Panamanian President Establishes Scholarship with $100,000 Gift

Panamanian president and University of Arkansas alumnus Ricardo Martinelli continued his active relationship with the school with a recent donation of $100,000 to establish a scholarship.

The UA announced the gift Tuesday. The Ricardo Martinelli Endowed Sigma Nu Leadership Scholarship will benefit student leaders in the fraternity.

Martinelli was a Sigma Nu while at the UA, graduating in 1973.

Chancellor David Gearhart said the gift is another example of Martinelli’s generosity and dedication to the UA.

“We have been honored to get to know him better over the last several years and appreciate his latest contribution to provide financial support for outstanding students,” Gearhart said in a news release.

Martinelli was elected president of Panama in 2009, and has returned to campus often. He received the Distinguished Alumni Award from the Arkansas Alumni Association in 2002, and was inducted into the Towers of Old Main this year.

Martinelli received an honorary degree, and was a featured speaker at the university’s commencement this spring. He currently serves on the Campaign Arkansas Steering Committee.

This Sigma Nu scholarship is the second one established in Martinelli’s name. In 2009, the Ricardo A. Martinelli Endowed Scholarship was established to provide financial assistance to students from the Republic of Panama attending the UA.