A Meeting of Minds
Danny Reible and Bob Gilbert, who have both taught in the Cockrell School of Engineering, each made gifts in their estate plans to support UT.
Great minds, as the saying goes, think alike. For professors Bob Gilbert and Danny Reible — both of whom have been faculty members in the Cockrell School of Engineering at The University of Texas at Austin — the adage holds true. Independently, Bob and Danny both had the same idea: to make bequests (gifts in their estate plans) to the institution that meant so much to their personal and professional lives.
Attracting world-class faculty members is always a top priority for UT. In 1993, Bob came to UT, where he currently holds the Nasser I. Al-Rashid Chair in Civil Engineering. “There's only a handful of universities that I would even think of going to, and UT is one of them,” he says.
Danny accepted the Bettie Margaret Smith Chair in 2004. “Coming to UT was a complete rejuvenation,” Danny says. “The move opened a lot of new opportunities for me. I felt like I had vast vistas ahead of me and room to explore and expand.”
A Tremendous Thank You
For their individual and combined contributions to engineering research and practice, Bob and Danny have been elected to the National Academy of Engineering, one of the highest professional honors an engineer can achieve.
“I never would have been elected to the National Academy if I hadn't come to The University of Texas,” Danny says. “That’s just one example of how UT created new possibilities for me.”
The professors are of one mind on what prompted them to establish a bequest to the University. “My gift is about wanting to give thanks and to give back to an institution that's done a tremendous amount for me, my family and my career,” says Bob.
Danny couldn’t agree more. “Coming to UT dramatically changed my career,” says Danny, whose bequest will endow a chair in the Cockrell School of Engineering. “My gift is designed to open up an opportunity for another person, similar to one I was afforded.”
It’s Your Turn to Create Opportunities
Join Bob and Danny in making a powerful impact at UT. Not sure if you have the resources you need? Download our FREE guide “Creative Ways to Stretch Your Charitable Dollar” to access the strategies you need for worry-free giving. For more information, contact the Gift and Estate Planning Team at 512-475-9632 or giftplan@austin.utexas.edu.