The generous gift from Elon parents Gregory and Shelley Bausch P’16 and P‘18 endows scholarships to ensure exercise science majors access to the Elon Experiences.
A new endowment by a gift from Gregory and Shelley Bausch P’16 and P’18 of Arizona will ensure exercise science majors have access to the Elon Experiences in internships and undergraduate research.
The Joyce Davis Endowment for Exercise Science was established to recognize the life-changing mentorship Professor of Exercise Science Joyce Davis provided their daughter, Megan Bausch ’18.
Shelley Bausch announced the endowment Monday, Aug. 15 during the annual faculty meeting for Elon College, the College of Arts and Sciences, surprising Davis and colleagues with the news.
“The impact that you as faculty have on the lives of students is unbelievable,” Bausch said. “As a family, we sit and talk about the people that make a difference in our lives and several of you in this room are often guests at our dinner table, even if you don’t know it.
“When we discussed doing this as a family, we looked at Elon’s academic mission: ‘to build supportive and collaborative human relationships that promote personal growth,’ and the role of faculty ‘to provide both challenge and encouragement to help students discover their ambition to seek greatness and to develop in them the courage to achieve it.’ That is Joyce Davis.”
The $50,000 endowment funds scholarships for students with financial needs to complete internships and pursue undergraduate research opportunities within exercise science. Ensuring all students have access to those experiences — among the five Elon Experiences that also include global engagement, service learning and leadership — is among the priorities of the Boldly Elon strategic plan.
“It’s an unbelievable honor that the Bausch family is going to help future students achieve and accomplish important goals just like their two children did,” Davis said. “This will give more students more opportunities, and that’s what I’ve tried to do in my career. My entire purpose of being a faculty member is to push students to set and achieve goals as their authentic selves.”
Davis was Megan Bausch’s adviser all four years at Elon and taught her in several courses. She recalls Megan Bausch as an enthusiastic, energetic learner who was meticulously prepared, had concrete goals and was unwavering in her commitment to accomplish them. In 2021, Megan Bausch graduated at the top of her class at A.T. Still University of Health Sciences with a Master of Science in Physician Assistant Studies — an accomplishment the Bausch family attributes in part to Davis’ guidance and the confidence she instilled. Davis and Bausch, now a physician assistant with OrthoArizona, remain in frequent contact.
“Joyce never doubted Megan’s capabilities,” Shelley Bausch said. “She set high expectations for my daughter and she was there to help her when it was hard, but she never cut her any slack. Megan needed someone who would teach fiercely and love fiercely, and that is what Joyce did.
“She, Matthew, Greg and I are so very grateful to you, and that’s why we’re happy to give this Joyce Davis Endowment for Exercise Science in her name.”
Davis, whose expertise is in biomechanics, has taught at Elon for 26 years. The 2022-23 academic year will be her last as a fulltime member of faculty before she retires.
The Bausches have been steadfast supporters of Elon, its faculty and programs since their son, Matthew Bausch ’16, was an undergraduate double majoring in physics and finance. He is currently pursuing a Master of Business Administration at Carnegie Mellon University’s Tepper School of Business.