Motivated by the Matches: David Arpi, MS ’74 Establishes Endowed EOP/AIM Scholarship Fund in Honor of Late Wife

David Arpi, MS ’74 is a tough man to get a hold of, as he is always traveling. Living in northern California and Washington state, he spends time traveling to see his sons and family in the West, Midwest and Atlantic states as well as to countries on all continents of the world. David and his late wife, Natalie Gubb, MS ’74, loved to travel, explore the world together and meet new friends along the way. He has continued to honor Natalie through his travels and most recently by establishing an endowed scholarship for Stony Brook University’s Educational Opportunity Program (EOP/AIM) — something he knows Natalie would have been proud to support.

David grew up in northern Minnesota, studied economics at the University of Minnesota and pursued his graduate degree in urban policy and sciences at Stony Brook. “Being in the graduate program at Stony Brook, I took advantage of its ties to New York City and would often take trips into the city with our class to meet with various city agencies,” said David. “Growing up in a rural Midwest town, I enjoyed being exposed to different cultures, practices and ways of thinking.” In fact, David said that is one of the most memorable things about Stony Brook — well, that and meeting Natalie. They were in the same program together. “The classes were small — there were 17 men and three women,” said David. “Natalie was one of them, and we became friends.” In their first semester, Natalie invited David for Thanksgiving dinner with her family in Southbridge, Massachusetts, where she was from. “On the ride up, we got to know each other better and began dating shortly after the holiday.”

After graduation, David got a job for the Federal Power Commission in Washington, D.C., while Natalie landed a position in Albany with the New York State Division for Youth. They commuted from D.C. and New York to see each other for a little over a year, before David left the public sector and started consulting with an engineering research firm for government agencies and private sector clients. He went on to start a company in 2001 called MACH Energy that provided cloud-based energy management software to office buildings nationwide; it was sold before the pandemic. Natalie went to law school and became a prominent affordable housing attorney in California. “Natalie was inspired to get into law while at Stony Brook,” David explained. “We took a course that explained the foundations of law, and a visiting professor singled her out after class and suggested she consider going to law school.” She dedicated her career to increasing quality affordable housing in California and spent time mentoring young developers throughout her life. 

Over the years, David and Natalie would make annual gifts to Stony Brook. Upon hearing about the New York State endowment match program and the Simons Infinity Investment Match Challenge in 2023, David was inspired to do more. He established the Educational Opportunity Program Endowed Scholarship Fund in Natalie’s memory. David said he named the fund after the program it supports in the hope that others will contribute to it. The EOP/AIM program provides higher education access, academic support and financial aid to students who show promise for succeeding in college but who may not have otherwise been offered admission. “Natalie dedicated her career to helping thousands of people across California live in homes they can afford and mentoring young developers,” said David. “My hope is that this fund will continue her life’s work to help students from lower-income backgrounds get the great education that both Natalie and I got at Stony Brook.” The funding will assist students within EOP/AIM with nontuition expenses such as room and board, books or travel costs. 

“We are grateful for David Arpi’s confidence in the EOP/AIM,” said Pamela Matzner, director of the program. “Establishing this endowed scholarship fund in his wife’s honor is an investment into the future of our students, helping to ensure they graduate.”

In addition to establishing the endowed scholarship fund, David contributed to the Student Emergency Support Endowment Fund. The fund, which is distributed through the Division of Student Affairs, provides limited grant funding to Stony Brook undergraduate and graduate students who are experiencing an unexpected financial crisis that may be impacting their ability to continue their academic journey. 

Wanting to take further advantage of the match opportunities, which will triple David’s investments, he recently made additional pledges to the scholarship and the student emergency funds with a qualified charitable donation (QCD) through his individual retirement account. “I structured my QCD to invest in these programs at Stony Brook to live on in perpetuity,” said David. “Natalie and I had a great education without needing to take out loans. We worked hard, and as a result, our children had all the benefits of a good education. I just want other people to have those same opportunities.”

Funding for the Educational Opportunity Program Endowed Scholarship Fund and the Student Emergency Support Endowment Fund is eligible for both the New York State endowment match program and the Simons Infinity Investment Match Challenge, which will triple the impact this endowment gift will have on Stony Brook. For more information, visit stonybrook.edu/endowments. If you have interest in or questions about endowments or the match opportunities, contact Scott Barrett, interim vice president of Advancement, at (631) 632-9128 or scott.barrett@stonybrook.edu. 

For more information about a qualified charitable donation, contact Ashley Fetter, senior director of gift planning, at (631) 632-4926 or ashley.fetter@stonybrook.edu. 

-Christine McGrath