Retired professor Gene Sherron recently gifted FSU’s iSchool with $30,000 to fund the very first endowment to provide scholarships for the Information Technology program. With his generous gift, Sherron is taking the lead to ensure that the next generation of IT students will have the support they need to succeed in the fast-paced and ever-changing world of technology.
The Professor Gene T. Sherron Endowed Scholarship honors Gene’s late wife, Elaine S. Sherron. In her life, she was a loyal friend of Florida State and the College of Communication & Information. Gene hopes that through this endowment, students pursuing degrees in Information Technology will be inspired by Elaine’s enthusiasm for and commitment to Florida State University. The scholarship will provide students with much-needed financial support that will help them realize their full potential in the profession.
Gene Sherron has been an indispensable resource to Florida State University and the College of Communication & Information throughout the past several decades. The retired professor and Vietnam War veteran created the entire Information Studies program at Florida State University, all the way down to developing each syllabus in every course that came to make up the Bachelor’s and Master’s programs.
After graduating from the University of Florida in 1953 with his Bachelor’s in Business Administration, Sherron left for Korea to commence his military career. After serving there for two years, he was assigned to Fort Lewis, Washington for troop duty as an Infantry company commander. He then served in the Panama Canal Zone from 1964-1967 before being assigned to Vietnam where he commanded an Infantry Battalion in the 101st Airborne Division. The veteran then came back to the U.S. to work in the Pentagon for three years. He ended his military career in 1977 as a Colonel on faculty at the National Defense University.
Sherron also worked on his graduate education while in the military. He earned his Master’s of Business Administration with a concentration in Information Technology from George Washington University in 1968, followed by his Doctor of Business Administration from the same university in 1976.
His time in the military was followed by an impressive academic career. He has been a lecturer in computer science at the University of the District of Columbia, an associate professor in the information systems management cirriculum at the University of Maryland and a professor of information studies here at Florida State University. He has also been an associate professor at FSU’s College of Business.
Additionally, research done by Sherron was integral to the development of FSU’s Information Studies program. Most significantly, he was the co-prinicpal investigator for a $50,000 W.K. Kellogg grant for the development of undergraduate education in information studies at Florida State University.
Although he has retired as an IT professor, Sherron is still passionate about giving back to the next generation of IT students. That’s why he created the Professor Gene T. Sherron Endowed Scholarship. The first endowment to the IT program, the scholarship will provide much needed support within the College of Communication & Information by helping undergraduate students pursue degrees in Information Technology or Information, Communication & Technology. It is being established to honor Sherron’s late wife, Elaine S. Sherron, as a tribute to her kindness and generosity. Sherron hopes that Elaine’s commitment to and enthusiasm for Florida State University can inspire students to realize their potential in the field of Information Technology.
To learn more about programs within FSU’s School of Information, follow this link. Additionally, if you’d like additional information about this endowment or want to learn more about giving opportunities, please contact Mafé Brooks, Director of Development at mbrooks@fsu.edu or (850) 645-8312.