ECLAT Gift Supports Students, Completes $1M Endowment

The Education Changes Lives and Times (ECLAT) Foundation, a Dallas-based nonprofit that provides scholarships and other educational opportunities to Chinese, Taiwanese and Asian American students, will provide funds to complete a $1 million endowment for the Naveen Jindal School of Management at UT Dallas.

The Jindal School’s atrium was named in honor of the organization.

Dr. Hasan Pirkul, the Caruth Chair and Jindal School dean, said the close ties between the Asian community and UTD stem from the work Texas Instruments and other Texas businesses did in the 1960s when the University was founded.

“Many people don’t know this, but Halliburton Co. and Dresser Industries were funding scholarships, and so the first students that came out of China ended up here in Dallas,” he said. “The roots of the community [are] strong, and the numbers are even stronger now. And it all goes back to very early cooperation between our school and the community.

“Many years after we are gone, this particular endowment will be supporting students and changing their lives.”

Jane Jan, who co-founded ECLAT with her husband, Dr. Yih-Min Jan, said that after the 10th anniversary of the foundation, they wanted it to be more sustainable and benefit more students in the future.

“We wanted to team up with the Jindal School to set up an endowment fund for the international students as our first step,” she said.

The ECLAT gift also benefits New Dimensions: The Campaign for UT Dallas.

– Jimmie Markham