Philanthropist Barb Prillaman Establishes $100,000 Endowment for DSA

The Data Science and AI Academy (DSA) has received its first legacy endowment, a significant planned gift of $100,000 from alumna Barb Prillaman, class of 1986. This unrestricted endowment will allow the academy to better address student needs and explore new programming opportunities. The gift not only marks a milestone for DSA but also highlights Prillaman’s deep commitment to the institution and its mission.

Prillaman, who has actively engaged with the College of Sciences through various events, currently serves on the College of Sciences Foundation Board of Directors as well as the college’s Alumni Advisory Board. Her involvement with DSA began in 2022 when she joined as a lecturer, introducing a course focused on data communication that she developed herself. Ray Levy, Executive Director of DSA, praised Prillaman’s contributions, stating, “From our early days, [Prillaman] has been a core member of the DSA instructor community. Her student-centered, community-minded, active approach to teaching and learning represents core values of DSA.”

From Legacy Planning to Active Teaching

Initially, establishing an endowment for DSA was not part of Prillaman’s estate plan. With degrees from four universities, she originally intended to create two legacy endowments at each institution—one for her home department and another for the libraries. “These are places that have made me who I am,” Prillaman stated. “I want to say thank you in an enduring way.”

However, her experience at DSA inspired her to add this additional endowment at North Carolina State University. Prillaman first learned about the academy during a College of Sciences Alumni Advisory Board meeting, where she was intrigued by its mission. “My ears perked up,” she recalled. “I got in touch with [Levy] and pitched an idea for a course in teaching students how to communicate their work in an accessible way.”

Despite having no prior teaching experience, Prillaman collaborated with a friend who is a teacher to develop the curriculum for her course. Through this journey, she discovered her innate ability to teach, which she attributes to her upbringing with a neurodiverse sister, Patti Prillaman.

“I realized that my ability to teach and explain comes from growing up with a sister who was neurodiverse,” she said. “Patti was two years older than me, but we learned together. Developmentally, I passed her at some point, but I was always there teaching and explaining things to her and never realizing that I was doing it.” This personal history has shaped her teaching philosophy, reminding her students that they already possess essential skills in science and communication.

Empowering Faculty and Enhancing Education

Prillaman’s endowment is not only a financial contribution; it is also a means to support those who contribute to student success. She highlighted the dedication of faculty and staff, stating, “They all work incredibly hard behind the scenes and don’t get nearly enough recognition. These endowments give me an opportunity to publicly be a cheerleader for them.”

Prillaman envisions that her legacy endowment will enable DSA to hire additional staff, broaden the curriculum, and ultimately enhance the educational experience. “The DSA staff does an amazing job with what they have, but I would like for them to have more,” she noted. “I would like for them to be able to build bigger and realize some of the dreams they have.”

Reflecting on her journey as a lecturer, which began 40 years to the week after she took her first class at NC State, Prillaman finds it a full-circle moment. Coming from a background in the arts and initially pursuing a STEM degree, she developed a passion for mathematics and statistics that blended her creative and analytical sides. “NC State provided me with the foundation for my career as a statistician,” she affirmed.

With her new endowment, Prillaman not only completes her legacy planning but also reinforces her commitment to education and the future of the Data Science and AI Academy.