Donors give UA $250,000 for engineering scholarships

FAYETTEVILLE — A $250,000 gift will support scholarships for engineering students at the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville.

The Charles R. and Susan D. Zimmerman Scholarship in Engineering, named after the husband and wife making the donation to UA, will provide awards to first-generation college students.

“We want to make sure opportunities exist for future generations of students,” Charles Zimmerman, a WalMart construction executive, said in a statement released by the university. “The focus of our scholarship is on first-generation students and their financial need. Academic standing is considered after those two factors.”

Charles Zimmerman is a UA alumnus. Both he and Susan Zimmerman, a teacher in Siloam Springs, are first-generation college graduates.