Scholarship Celebrates Life of UM Physics Professor

Each year, the university will award a scholarship to one student from among 18 counties in the Mississippi Delta.

Raspet, a professor emeritus of physics and astronomy with the UM National Center for Physical Acoustics, died of natural causes on Nov. 3, 2023, while pursuing one of his passions: bicycling the back roads of Lafayette County.

"Rich would have wanted to encourage public high school students, especially those who come from economically challenged areas of the Mississippi Delta, to go to college," Garrison said. "Rich was proud of the education he received at Starkville High School, and he believed in the importance of public education."

Garrison used the scholarship as a challenge gift to support the College of Liberal Arts during Giving Day, April 9-10. Between her contributions and gifts from other donors, the fund stands at $68,096. She encourages friends, former students and others to consider honoring Raspet's memory and his desire to help future scholars by giving to the Richard Raspet Memorial Scholarship Endowment.

Besides his academic accomplishments and contributions to the field of physics, Raspet was a dedicated cyclist. He earned more than 100 career victories, and several state, regional and national cycling awards, which led to being named a Masters National Champion.

"Rich enjoyed the camaraderie and the competition associated with the world of cycling," his wife said.

Garrison was an instructor in the UM Department of Biology. She earned a doctorate in biological science at Ole Miss in 1997 and has witnessed what a scholarship can mean to a student's college career.

"Even a small grant can have a large impact," she said. "When I was working on my Master of Science degree in biology at the University of Illinois, my adviser found a scholarship for me that was designed to assist women returning to school.

"To know that my situation was recognized and deemed worthy of financial support and encouragement meant a lot to me. The students who will be receiving the Raspet Memorial Scholarship in the future will notice that they, too, are valued."

During their more than 40 years together as a supportive couple and faculty members, Garrison and Raspet shared an appreciation and understanding that college education is more than job preparation.

"A liberal arts education exposes one to a wide variety of viewpoints and ways of thinking, including a belief in science," she said. "That's why this scholarship is earmarked for students in liberal arts."

Lee Cohen, dean of the College of Liberal Arts, praised Garrison for celebrating her late husband's devotion to teaching and giving students from the Delta an opportunity for a life-changing education.

"We are incredibly thankful to Wendy for her support of the College of Liberal Arts and for honoring Rich's many years of dedicated service as a teacher and scholar at the University of Mississippi," he said. "We appreciate her and Rich's passion for helping future generations of students from the Mississippi Delta.

"Their belief in the transformational power of higher education and their desire to provide an annual scholarship is inspirational."

Since her husband's death, Garrison has come to realize how much Raspet meant to others. Many people have donated to her husband's favorite animal rescue charity and other organizations in his memory, supported her during a difficult holiday season and participated in his memorial service in February.

Ideally, many others will consider giving to this new scholarship because it celebrates her husband's memory and helps students.

"Rich's students are out in the world carrying on his legacy, and he was so proud of that," Garrison said. "With this scholarship, his positive influence will branch out in even more directions.

"I hope his scholarship helps that one person a year and lets them know they are important and that the University of Mississippi wants them to succeed."

Read more about Raspet's life here.

Contributions to the Richard Raspet Memorial Scholarship Endowment can be made online here or by sending a check, with the fund's name written in the memo line, to the University of Mississippi Foundation, 406 University Ave., Oxford, MS 38655.

To learn more about supporting the College of Liberal Arts, contact Suzette Matthews, executive director for development, at suzette@olemiss.edu or 662-915-1122.