This March, we lost a cherished member of our University community. Dr. Louise Wootton dedicated 27 years to enriching the lives of our students and leaves a profound legacy of dedication, scholarship, and service.

Dr. Wootton joined Georgian Court in 1997 as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Biology. In the 27 years that followed, she served as Associate Professor, Professor, and Chair of the Department. She was well respected and admired as an educator, researcher, and mentor in her field.

In 2011, Dr. Wootton became our Director of Sustainability, passionately advocating for environmental stewardship and sustainability initiatives on our campus. Her contributions in this role were immeasurable. We will further miss her leadership in our faculty community, exemplified by her former role as Chair of the Executive Officers of the Faculty Assembly.

To honor Dr. Wootton’s life and legacy, we will be establishing the Dr. Louise Wootton Memorial Scholarship here at Georgian Court University. This scholarship will ensure that Dr. Wootton’s passion is carried on through the lives of the students that she cared for and valued dearly. The scholarship will be given to a biology student who embodies a sense of community and is driven to have a positive impact on the lives of those around them. The Dr. Louise Wootton Memorial Scholarship will strengthen our mission, support our Mercy core values and honor Dr. Wootton’s legacy for years to come.