Judy Dunn marvels at the impact Dalhousie University has had on her family over the years.

This is the university that gave her husband, Ken, his only academic job, in 1972. It was where Dunn earned her Master’s Degree in Library Science in 1983 and it became her employer for 20 years. It was Dalhousie that their children, Andrew (BSc’94) and Katharine (BA’98), chose for post-secondary education, much to Judy and Ken’s delight. And Katharine demonstrated her Dalhousie spirit as a member of the AUS championship varsity swim team.

“It was our community, our workplace and a home to us over the years,” says Dunn. “That’s a lot for one university to give.”

Celebrating a family connection

When Ken died in 1997, Dunn started thinking about how she could give back, both to honour her husband’s memory and celebrate the family’s deep connection with the university. She established the McKenzie-Dunn Foundation, which makes an annual gift to the math department, the School of Information Management and the swim team.

“I really wanted to make a contribution that would make a difference. More than that, I wanted to ensure that future generations of young people get to experience what I consider to be a first-rate university. My hope is it will change their lives like it changed the lives of my family.”

Dunn has since included Dalhousie in her will, making the bond between her and the university a permanent one. “Dalhousie was our family, and it still is. Our hearts remain there. I feel very fortunate to be creating a legacy that will help the university give people that unique Dalhousie experience for years to come.”