August 28, 2000

A memorial service to celebrate the life of Sandy Schulte, will be held at 10 a.m. Monday, August 28, near the north end of Mirror Lake. Schulte, who died July 31, would have turned 59 on the 28th.

Schulte, assistant vice provost for research administration and associate director for sponsored programs, was an active member of the University for more than 30 years.

Her sudden death after a car accident shocked and saddened the University community.

"A skilled and hardworking administrator and an esteemed colleague, she was deeply devoted to the institution and a good personal friend to many of us," said President Philip E. Austin. "In the four years I was privileged to know her, I came to value greatly her wise counsel, strong support and keen wit."

Schulte was a former president and one of the founders of the University of Connecticut Professional Employees Association union and was active in many UConn activities. She had served as a member of the town planning and zoning commission since 1995 and was active with the correctional facility liaison committee and the inland wetlands committee.

Schulte is warmly remembered by Jeffrey Fisher, a professor of psychology, who said Schulte was one of the first people he met when he arrived on campus 25 years ago.

"If I needed 'the scoop' on any University-related issue, Sandy always knew it, communicated it, and I left our conversation well informed," said Fisher. "Her encouragement for my research efforts, her sense of value and appreciation for the work we are doing and her wonderful wit and sense of perspective will be sorely missed."

Gregory Anderson, professor and department head of ecology and evolutionary biology, said Sandy could always be depended on to help solve problems.

"She was a foundation stone in so much of what we did in the Research Foundation and the Graduate School - somebody who could always be depended on to help solve problems," he said.

"In the Senate, she was a person who showed inordinate good sense and good judgement, who was broadly knowledgeable about the whole University community and made contributions that made this a better place," Anderson said.

Arlene Jacobsen, Schulte's administrative assistant, mourns the loss of both a colleague and close friend. "She was a very special person to me. She was like family. She is really going to be missed," Jacobsen says. "Sandy would always 'go the extra mile' to help people."

Richard Weingart, a database administrator at the computer center, was on the executive board of UCPEA while Schulte was president. "She was among the visionaries. She was always a couple of steps ahead of the time in her thinking," he said.

She is survived by a daughter Carin Van Gelder, a son Dirk Van Gelder and Norman Klein, her companion of 24 years.

Schulte's family would like to memorialize her with a bench and tree to be located near Mirror Lake. Memorial contributions may be sent to:

The UConn Foundation
2390 Alumni Drive, U-3206
Storrs, CT 06269-3206

Please include "Sandy Schulte Memorial Fund" on the memo line of your contribution.

The Office of Sponsored Programs invites the University community to share written stories and photos with her family. A book for entries is available at the Dog Lane office of OSP (old Fleet Bank site) Either stop by the office or communicate via the following: e-mail to Patricia.Dubos@uconn.edu; fax to (860) 486-8559; or mail to:

Office for Sponsored Programs,
14 Dog Lane, Storrs, CT 06269-4133.

Sherry Fisher