New Beckwith Global Experiences Fund Supports Design Student Experiences Abroad

From 1977 to 2007, Wendy Beckwith, M. Arch., spent three decades driving the transformation of La Roche University’s Interior Design program. During her 20-year leadership as Department Chair, program enrollment doubled, the curriculum shifted into the digital age, and the Department secured a rigorous interior design accreditation that it maintains today.

Another significant change during Wendy’s tenure was the introduction of international travel opportunities that brought students face-to-face with the sites they studied, from Pompeii to St. Paul’s Cathedral to the Colosseum.

Today, through a generous gift to La Roche, the retired Dean continues to champion global perspectives. The new Beckwith Global Experiences Fund supports today’s Interior Architecture & Design students by covering the out-of-pocket costs associated with short-term study abroad courses.

“Global education is most powerful when students experience it firsthand,” Vice President for Global Engagement Dr. David Kang said. “The Beckwith Global Experiences Fund ensures that Interior Architecture & Design students have access to transformative study abroad opportunities that directly connect academic learning with cultural landmarks and experiences. This fund strengthens our students’ futures and reinforces La Roche’s commitment to global education.”

Wendy witnessed that transformative power as an educator, and as an avid traveler, she experiences it herself. Her first international trip at age 17—a Rotary exchange to Austria—changed how she viewed life abroad and at home.

“The opportunity to expand your horizons, to become independent, and to challenge assumptions about places and people—these are things that strengthen your confidence,” she said. “It changes how you look at architecture. It changes how you process the world as a designer.”

Expanded horizons, she added, also translate into career success.

“I’ve always felt that your design education will get you your first job, but your understanding beyond that—the liberal arts, the culture—will get you promoted because you’re able to communicate with people across backgrounds and disciplines,” she explained. “That’s what travel does. It just forces you to open up.”

Gifts to LRU make transformative experiences possible. To learn more, contact Vice President for University Advancement George Barron: 412-536-1096; george.barron@laroche.edu.