CSU Donor Enriches Scholarship Through His Estate Plan

Dr. Pamela (Pam) K. Rutar left an indelible mark on Cleveland State University as a dedicated researcher, faculty member and Associate Dean of the School of Nursing. From 2009 until her untimely passing in 2018, Pam dedicated herself to nursing education and furthering the capabilities of student nurses to ensure they were accomplished professionals when they graduated. To honor her many accomplishments, colleagues and family members established the Pamela K. Rutar Endowed Nursing Scholarship, which recently received a boost through a generous estate gift.

The scholarship fund was initially launched in 2018 by Pam’s colleague, CSU faculty member Dr. Joan Thoman. Dale Rutar, Pam’s husband, is grateful to Dr. Thoman and acknowledges the fund as a meaningful way to highlight Pam’s legacy. Dale has generously supported the fund alongside their daughter Kelly, who connects and encourages their family, friends, and the CSU community to support the scholarship fund on such initiatives as CSU’s Giving Day. Through their efforts, the fund has more than tripled in size since its establishment. 

Dale most recently made a substantial estate gift to CSU by designating the university as a beneficiary of his IRA and directing the proceeds to support the scholarship. “Designating CSU as a beneficiary in my IRA was a simple way to increase future support for Pam’s scholarship fund, which I hope will become one of the top scholarship funds at the School of Nursing. With this gift, I feel even more assured the fund will continue to benefit students in NE Ohio.” After several meetings with his financial advisor, Dale realized how easy it was to make this sizeable and significant contribution, “I simply updated the beneficiary forms provided by my IRA custodian and notified CSU. The university was incredibly grateful for this support.” 

Dale mentioned that Pam loved her time and experience at Cleveland State. Regarding the scholarship, Dale said, “She would be grateful that the scholarship fund was established and is supporting students to continue in this incredible profession, and grateful for Dr. Thoman as well.” He encourages others to think about supporting CSU through such initiatives as Giving Day but also through their estate plans. When asked about what he finds most meaningful about his philanthropic giving to CSU, Dale said, “Being able to help men and women complete their degrees. I hope to see the scholarship fund continue to grow and help as many people as possible into the future.”

If you wish to learn more about Dr. Pamela K. Rutar or support the scholarship, please visit https://csuohio.scalefunder.com/cfund/project/42659. To learn more about how you can benefit CSU through your estate plans, please visit our website at https://plannedgiving.supportcsu.org/.