduate students whose goal is to graduate from The University of Akron. Bridge scholarships are designed to help fill a student’s tuition gap – the amount between a student’s resources and his/her tuition balance – so that the student can remain in the classroom and focused on academics and degree completion.

The Dr. Jane Ann Root Endowed Bridge Scholarship will be awarded to outstanding undergraduate students at UA who aspire to become nurses or teachers. Candidates must have successfully completed requirements toward a bachelor’s degree, require financial aid to remain in school, and have a GPA of 2.8 or higher. Students must maintain a GPA of at least 2.8 each semester to receive additional support from the endowment. The Office of Student Financial Aid will select the recipient(s) and determine the award amount based on available funds.

The Dr. Jane Ann Root Endowed Bridge Scholarship was created through a gift bequest.