Why Jacob Thomas ’73 Used a Qualified Charitable Donation to Establish an Endowed CEAS Scholarship

When Jacob Thomas ’73 applied to the electrical engineering graduate program at Stony Brook University, he had no idea it would lead to a successful career in computer science. And when Thomas started giving back to Stony Brook through annual giving, he never expected to establish an endowed scholarship using a qualified charitable donation (QCD). But both of those things did happen, and Thomas is thrilled that he can provide opportunities for students, the same way Stony Brook provided an opportunity to him.

Thomas attended the Indian Institute of Technology Madras in India for his undergraduate degree in electrical engineering. When he started looking into graduate schools, Stony Brook University was on the top of his list, as classmates ahead of him were already here. He applied for the electrical engineering program; however, the response he got changed the trajectory of his career path. “I got a letter saying they were so impressed with my application, they were offering me an assistantship position within the computer science program,” Thomas recalled. “Even though I had no formal training in computer science, I knew it was a great field. It was a great opportunity and I was up for the challenge, so I accepted.”

The transition from India to the United States was smooth, Thomas said. He immersed himself in the Indian community on campus and spent time with his American host family. “Stony Brook connected me with a family that lived near campus,” he said. “They would invite me to their home for family dinners, holidays and even their children’s parties. That gave me exposure to American culture.” 

While studying in the program, Thomas was a teaching assistant in professor Arthur Bernstein’s Introduction to Computer Science class in the Spring 1972 semester. It was his first experience teaching, and he was curious as to what the students thought. “Since there were no student feedback systems, I handed out pieces of paper and asked for anonymous feedback,” Thomas said. He was happy to read that the feedback was all positive. Thomas was also pleased to find out that one of his students, who was interested in computer science as a potential field of study, continued in the field and later rose to become the president of the Association for Computing Machinery (ACM). “It was such an honor to know that her passion for computer science started in my classroom at Stony Brook,” said Thomas.

The computer science program was tough, and Thomas said he learned a lot. He enjoyed learning computer science from the ground up and is most proud of one of his final projects in the program. “The computer science department had a single-user computer called a PDP-15,” Thomas said. “Our project was to convert it to a multiuser time-sharing machine, which had never been done before. But my partner and I were successful.” It was the practical background, and the confidence he gained at Stony Brook, that he said allowed him to find a job after completing his master’s.

Thomas worked at several smaller companies in different areas of computer science, such as programming languages, communications and diagnostics. He recently retired from Verizon, where he started in the research and development department before moving into customer support applications. “I’m very proud of the career I had,” Thomas said. “I was able to get exposure to different areas of computer science, and I worked on numerous projects throughout my career.”

“I’m thankful to Stony Brook for giving me the opportunity to study computer science and lay the groundwork for my success.”

Through Verizon’s corporate match program, Thomas started contributing yearly to scholarship funds at Stony Brook. “I’m grateful for all that Stony Brook offered me, and I wanted to help out other students in the field of computer science.” However, he always wanted to give more to the university. When he read an article in SB Matters, our alumni newsletter, about an alumni couple creating an endowment and taking advantage of the New York State endowment match program and the Simons Infinity Investment match, he was inspired to do the same. Thomas had already begun to take the required minimum distribution (RMD) out of his individual retirement account (IRA) and thought now would be the perfect time to give more back. He decided to make a QCD through his IRA to establish the Jacob Thomas Mooletharayil Endowed Scholarship, as he felt “it was an attractive way of paying less taxes while at the same time doing something good,” he said. Thomas added that he views the endowment as part of his investment portfolio that is managed by the Stony Brook Foundation. “I feel confident knowing that the returns benefit students now through this scholarship in my name, and that all future contributions will continue to help me meet the annual RMD out of my IRA while remaining tax-free,” Thomas said. 

Thomas named the scholarship after his father and grandfather because education was a big part of his family. “My grandfather was a teacher and my father had scholarships to support him through college,” said Thomas. “The importance of education was instilled in me at a young age, and honoring their name through this scholarship ensures their legacy will live on at Stony Brook.”

“Jacob Thomas’ experience at Stony Brook is one that we hope all of our students have,” said College of Engineering and Applied Sciences Dean Andrew Singer, PhD. “By establishing this scholarship, Jacob has demonstrated his deep commitment to providing opportunities for our students to ensure they get a world-class education.”

The scholarship will be available for undergraduate students studying computer science or electrical engineering within the College of Engineering and Applied Sciences. Thomas hopes that the scholarship will help first-generation college students. “I want to be able to help students get a push in life, to be able to move ahead in their studies and career,” said Thomas. “Just like I had the chance with the assistantship at Stony Brook, I think other people deserve that same chance.”

The Jacob Thomas Mooletharayil Endowed Scholarship 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 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