BLUFFTON — Bluffton University has announced the establishment of the M’Della Moon Endowed Chair in Botany and Environmental Sciences, thanks to generous funding from an anonymous donor. The $1.5 million endowment will fund the administration of the Bluffton University Nature Reserve and faculty chairs responsible for university teaching.

Dr. Jane Wood, President of Bluffton College, said in a press release: “This faculty position will help build connections and enhance learning in the natural sciences among the reserve’s academic community, student groups and community volunteers.”

The Fund provides annual salaries and benefits to chair holders, as well as funding for professional development, academic research, and the development of teaching and learning resources through five-year terms.

The foundation is named after M’Della Moon, who was a longtime student in the science department at Bluffton University from 1921 to 1961. M’Della Moon also served as Head of the Biological Sciences Department and was the former Dean of Students at the University, responsible for administration. and Curriculum Committee. She attended Bluffton’s predecessor, Central Her Mennonite College, graduating in 1914.

In a quote honoring retired faculty, Moon was praised for his impact on campus far beyond his classroom activities.

According to former President Lloyd Ramsayer’s 1961 quote, “She had extraordinary success in preparing students for postgraduate studies in the fields of biology and medicine.” “She is also recognized statewide for her work in conservation, an area in which she is very interested.”

Bluffton College has two endowed courses: the Howard Reid Professor of Business and the Theater of Mary Nord and Joseph Ignat Endowed Chairs.