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Gift from top teacher encourages young writers

When Don Rothman received the Alumni Association’s 2005–06 Distinguished Teaching Award, former students called him “amazing,” “exceptional,” and “bursting with enthusiasm.” Rothman, a senior writing lecturer, began teaching undergraduate writing at UCSC in 1973. He was founding director of UCSC’s Central California Writing Project and also spent two years as provost of Oakes College.

Diana and Don Rothman

Upon Rothman’s retirement this year, he turned the tables on his students by celebrating their intelligence and creativity. The Don Rothman Endowed Award in First-Year Writing will recognize an outstanding student paper each year and will give the award recipient a chance to honor his or her most influential teacher. The award reflects Rothman’s enormous respect for beginning writers. “I spent much of my career working with first-year students,” he says, “and I want to acknowledge their courage and fresh insights.” Don and Diana Rothman kicked off the endowment with a gift of $5,000; friends and family raised the total to nearly $14,000, and additional contributions are encouraged.

The Rothmans are also long-time supporters of Shakespeare Santa Cruz, an expression of their shared commitment to live theater and the role of art in education (Diana Rothman is a retired kindergarten teacher). This season they sponsored two performances, as well as the informal mini-conference “Weekend with Shakespeare,” and Don Rothman recently joined the Shakespeare Santa Cruz Board of Directors.

To learn more about donor opportunities at Shakespeare Santa Cruz, please contact Ann Gibb at anngibb@ucsc.edu.