During many years in the field of water and wastewater, the late Brian A. Janonis observed that women with experience on courts and athletic fields made great leaders on task forces and plant floors.

“He felt that women who came out of sports teams seemed to make some of the best managers,” said Brian’s spouse, Catherine Cole Janonis. “And he wanted to encourage more women to go into STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) fields.”

To do that, Brian and Catherine established an estate gift to create a scholarship at Colorado State University for student-athletes who enroll in the Walter Scott, Jr. College of Engineering or physical science within the College of Natural Sciences.

When Brian passed away in 2021 at the age of 70, Catherine decided to accelerate their plans by funding the scholarship with gifts today, as well as those already included in their estate plan. Catherine also makes current gifts to other departments and colleges within CSU.

Brian and Catherine met during their undergrad at Union College in the state of New York and were married by the time they both enrolled in graduate school at Colorado State University. Brian earned a master’s degree in environmental engineering in 1977. He eventually became the CEO of Fort Collins City Utilities, from which he retired in 2014. Catherine has a master’s in geriatric nutrition from CSU. She went on to work for the SAINT program, then as an admissions coordinator for a nursing home, then the Health District of Northern Larimer County.

Catherine said CSU made setting up the gifts easy, including recommending independent legal and financial advisors who could assist.

“I really enjoy talking to the students,” she said. “They’re all so vibrant and willing to go out and make changes. I believe in education, and I believe in helping people who may need assistance in education, and I believe in helping women in STEM fields.”

“The scholarship,” she said, “is a great way to honor Brian and act on all those beliefs.”

Join Brian and Catherine in Giving Back

Combining giving today with an estate gift is the ideal way to experience the joy of helping others achieve their educational dreams – both today and tomorrow. To learn more, contact the the Office of Gift Planning at (970) 491-4254.