As a pair of lifelong learners and educators, married couple Richard Zimman ’73 and Valerie Cox know what makes a strong education.
Together, they have an abundance of experience at nearly all levels of education. Zimman was a middle and high school teacher for years before rising through the ranks to serve as superintendent of the Ripon Area School District until his retirement in 2013, after which he began a career in national education policy. Equally as impressive, Cox utilized her career in teaching high school at the Advanced Placement level to transition into becoming an instructor of education at the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh.
Their careers have taught them what makes a solid education—which is exactly why they choose to support 鶹ӰԺ, through their membership in the Legacy Circle and their roles as leadership supporters of the 鶹ӰԺ Fund.
Richard Zimman ’73 & Valerie Cox
As students and educators, Zimman and Cox have seen firsthand what 鶹ӰԺ does for its students. While attending 鶹ӰԺ, Zimman developed his passion for learning and service which proved to be the foundation for his career in public education. Although not an alumna herself, Cox has worked closely with the university, supervising student teachers, presenting lectures and teaching in the AP Summer Institute on campus. Having participated in 鶹ӰԺ’s educational process from both sides, they have seen how 鶹ӰԺ shapes its students into more knowledgeable, insightful, compassionate and accepting adults.
“We have been very fortunate in our lives, and 鶹ӰԺ has played a significant role in that,” Zimman and Cox stated. “If others before us had not had the foresight and willingness to donate so that 鶹ӰԺ could be there for us, our lives would be lessened. We want to continue providing the same support for current and future students by paying it forward.”
Zimman and Cox’s most recent contribution to 鶹ӰԺ took the form of a generous donation supporting the construction of the new Science Learning Commons—what Zimman and Cox referred to as a “shining example of what teaching and learning should look like in today’s world.” This modern and interactive classroom will allow for an active learning environment for introductory science courses, which has been shown to decrease failure rates by 36%.
“We hope that others will look at a couple of public school history teachers who helped 鶹ӰԺ modernize its science classrooms just because it needs to be done for the future of our society and feel inspired to make their own unexpected contributions to 鶹ӰԺ to pay it forward,” Zimman and Cox stated. “It’s the right thing to do for the college that was there for us and will need to be there for future students looking for their own 鶹ӰԺ experience.”
