Looking Forward, Giving Back
Dr. Susan P. Bratton PhD’97
For three decades, the Ackerman Center for Holocaust Studies has focused on teaching the past while changing the future. That mission resonates with alumni like Dr. Susan P. Bratton PhD’97.
“As a graduate student who had already pursued a professional career, the ethical challenge of Holocaust studies prompted me to academically reorient and broaden my perspective on what I could accomplish as a teacher,” Bratton said.
Bratton, a professor of environmental studies at Baylor University, conducts research in the conservation of biodiversity and the interface between religion and environmental ethics.
“The Holocaust Studies program changed the way I read stained glass, walk through a major city, view a war memorial and incorporate ethical content in my own class designs,” she said.
In 2016, Bratton made a $20,000 gift to support the Istvan and Zsuzsanna Ozsváth Research Fund, which helps students conduct original research and present research at conferences.
“My donation to the Ozsváth endowment supports recent college grads in their first independent study and provides a path for more mature scholars to acquire greater depth in research,” she said.
Additionally, her passion for the Holocaust Studies program recently prompted Bratton to commit to a second contribution to benefit the Ackerman Center, this time in the form of a planned gift.
“While organizing my will and estate plans, I wanted to do something that would be easy and hassle-free for me and UTD, such as naming the University as a beneficiary of my individual retirement account,” she said. “I am proud to support UTD where my funds can benefit future generations of students.”
For years, the Holocaust Studies program has been enriched through visionary philanthropy, resulting in the Burton C. Einspruch Holocaust Lecture Series, the Leah and Paul Lewis Chair in Holocaust Studies, the Hillel A. Feinberg Chair in Holocaust Studies and the Barbara and Stan Rabin Professorship in Holocaust Studies. Now, Bratton’s support will forever link her to other generous individuals who have helped transform the program into a multi-faceted academic center with an international reputation.
Learn more about the Ackerman Center and supporting their efforts.
Media Contact: Alexandra Hopkins, UT Dallas, (972) 883-5488, alexandra.hopkins@utdallas.edu