The Friends of the Archer Center Trust helps educate the next generation of leaders from Texas by providing vital financial support for important initiatives that cannot be funded through our annual operating budget. Trustees commit to contributing or raising a minimum of $500 annually and have direct input as to how their donations are utilized. Each year, Trustees review and vote on student support or programmatic initiatives developed by Archer Center staff and alumni and vote on which initiatives to fund. The Trust is an important building block toward sustainable fundraising in support of current and future Archer Fellows and is a unique way for supporters and alumni of the Archer Center to have a significant impact on the Center's future.  Ten percent of the total amount raised from annual donations is added to the corpus of  the permanent Archer Center Trust Endowment to provide long-term sustainability of the Trust and important future initiatives.
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To join the Trust, make an online donation through the Archer Center’s online giving portal and select “Archer Center Trust” from the drop-down menu under “Designation”.
2018 - 2019 Trustees

J. Amber Ahmed, Fall 2007 Archer Fellow
Rebecca Anthony, Fall 2009 Archer Fellow
​The Honorable Bill Archer
Sharon Archer
Rick Archer
​Carol Archer
Ariel Arguelles, Summer 2016 Archer Fellow
Raymond Banks, Summer 2018 Archer Fellow
​Arturo Barrio, Fall 2001 Archer Fellow
​Martha Bass Bauman
​​Jim Bayless
Liz Bayless
Chris Bjornson
Austin Bonner, Spring 2002 Archer Fellow
Bob Borochoff
Bud Brigham
Anne Brigham
Donald G. Carlson
Julia Carlson
Michelle Chin
​Sidd Dadhich​, Fall 2011 Archer Fellow
Marisela Salayandia Darmanin, Spring 2002 Archer Fellow
​Redian Doci​
​Christine Duchouquette, Summer 2013 Archer Fellow
​Fred Funk
Sharon Archer Funk
Anna Bell Farrar Gall, Spring 2001 Archer Fellow
H. Drew Galloway, Fall 2014 Archer Fellow
​Leslie Gandy
Rob Gandy
​​Melissa Gold
​​Laura Gorecki, Summer 2013 Archer Fellow
​Ted Harpham
Marilyn Harris
Patrick Hendrix, Fall 2001 Archer Fellow
Imane Hijal-Moghrabi, Summer 2012 Graduate Fellow
Todd Hill, Spring 2010 Archer Fellow
Carolyn Hodges
Grace Huffman, Fall 2011 Archer Fellow
Murtuza Hussain, Spring 2012 Archer Fellow
Heather Jinkins, Fall 2001 Archer Fellow
Bob Kay
Rebecca Larsen, Fall 2007 Archer Fellow
Christine Leatherberry, Fall 2001 Archer Fellow
Jackie Lewis
Robert Lively
Tinia Lively
Noelle M. Lundberg
Natalie Lundsteen
Martin Martinez
Cameron Krier Massey
Katherine Moore McAllen
​​Allie Medack, Spring 2010 Archer Fellow
Jake Menefee
Jorden Meneghetti, Fall 2016 Archer Fellow
Myfe White Moore
Katie Naranjo, Fall 2007 Archer Fellow
Candace Norris
​Gaven Norris, Fall 2009 Archer Fellow
Ashlee Pena, Summer 2016 Graduate Fellow
Cameron Phillips, Fall 2012 Archer Fellow
John Pitts
Lesley Pitts
Hans Rickhoff
​Katie Romano
Miguel Romano
Gordon Rooney, Fall 2008 Archer Fellow
Eddie Saenz
​Sandra Saenz
​Brakeyshia Samms, Fall 2011 Archer Fellow
​Cynthia Sandherr
Steve Sandherr
Jenifer Sarver
​Shannon Sawyer
Summer Sawyer
Bret Schenewerk, ​​Fall 2006 Archer Fellow
​Lucy Panoyan Schram, ​Spring 2008 Archer Fellow
​​Claire Seitzman, Spring 2010 Archer Fellow
​Nathan Seitzman, Spring 2010 Archer Fellow
Erik Selk
Linda Shepard
Gene Shepherd
Robin Shepherd
Dmitri Shneider, Fall 2006 Archer Fellow
​Bill Shute
Edmund Sierra
Alexis Simon, Fall 2010 Archer Fellow
​Carter Tatum, Spring 2003 Archer Fellow
Benedict Voit, Fall 2006 Archer Fellow
​​Andy Von Eschenbach
​Madelyn Von Eschenbach
J. Tom Ward
Bill Wicker
​Walter Wukasch
​Molly Wurzer, Spring 2007 Archer Fellow
Initiatives Funded by 2018-19 Trust
Travel to D.C. for Archer Fellows - $14,000
Upon being accepted to the Archer Center’s programs, many students’ initial excitement is replaced by concern about how they will pay for expenses such as airfare to embark on their life-changing experience in the nation’s capital. An allocation of $14,000 will fund approximately 45 round-trip flights for Archer Fellows from their home city to Washington, D.C. Travel vouchers will be awarded to students through a need-based application process, allowing students to put the funds they would have spent on travel toward the higher cost of living in D.C. This funding is even more important than in the past as the Archer Center’s longstanding in-kind commitment from United Airlines draws to a close in 2018. To learn more about this initiative, please view a video by Summer 2018 Graduate Archer Fellow Desiree Viramontes Le.
