Campus Connection

Douglas Geiger, ’87, establishes gift supporting UWL’s Global Cultures and Languages program 

Douglas Geiger entered college without the thought that he would earn a degree past a bachelor’s.

Now, he holds a doctoral degree and serves as the assistant dean of Graduate Operations at Loyola University Chicago, Quinlan School of Business. He also serves as an adjunct faculty member at Loyola University Chicago, School of Education. Geiger credits his successful career to the transformational undergraduate experience he received at UWL. 

“My experiences in student leadership and, in particular, Residence Life, presented a new career path that I had not previously considered when I entered UWL,” Geiger, ’87, says.  

Thanks to several exceptional UWL faculty and mentors within the Division of Student Affairs, Geiger says he was able to build his academic confidence.  

“This led me to seek out graduate and doctoral degrees that I would never have considered when I entered UWL as a freshman,” Geiger says. 

In addition to finding a career path that he was passionate about, Geiger shares that the university provided him with opportunities both inside and outside the classroom that profoundly impacted his personal and professional life. 

“I remember feeling very anxious when I decided to study abroad at a French university,” Geiger recalls. “It pushed me to go beyond my comfort zone and experience international education. It turned out to be a great decision. I still have international friendships from that experience that was several decades ago.” 

The French program at UWL continues to stand out to Geiger as an integral part of his education.

“My husband and I are at a point in our lives where retirement and estate planning are important to us,” Geiger says. “I shared with him that I felt a strong sense of commitment to my undergraduate alma mater (UWL) and that I wished to pursue a gift. The staff in Development offered options that led me to the creation of the Opportunity Fund.” 

The gift established the “Douglas Geiger Opportunity Fund” through the UWL Alumni & Friends Foundation. This endowed gift supports the needs of the Global Cultures & Languages Department within the College of Arts, Social Sciences and Humanities. 

“First, I wanted to recognize the exceptional French program faculty, in particular John Magerus and Barbara Rusterholz, for their commitment to undergraduate foreign language education,” Geiger explains. “Being a student in their classes helped me to not only develop a passion for French language and culture, but to also develop a strong sense of academic integrity that I continue to use in the graduate courses that I teach at Loyola University Chicago. 

“Second,” Geiger continues, “in the current post-COVID state of American higher education, foreign language departments are becoming the targets of academic budget cuts across the country. As someone who greatly benefited from the study of a foreign language, I wish to support UWL’s efforts to continue to be a leader in French education. Our gift supports this commitment.” 

Geiger looks forward to his gift directly supporting UWL’s Language Resource Center, which offers academic experiences that complement classroom learning. 

“As an undergraduate student, the foreign language lab was important in developing a deep understanding of advanced French language skills such as phonetics and advanced translation,” Geiger says. 

The gift will allow others to find and pursue their academic passion, just as Geiger experienced as a student. 

“I am so pleased by the great progress that UWL has made as an institution,” Geiger shares. “It makes me truly proud to be a UWL alumnus. I am looking forward to engaging with UWL and supporting its programs for many years to come.”