The University of North Florida presented this watercolor painting of the Silverfield College of Education and Human Services to donors Gary and Laine Silverfield. | UNF
Published on January 27, 2025 at 5:14 pm
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There’s a new name for the College of Education and Human Services at the Univeristy of North Florida — a name chosen to honor longtime donors.
The facility has become the Silverfield College of Education and Human Services. It is only the second education college in the state university system that bears a donor’s name.
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Gary and Laine Silverfield and their family were there Monday for the announcement with fireworks, confetti and the unrolling of a banner with the new name.
The amount of their gift was not announced. It will build on the Silverfields’ two long-established scholarships already serving students at UNF.
“Education is very important in our lives,” Laine Silverfield said. “Gary and I worked hard for an education. We didn’t necessarily have our education provided for us, so we knew that helping other students like people helped us would be a wonderful thing.”
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Her husband said: “We have just been very lucky, very lucky, and this seemed like the right thing to do. We hope they have more teachers, better education, and know how good UNF is for the city of Jacksonville.”
Along with renaming the school, the Silverfields’ gift will support several significant initiatives, from an endowed professorship in sports management and coaching education to a director for on-campus programs and events for students with intellectual and developmental differences, said Stephen Dittmore, dean of the Silverfield College of Education and Human Services.
“As an alumnae of our special education program, Laine knows firsthand the importance of a quality education can play in transforming a person’s life,” Dittmore said. “This benevolent gift enables us to focus resources to ensure all students, including those with unique abilities, will have a chance to succeed and become productive members of their community.”
The college offers programs in early childhood, elementary and secondary education, as well as exceptional student, deaf and TESOL — or Teach English Online and Abroad courses. It also offers sports management, educational leadership, higher education administration and school counseling and disability services education programs.
Four other funds also are part of the family’s gift:
- Laine S. Silverfield endowed Professorship in Special Education, dedicated to recruiting, retaining and supporting an outstanding faculty member in the field of special education or a closely related field.
- Silverfield Family Coaching Education, Professional Development and Research Fund, covering costs related to coaches’ annual certification. It also will fund the Silverfield Family Athletic Symposium.
- The Silverfield Special Education Fund, which supports programmatic initiatives, events and student opportunities.
- Silverfield Endowed Excellence Fund, which provides resources for the dean of the college to expand degree programs and student success resources including scholarship funding for students.
UNF President Moez Limayem was enthusiastic as he announced the family’s gift and endowments. He said the college has graduated 22,000 students since 1972 “who have gone on to educate, mentor and counsel future generations of students in our region.”
Laine Silverfield is a Jacksonville native who earned her graduate degree in special education at UNF, and received the Outstanding Alumni Award in 2008. Her husband served on the college’s Advisory Board for many years.