First-Generation College Student Support - $9,000
Each cohort of undergraduate and graduate Archer Fellows includes students who are the first in their family to pursue higher education. Oftentimes, these students have some of the most significant financial need as they tend to have little to no monetary support from their families. This initiative will provide $1,000 stipends to first-generation college students each fall, spring and summer semester. The stipends will be awarded through a need-based application process and will significantly help alleviate financial strains. To learn more about this initiative, please view a video by Fall 2017 Archer Fellow, Michael Stanley, recipient of a 2017-18 First Generation College Student Scholarship.
​​Food Pantry Supplies for Archer Fellows - $5,000
Archer Fellows should not struggle to feed themselves during this important semester, yet this is all too common. Hunger and food insecurity are a reality for many of our students. Washington, D.C., is the 5th most expensive city in the nation where the cost of groceries is 30% more expensive than many Texas cities.  Providing non-perishable pantry supplies in the Archer Fellow housing at the beginning of each semester and at the Archer Center throughout the semester helps ensure no Archer Fellow goes hungry and all students can focus on their internships and courses in Washington. To learn more about this initiative, please view a video by Archer Fellow alumni.
Educational and Cultural Experiences - $6,000​
Throughout the semester, Archer Center students study the historically significant sites of the nation’s capital. But just outside Washington’s city limits are sites of equal importance in the country’s history and founding. This initiative will provide an enriching cultural experience for undergraduate and graduate Archer Fellows by enabling each class to visit sites like Antietam, Gettysburg and Mount Vernon. This field trip will help provide a unique context to studying the monuments and memorials of D.C. Funding this initiative will also provide additional educational and cultural opportunities for Archer Fellows each semester. To learn more about this initiative, please view a video by Dr. Joel Swerdlow, Archer Center Professor.
Mental Health and Wellness Services - $5,000
Counseling services have proven effective in assisting student adjustment to college and in improving academic performance, retention and graduation rates. More than 80% of college students have felt overwhelmed in the past year and 45% have felt hopeless. While in Washington, Archer Fellows do not have access to most mental health and wellness services offered at their home institution. Funding for this initiative will provide self-care and wellness seminars during orientation, short-term in-person student counseling resources similar to what is offered on their home campus, and an emergency or crisis paging system for Archer Fellows through a local provider. To learn more about this initiative, please view a video by Summer 2018 Archer Fellow Zoe Douglas. 
Alumni Scholarships to Pursue Graduate Degrees and Public Service Fellowships - $6,000
From Harvard Law School to Oxford and Teach for America to the Fulbright U.S. Student Program, Archer Fellow alumni enroll in prestigious graduate schools and participate in elite public service programs domestically and abroad. This initiative will provide six $1,000 scholarships to Archer Fellow alumni pursuing graduate degrees and public service fellowships to help make their dreams a reality.  These scholarships will be awarded through an application process managed by the Archer Fellow Alumni Association and will significantly aid the Archer Center in alumni relations efforts. To learn more about this initiative, please view a video highlighting recipients of this award.
Computers for the Archer Center Student Lab - $2,000 
As a self-supporting entity, the Archer Center is not permitted to use Permanent University Funds for technology and must purchase its computers.  The current Archer Center student computer lab has equipment dating back to 2010. Funding this initiative will provide the remaining funding necessary for three new, fully-functional computers for the Archer Center student computer lab to better support our students. To learn more about this initiative, please view a video by Summer 2017 Archer Fellow Yesenia Roman.
Archer Center Career Closet and Professional Attire - $7,000
This year, the Archer Center created Career Closets in D.C. and Austin with gently used business professional attire available to all incoming and currently enrolled Archer Fellows. The Career Closet assists students with their professional dress needs for interviews or in their internships. As the Career Closet continues to grow to serve more students, funds are requested to offset the lack of current inventory through professional attire scholarship funds to be awarded to students with a financial need and to pay for the dry cleaning of future donated items.  To learn more about this initiative, please view a short video describing the impact of the Career Closet. ​​
Student Alumni Ambassadors Program - $5,000
The Alumni Ambassadors Program funded by the 2017-18 Trust has had a substantial impact. Based on the Archer Center’s research, direct contact or dialogue with an alum of the Archer Fellowship Program motivates prospective students to apply for this life-changing opportunity. This year, the Archer Center consolidated its undergraduate and graduate recruitment and admissions efforts under the leadership of one Texas-based staff member to reduce travel costs and provide more staff support in D.C. Given the ever-growing student population of the UT System, further expansion of the role of alumni in the recruitment process is crucial to successfully reaching students from across 14 academic and health institutions. Providing training and a stipend to our ambassadors allows us to recognize and support our alumni recruiters. To learn more about this initiative, please view a video by Fall 2016 Archer Fellow Luis Veloz.
click here to view the 2017 - 2018 Trustees and funded initiatives
click here to view the 2016 - 2017 Trustees and funded initiatives
click here to view the 2015 - 2016 Trustees and funded initiatives
click here to view the 2014 - 2015 Trustees and funded initiatives