In a tribute to ECE alumnus David B. Vozzola (BSEE ’63), David E. Vozzola and Doreen M. Vozzola have established the David B. Vozzola Innovation Fund to foster innovation, research, and teaching within the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering. With the $125,000 philanthropic pledge, David E. Vozzola seeks to honor his father, a proud lifelong Gator Engineer.

The younger David’s inspiration for the fund is his family’s strong work ethic and passion for innovation.

“…Dad was a typical hard-working member of the Silent Generation, sandwiched between the Greatest Generation and the Baby Boomers. He proudly served in the USAF as an electronics technician for the F-86D. Afterward, he attended UF on the GI Bill and remained a proud Gator Engineer for the rest of his life.”–David E. Vozzola

The Innovation Fund, as a fitting tribute to David B. Vozzola’s 30-year career at IBM, will fund initiatives that drive innovation. David E. Vozzola elaborates, “establishing the Innovation Fund in his honor made sense because he focused on innovations throughout his 30-year career at IBM, including Project Apollo’s Instrument Unit, ultra-high density semiconductor chip manufacturing, robotics, microprocessors, parallel processing, and computer simulation. All of these innovations became real-world engineering marvels of their day.” 

This generous gift underscores the Vozzolas’ profound belief in the transformative power of education and innovation. The fund will support visionary projects which exceed traditional budgetary constraints. The fund’s sustainability and adaptability are ensured through oversight by the ECE Department Chair, who will determine the allocation of funds annully based on emerging priorities in engineering and technology. In alignment with the Vozzolas’ commitment, the University of Florida Foundation will manage the endowment.

For further information or to make a gift in support of the department, please contact Sarah Johnson, Interim Executive Director of Advancement for the Herbert Wertheim College of Engineering.