Tiplady Burgess Scholarship in Bioengineering

As the saying goes, “good things come in small packages.” That saying took on new meaning when Margaret Tiplady Burgess became a friend of California Lutheran University in 2006. Although she was living in Newbury Park at the time, the petite Margaret was planning to move to the recently opened University Village across Olsen Road from the CLU campus. She loved the college atmosphere and wanted to be able to take advantage of the services and benefits CLU offered. Out of her sense of propriety, however, she felt that she should first establish a relationship with CLU.

Fortunately for CLU, Margaret’s financial advisor was well acquainted with the University and introduced her to the idea of creating a student scholarship in an area of science where it was most needed. After meeting with the University, Margaret decided to create not one but two endowed scholarships—one in bioengineering and one in environmental science. Later, she made gifts to the University to purchase a densitometer for the exercise science program and an atomic force microscope for the bioengineering program.

Margaret’s interest in the sciences had been sparked by her past experience as a nurse during World War II. Growing up as a happy teenager in England, Margaret found that the war had changed her viewpoint on life. As the war dragged on, she began to feel that her interest in English literature and physical education was trivial. Instead, she decided to undertake nurses’ training and went on to work in a Welsh hospital for the wounded. She became known as Nurse Tiplady.

After the war Margaret came to the U.S. where she met and married her soul mate, Charles Burgess. Charles was a classically trained violinist, but his real love was jazz. He played both clarinet and saxophone and over the years worked for many famous band leaders of the Big Band era. Ill for many years, Charles passed away in 2000 from cancer. Margaret dedicated her scholarship gift to his courage.

The Tiplady Burgess Scholarship in Bioengineering and the Tiplady Burgess Scholarship in Environmental Science were first announced and awarded in 2007. To be eligible for either of these awards, a student must hold a grade point average of at least 3.5.