Skip to main content

Alumnus, partner create LGBTQ+ scholarship for IU Kelley School of Business students with $2.2M gift

For Immediate Release Jan 14, 2019

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – A new transformative scholarship program for LGBTQ+ students at the Indiana University Kelley School of Business is being made possible through a $2.2 million gift from alumnus Doug Hamilton and his partner of 35 years, Don Vossburg, of Noblesville, Indiana.

Alumnus Douglas Hamilton, right, and his partner, Donald Vossburg, are making a major gift to Kelley to establish a new scholarship program for LGBTQ+ students.Photo by Josh Anderson

The annual Out in INformation Technology Scholarship will support a student who is actively involved with the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer community. Preference will be given to students from Indiana and those who also are studying operations, decision technologies or business analytics.

“This scholarship is significant on many different levels,” said Idalene “Idie” Kesner, dean of the Kelley School and the Frank P. Popoff Chair in Strategic Management. “It supports our LGBTQ+ students, it further enhances scholarship opportunities for underrepresented students, and it helps create a more diverse and inclusive environment at Kelley and, down the road, in the corporate world.”

Hamilton earned two degrees from IU: a Bachelor of Arts in mathematics and psychology in 1976 and a Master of Business Administration in quantitative business analysis in 1978. After 21 years, he retired from the global management consulting and professional services firm Accenture and previously was at Eli Lilly and Co. for 17 years.

Vossburg earned an associate degree from the Community College of Allegheny County’s Boyce Campus in 1972; a bachelor’s degree in accounting from Penn State University, graduating Phi Beta Kappa, in 1973; and an MBA in business management from Central Michigan University in 1976. He is retired and worked as an executive for several professional and small-business lobbying organizations throughout his career.

The couple said they were moved to establish the scholarship after reading an article in the IU Alumni Magazine a couple of years ago that highlighted a student who was cut off financially from their family after coming out. Hamilton acknowledged that the culture has changed significantly since his time at IU, but students who identify as LGBTQ+ still need additional support and resources.

“I graduated from Indiana University with a strong foundation based on my undergraduate degree and my MBA from the Kelley School of Business,” Hamilton said. “My IU experience was a critical component to opening opportunities that helped me be successful professionally, which led to financial rewards. I wanted to have an ongoing impact so students can continue their education no matter who they really are.”

Hamilton said they want to support those who enter the field of information technology, where he spent his entire 40-year career.

“It’s a challenging and rapidly changing specialty, and students need to be well-equipped when they enter the job market. We want to help enable LGBTQ+ students to be successful after they leave IU,” he said.

“I feel blessed to be able to provide financial support to LGBTQ+ students needing assistance to achieve their academic goals and help meet financial needs,” Vossburg said.

Aaron Malone, an MBA candidate from Indianapolis who is studying business analytics and marketing, is the scholarship’s first recipient. A 2013 IU graduate with a Bachelor of Science in human biology and a native of Tell City, Indiana, Malone has actively volunteered with the Indiana Youth Group, an LGBTQ+ youth organization in Indianapolis. He is vice president of Kelley’s Healthcare Club and a member of Out@Kelley. He is scheduled to graduate from Kelley this spring.

Hamilton and Vossburg’s gift counts toward the $3 billion For All: The Indiana University Bicentennial Campaign, which is taking place on all IU-administered campuses, including IU Bloomington, IUPUI, IU East, IU Kokomo, IU Northwest, IU South Bend and IU Southeast. The campaign will conclude in June 2020 to coincide with IU’s bicentennial celebration. To learn more about the campaign, its impact and how to participate, visit forall.iu.edu.

More stories

News at IU  
News at IU