The Fotedar Fellowship: Cultivating Futures, Honoring Heritage

USA-based Endowed Fellowship and India-based Endowed Chair honor their professional past and Kashmiri roots

Hira and Pat Fotedar are building a remarkable legacy, not just through their professional achievements, but through a deeply personal commitment to advancing education and supporting their community. Their recent establishment of the "Dr. Hira and Patricia Fotedar Endowed Fellowship" at the University of Washington's Materials Science and Engineering (MSE) department, alongside the “Dr. Hiralal and Patricia Fotedar Endowed Chair in Metallurgy, Materials Science and Engineering” at the Indian Institute of Technology (BHU) Varanasi, showcases a philanthropic vision that spans continents and nurtures excellence from the ground up. These significant endowments underscore their unwavering dedication to their Kashmiri roots and the broader advancement of materials science.

Hira and Pat Fotedar

A Global Journey, Shaped by Opportunity and Generosity

Hira Fotedar's own life story is a testament to the transformative power of opportunity. A merit scholarship in 1962 enabled him, a young Kashmiri Pandit, to embark on his metallurgical engineering studies at the Indian Institute of Technology (BHU) Varanasi. This foundational experience instilled in him a profound belief in the "multiplying effect" of giving back – a principle that has guided his extensive philanthropic endeavors.

His academic journey continued at the University of Washington in the 1960s, where he pursued his Ph.D. in MSE. As the first graduate student of Professor Thomas Stoebe, Hira played a pivotal role in establishing a cutting-edge materials lab. His career subsequently took him across the globe, from a postdoctoral fellowship at the Imperial College of Science and Technology, University of London, where he collaborated with Professor Peter L. Pratt, to an associate professorship at the Instituto de Pesquisas Energia Nuclear (IPEN) in Brazil. Ultimately, he spent 28 years at Eaton Corporation, rising to Vice President of Corporate Quality and Operational Excellence before founding his own consulting firm, Fotedar Associates LLC. Throughout his distinguished career, recognized with numerous awards for leadership and service, Hira never lost sight of the importance of supporting others.

Deep Roots and Far-Reaching Impact: Dual Endowments

The Fotedars' philanthropic efforts are characterized by both their breadth and their deep personal connection to their heritage. In 1991, deeply moved by the plight of displaced Kashmiri Pandits, Hira co-founded the Indo-American Kashmir Forum. This advocacy group became a beacon of hope, raising funds, collecting aid, and championing the safe return of his community to their homeland. This initiative profoundly illustrates his enduring dedication to his Kashmiri roots.

Beyond this, Hira's commitment to social good is evident in his service as president of the Cleveland branch of Sewa International, where he developed the ASPIRE program to mentor at-risk high school students. He also contributed to the Ohio Award for Excellence (now The Partnership for Excellence), a non-profit promoting organizational excellence.

Now, the Fotedars have significantly amplified their impact with two distinct yet complementary endowments:

• The "Dr. Hiralal and Patricia Fotedar Endowed Chair in Metallurgy, Materials Science and Engineering" at IIT (BHU) Varanasi: This $240,000 gift will create an endowed faculty position to recognize and support exceptional educators and researchers. It aims to foster interdisciplinary research, attract top-tier faculty, and enhance the Institute's global reputation in materials science and engineering. This builds upon Hira's earlier establishment of an undergraduate scholarship at his alma mater, solidifying his commitment to the institution that set him on his remarkable path.

• The "Dr. Hira and Patricia Fotedar Endowed Fellowship" at the University of Washington MSE: This $250,000 fellowship will provide crucial financial support and peace of mind to graduate students in MSE, helping to advance the field and contribute to a better world. Notably, the fellowship will prioritize students of Kashmiri Pandit heritage when possible, a deliberate choice that powerfully reinforces the Fotedars' dedication to their community and their desire to empower the next generation within it.

A Shared Vision for a Brighter Future

Pat Fotedar, with her degrees in English and education from the University of Washington and a Master of Science in Social Administration from Case Western Reserve University, shares Hira's profound dedication to giving back. Her career as a social worker, supporting women's shelters and aiding victims of abuse, perfectly aligns with their shared philanthropic ethos. Their meeting as students at the University of Washington was, as Hira fondly recalls, when "The university not only gave me a Ph.D. It gave me a wife!"

Together, they envision these fellowships as catalysts for future success and continued generosity. Hira expresses his hope that the recipients of these endowments will "become outstanding material scientists, then give back to the university." This "multiplying effect" is at the heart of their philanthropy: providing foundational support to enable individuals to achieve their full potential, who will then, in turn, contribute to the advancement of their fields and the betterment of society.

Through these dual endowments, the Fotedars are not just funding education; they are investing in a future where talent is nurtured, innovation thrives, and the spirit of giving back flourishes across generations and geographies, connecting their past and present in a powerful tapestry of impact.

Three generations of Fotedars