This couple believes in giving back to a country they hold dear, using Richard’s alma mater as the conduit.

Richard Murray (BEng’66 (NSTC)) knows how to build bridges.

“One of the most important parts of bridge-building is people,” he says. “Whether you’re building a physical bridge or just trying to bridge a gap between people, it’s always the people that make it successful.

Mr. Murray and his wife, Melda, are paving the way for student success through an endowed scholarship fund they have established at Dalhousie with a gift of $1 million to the Faculty of Engineering. Richard & Melda Murray Scholarships will be awarded to two students from Jamaica who are planning to pursue a career in civil engineering. The renewable scholarships, which will be awarded in perpetuity, are each valued at up to $22,000 per year.

The Murrays’ links with Jamaica span more than 40 years, including the decade they lived there. In addition to professional connections with the country, the Murrays have an important personal one – their son, Cameron, was born there.

Today, as president of the Halifax firm R. A. Murray International Limited, Mr. Murray and his team provide engineering, general contracting, material procurement and logistical services to countries throughout the world, including Jamaica.

And now the Murrays are providing a bridge to university education through their scholarship fund at Dalhousie. “Jamaica gave us a wonderful experience in many ways,” Mrs. Murray says. “We feel that we owe that country something.”