Longtime DU Supporter Expands Efforts to Help Students

This year, Girouard has decided to expand her commitment to this effort. Belstock’s position has been renamed the Louis Richard Girouard III Director of Health Promotion and Education. This funding will ensure a permanent endowment to support the efforts of the Health Promotion Department.

“I am so pleased to have this endowment in my son’s name and to support the program he was interested in, as well as myself,” says Girouard. This is believed to be the first and only endowed director of health promotion in the country.

“In honoring her son’s memory, she is ensuring that DU students will forever receive education and resources to make positive choices in the face of high-risk options,” says Armin Afsahi, vice chancellor for university advancement. “Endowed staff positions are extremely rare, and Marilyn’s gift reinforces the University’s commitment to students in all areas of life during their educational journey at DU.”

Belstock appreciates how rare this endowment is and what it means to have the additional funding and support from someone in the DU community.

“It’s pretty unique to have a community member so engaged in this specific area and really so invested in prevention, not just treatment,” Belstock says. “This is an opportunity to continue the legacy Girouard has created in her son’s name and really provide whoever is in my position with that ongoing funding to support programming in those areas.”