Alumnus’s Gift Helps Veterans, Honors Family

Veteran Paul McNally has a longtime connection to the military and now, thanks to a gift in his estate plan, he will have an impact on military veterans at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee for years to come.

Paul served on active duty in the U.S. Army from 1976 to 1987 and then as a reservist until 1996. In 2002, he earned his master’s degree in computer science at UWM, and he is currently a senior lecturer of computer science in the College of Engineering & Applied Science.

His father, Robert McNally, served as a U.S. Merchant Marine midshipman during World War II, during which time he survived two ships being sunk by enemy action. It was the memory of his father that prompted Paul to create an endowed scholarship in his family’s name.

Paul made provisions in his estate plan to establish the McNally Family Veterans Scholarship Fund in the College of Engineering & Applied Science. This gift will provide scholarships to military veterans enrolled in computer science or computer engineering at UWM, and because the fund is endowed, Paul’s generosity will support UWM students for generations to come.

“The McNally Family Veterans Scholarship honors my family,” Paul said. “I want to give more veterans—especially those living with service-related disabilities—the opportunity to enjoy the benefits of careers in computer science or computer engineering. I’m giving back because the military paid for my education, and I know firsthand how helpful it is to have financial support for school.”

In addition to the scholarship fund, his gift also includes support for UWM’s Military & Veterans Resource Center as well as the College of Engineering & Applied Science’s Girls Who Code program, which helps middle- and high-school girls develop computer skills.

Paul is now a member of UWM’s Alice G. Chapman Society, which honors those who have remembered the UWM Foundation in their estate plans.

Make a Meaningful Difference

Like Paul McNally, you can make an impact on UWM programs that matter most to you. To learn about creative ways you can give to UWM, contact Gretchen E. Miller, J.D. at gemiller@uwm.edu or (414) 229-3067.